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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Have not been offered any of out preferred schools, help

145 replies

JugglingLife · 02/03/2015 12:08

I can't believe it. My poor DD hasn't been offered anything from our list (which were all 'catchment' schools.) They have offered her a place at a 'catholic' school that is miles away, minimum 3 buses through some very dodgy areas. She can not go there. We are not even catholic. It looks like I now have to appeal for all of our catchment schools. Other than 'locality' can anybody give advice on how to successfully appeal. I can't believe that we are in a position where she has not been offered any of our local schools.

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admission · 02/03/2015 19:18

Jugglinglife, out of 4 schools I bet one of them has a strong presence in the sports field and therefore you can argue your daughters capability at netball and all sports like that and her wish to exceed at a high level in sport as a starting point. Start scouring the school websites for things each of the schools does that you can potentially use for the appeals as well.

RandomMess · 02/03/2015 19:19

I would also look at going on waiting lists on schools that would be easier for her to get due to better transport routes as she'll have been allocated one with spaces IYSWIM

Original poster
JugglingLife · 02/03/2015 20:00

Darlings, thankyou, I am three sheets through a bottle of Pinot and will pick this up tomorrow when I make sGrinse

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RandomMess · 02/03/2015 20:01

LOL glad the Pinot is helping for now Grin

ChillySundays · 02/03/2015 22:31

Juggling - I wouldn't rule out the catholic school quite yet. If you decline that place and then lose your appeals you could end up in a worse school or even further away.

My DC went to catholic school and there were a large number of Asians their parents chose it over the their local catchment school (which was only a bit further away) mainly because of the christian ethos. It's not rammed down your throat all the time - not like the old days

Is there a school bus? Several routes here. The council issued bus passes which involved 2 buses and were more expensive than the school bus. If there is a school bus the area won't matter as they get taken straight to school

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 07:38

Morning everyone, thanks for your helpful comments yesterday, today will be spent updating the wait list position and then gathering evidence for the appeals. We still don't know her position for the closest school so with a fair wind we may be pleasantly surprised at her position. With regards to the transport to the faith school they do not have school buses so she will be at the mercy of public transport, followed by a walk at the end through an area she does not know. Friends who are familiar with the area think that she'll be eaten alive. Great. Faith schools are normally completely oversubscribed, it's really worrying that this one is not.

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tiggytape · 03/03/2015 08:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 15:08

So wait list is fairly horrific. 39 for our closest school, 78 for the next one. All looking very unlikely, we will definitely need to go to appeal. Thoughts on whether to accept the school that's miles away anyway. And then use that as part of our 'appeal'. Even the LEA are saying that it's just not realistic for her to go there but they can't do anything about it.

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MisForMumNotMaid · 03/03/2015 15:58

Very high waiting lists surely put pressure on LEA to put another class on? Has anyone mentioned that or why it wouldn't be possible?

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 16:06

It's all early days but the rumour mill from reliable source is that extra places are being considered. Have also just found out her offered school are in special measures.

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SteppeAwayFromTheKeyboard · 03/03/2015 16:08

apologies if this has already been said:

  1. accept the place at the catholic school. Accepting it does not in any way affect your appeal.
  2. Get on to the waiting list for more than one school
  3. appeals - you cannot appeal AGAINST the school you have been allocated, you must appeal FOR the school you want. You have to prove that having one more in the class will not effect the school. There was a programme on radio 4 today and the interviewee (expert on appeals) said most people don't do enough research into this part, but it is this which will win your appeal. You can appeal for more than one school
  4. Don't panic, you may find the the school adds an extra class if so many didn't get in
MyNightWithMaud · 03/03/2015 16:11

For the LEA, the indicator for whether or not additional classes are needed isn't the number of children on waiting lists but the number with no school place at all. They generally won't put an extra class into school A (even assuming school A has room for it) if school B is nearby and has places. What counts as nearby depends on the size and geography of the area.

SteppeAwayFromTheKeyboard · 03/03/2015 16:15

I agree mynight, but if it is a successful academy, it might do it (pretty much all the schools here are academies now, and a couple have done this in the last year)

bobbobina · 03/03/2015 16:23

Hi all, has anyone requested Springhead in Willerby? I know they are highly subscribed. I believe there has there was a baby boom, which has led to more pupils and less schools. We have not heard yet. Now concerned our child will not get in.

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 16:36

DC is on 4 wait lists. I also know 3 people that work in our closest oversubscribed school and they are very useful in terms of information gathering. I fully understand the rationale behind justifying why DC needs to go to that school, however given that I can not actually get her to the offered school, etc etc is there not an additional argument that the harm to DC if she is refused a place on appeal is massively greater than the harm the school would suffer by being forced to admit her? Bear in mind that most of the other families appealing will have been offered a school from their preference list and she has not.

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Blu · 03/03/2015 17:00

In your situation I would get together with as many other parents in a similar position (none of the local schools) and write very quickly to your local councillors and the councillor responsible for education and make a strong and urgent case for a 'bulge class' somewhere local. Or as many of you as possible turn up at the next local councillors surgery. And be polite and reasonable in presenting what is clearly a significant issue.

The waiting list numbers - are those the total number on the list for those schools, or your position on the list?

Don't diss the other school or area to Cllrs - people who live in areas that your friends consider that your child would be 'eaten alive' in are also a local councillor's constituents. Who have children living there.

tiggytape · 03/03/2015 17:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 17:07

We have already written to our local MP, awaiting answer, the waiting list number is DCs position on the list. I have today spoken to the LEA, the offered school that is miles away is the closest school with places. Everything else is full or further away. Apparently it's a massively high sibling year. Our closest schools cut off is normally around 1950m, this year it is 1500m. There are too many children and not enough places across the whole of birmingham. There will be hundreds of appeals.

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PaleoRules · 03/03/2015 17:11

I'm stunned that faith is not grounds for appeal - there is no way on earth I would send my DC to a catholic school, would home educate rather than do that!

Dreading secondary school placements as we are in no mans land too Smile.

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 17:13

With regards to why that school. 1. It is our closest school 2. We have family ties to the school 3. I have 3 DC's, all will be in different schools, locality is an issue with childminders etc 4. If she has to go to the catholic school I will need to take her which means I will have to give up my job. We will then lose the house as we can't afford the mortgage on a single salary. 5. DC is a high achiever, level 5a and 6 expected for sats, she needs to be in an environment where she can thrive, the catholic school are failing the brightest children it's in their ofsted. I could keep going ......

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Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 17:14

And I would not let her to that area ANY day, let alone every day.

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PanelChair · 03/03/2015 17:21

Of the issues you mention (5) is by far the most relevant, in terms of hitting the right buttons for an appeal. It would be better, though, if you could turn this round and highlight how well the preferred school caters for high achievers, not how badly the allocated school does. By all means mention the others, but they are less significant than (5).

I hear what you say about the allocated school being in what you regard as an undesirable area, but I really would advise you not to go to town on this in any appeal. For all you know, the members of the panel live there or have children at school there and (in the final analysis) if, for argument's sake, 1500 children go to school there, why shouldn't it be your child? To be a little provocative, we're talking about Birmingham, not Kabul.

ChillySundays · 03/03/2015 17:22

Bit of a statement Paleo

Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 17:30

I know panel, I'm being a bit emotive, can't help it at the moment. The preferred school is the best performing comp in Brum. 86% of children will get a-c grades including maths/English. She will excel there, she needs to go to a school that will push her abilities not let them stagnate.

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Original poster
JugglingLife · 03/03/2015 17:33

It will be fairly easy to evidence no 5 I think.

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