Have not been offered any of out preferred schools, help

[JugglingLife]

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.

Thank you for your kind works.

And, yes, that's exactly why I think this is an excellent development. Unless all 40 spaces have somehow been filled overnight, this at least should give you a school where you would be happy (or at least not appalled) for your daughter to start in September, should your appeal or sitting on waiting lists not be successful by then. Of course, it's not the same thing as having a place in the school you would most prefer, but another positive benefit is that it enables you to present yourself to the appeal panel as someone who, while seeking to get their child a place in the school they consider will best meet their needs, is still prepared to be flexible and reasonable about considering (less suitable but reasonable) alternatives.

Kind words, that is.

Am pleased that I've helped with a plan B. Thought it may work as it's true for my city that there are often surplus places in bordering areas.
Still hope for a positive result for you from plan A though!

Thanks cat life, isn't it bizarre how one area is totally oversubscribed and another not.

JugglingLife - was it a school in Walsall that still had places, out of interest?

No sold, not Walsall

Op I'm in Sutton Coldfield too and dd has just been offered a place locally. We know now that the catchment for dds chosen school has shrunk this yr and we were literally one of the last ones admitted. I know this as another child who lives 0.1 miles away from me didn't get in. Most of the children who didn't get first choice got offered John Wilmott from what I've heard. I think there must have been a rise in siblings this year which has made it harder. I genuinely feel for you, I knew we were on the edge of the catchment & have been in turmoil for months over it. There's no way I'd send dd to the catholic school either. I know many parents at dds primary are up in arms over it.

Thanks flossie, I have caught your contributions on the other thread and was keeping an eye on you, it's a very strange result here. Still can't get my head around what is going on. Our primary year was high sibling, ie 33 out of a 60 intake, that could be school specific. It is very worrying for this and future school years though. In the meanwhile we continue to drop further down wait list which is odd , previously things would start to be more positive by now. Onwards and upwards, plans b, c and d are now in place.

Delighted you got your place though flossie.

Hi we also have not been offered any of our preferences. We are in another part of the country and urban so have a number of almost equidistant schools. One a bit further away from us has places and I am going to look round and perhaps apply. It will not be ideal but better than that allocated. Thing is I am appealing to our first two preferences. Part of my case is that my child has been to lots of primary schools due to circumstances out of our control. We intend to HE for a while if we can until a decent option comes up. We dont want her getting settled in a school and then moving to yet another because a place in a better one comes up. It would give her more continuity to be at home than do that.

I know not to make out that we have been forced to HE - it would be our choice and we were offered a school only 2ish miles from us. But DP thinks it will weaken our case if we tell the panel we have applied to another and then accepted. I can see his point, but pp on this thread seem to be suggesting it will benefit us as it will make us appeal more reasonable. I understand that this is all about the judgement of the panel on the day - but I am a bit confused about whether applying late for and accepting another school will help or hinder. does anyone have any thoughts? does any of what i've written make sense??

tiggy my thoughts exactly. My child would like a plan B. The school with places does not usually have any left - and so I think they will be snapped up too. I have home ed before and its not an idle threat (or any kind of threat!) but she is better in school, I think.

Thanks for focusing my thoughts.

Hi everyone, some more advice please. We have actually mapped the travel times etc and DC is looking at a 1hr 17 minutes each way excluding traffic which will be heavy. This is in clear breach of the governments home-school travel policy at 1hr 15 mins maximum. This has been challenged in a court of law and the child concerned won. Would I take this up with the LEA now as they clearly should not have offered that school or should it be a part of our appeal? Advice gratefully received!

The 75mins travel time is only a suggested maximum. It is not mandatory

Thanks Eddie. So if it's not mandatory we should in theory save it for our appeal. The government guidance on it is pretty specific. I think it all adds weight? Or am I clutching at straws again?

Juggling am in your area and possibly facing similar problems in a few years - do you mind me asking what the more acceptable school with 40 places was? Thanks.

Have PM'd you Didi.

Thank you tiggy, thank you Eddie, apparently I need to sweat for a couple more weeks before there's any hope of an alternate offer , still gathering copious amounts of evidence.

Juggling - I also heard of another child from dds school who got offered C.W. They too had applied to A.T. I know they are appealing too. I really feel for you there are just not enough decent schools for the area

Flossie, there are so many children affected it's awful. Our nearest school is the one that we partner with for everything, just today the Y6 kids were there watching the school performance, but only 28 kids out of 60 are going and 24 were siblings. It's so unsettling for them, there are protections in place for others but not for our kids. And apparently the park is removed from the equation for as the crow flies calculations. How can that be right? My DD will have to negotiate all of that travel, to go to the school that is their local school and then they get in to my local school on a technicality. Rant over.

Bloody hell really?? I never heard of that before. It's horrific there's not a cat in hells chance I'd send my dd to CW. Lots of parents this year thought it was a guarantee that their dc would get their no 1 preference as they would of over the past 3 yrs but it's just not worked out that way. Most are either appealing or just praying on the waiting lists

What do you mean that on the straight line distance measurement the park is removed from the equation. There is no way that they should be able to change how distances are measured. Straight line distance is just that, no matter if 99% of it is over water, it is the straight line distance from an agreed spot on the school to the agreed spot on your home.