Academy appeal help please

[cedricdoris1]

I only put one school down which dd didn't get into. It has been an academy for 5 years now and is doing well so applications are increasing year on year. DD is eldest of two and attends feeder school, however last admission was sibling and catchment. Feeder school is category 6. DD was 17th on waiting list as of Monday. The academy specialises in performing arts. DD has attended drama lasses with local theatre for 4 years, has previously studied flute and piano to Grade 1 and has popped in and out of dance over the years, including Ballet to Grade 1, tap and modern. The academy claims to "offer students the chance to develop their talents in music, dance and drama". They are active locally in performing arts, take part in a national music festival and offer free music tuition. The school I was offered I have turned down as there is a single sex academy school locally which I know is undersubscribed and out of those two the single sex one is preferable, however the original academy has been dd's and my favourite since we first started looking when she was in year 5. What I'd like to understand is whether her passion for performing arts and the academy's specialism in this is enough for an appeal or do I need to look at other facts and figures. Any help gratefully received. Thank you.

Please say you didn't really turn down the place you were offered at another school? If you did, and your appeal for a place at your preferred school is not successful, you do understand that the LA is under no obligation to find you another school place? If you are aware of another single sex academy locally which has places, I would try to get your dd a place there just so she has somewhere to go in September. Otherwise, you may need to be prepared to Home Ed her.

You can certainly use the academy's specialisation in performing arts as a reason why this school, rather than any other, would be best for her. However, you need to provide some evidence of your daughter's interest in, and talent for, music/dance/theatre in support of that assertion. To be blunt, offering Grade 1 in ballet, flute and piano (and it sounds as if she doesn't even study music anymore) is not going to help much. At that level, pretty much any school is going to be able to fulfil her needs.

It's also the only "state" school locally with a sixth form which offers various enrichment, including the Shakespeare Schools Festival, an annual musical, links with performing arts and Bedales school plus various other things which no other local school can offer.

Maybe it is, and you could maybe make a case, but I think it would be a weak one - nothing you have said demonstrates a "passion" for performing arts, certainly nothing more than any other secondary could accommodate. Have you asked for a place at the other academy? You really need to have another option as at the moment your argument sounds weak.

Yes I did turn down the school offered; I work in a primary school and studying education at university so I do understand. The single sex academy does have places and this was confirmed to me by the admissions department at the council on Monday. That would be classed as a late application so won't be dealt with until after Easter.

On the subject of her interest in drama would sufficient evidence be a letter from the leader of the drama group for example? DD was one of the first to join the group when it started and it has now split into three groups and is thriving. The leader did it part-time alongside her regular job at the theatre and it is now her full time job running the youth theatre.

Take your point re music and dance, I had to curtail these due to divorce, but am confident that she would take them back up and excel.

Yes, but you have to show that this school is the only one which can meet your daughter's needs. Can you do that? What does she do with her theatre group - has she taken part in competitions, has she won any awards, is she part of a school orchestra currently - that kind of thing? Just loving all the theatre and music which the school offers and preferring it over other school will not win an appeal.

Slight cross-post - the leader's credentials in the youth theatre are completely irrelevant, as is the fact that the group is thriving - unless you can find some way to attribute that specifically to your daughter. I don't think a letter from the group leader detailing your daughter's interest is going to help at all - you need hard evidence like diplomas and awards. I don't mean to be negative but unless you come up with something better I don't see your appeal succeeding.

Her primary don't offer any music in that way, other than the odd bit of singing every now and again. The theatre group is run by a very well established theatre and they put on a show every year. Her primary put on a show every year and she has some credits towards the Arts Award programme.

Of the 10 secondaries in the city, 6 of them are oversubscribed. Misposted originally, academy I applied to last successful applicant was catchment and feeder and lived 1.028 miles away. We live 0.9 miles away but only have feeder category. The top 15 students on the waiting list all live in catchment and 1 student has feeder criteria but lives closer to the school. There is none on the waiting list for the single sex academy so I am confident that dd would be offered a place for that as it was listed on the additional preference form stating that it has places available for September.

If there are 6 oversubscribed schools I'd guess there will be quite a few kids who now also want one of the places at the school that currently has vacancies....