Please help with my DS secondary school appeal!!

[worriedmother7787]

Hi all,
I know a lot of you have gone through that "lovely process" of getting you're DD and DS into the Secondary (or primary) school of your choice but my DS 2 is having to leave his private secondary school (he is very fine about!). and go into year 10 of a state secondary school. We only released this very late this term so gave in the school application 2 days ago, i know for a fact my 1st and 2nd (really want 1st)) My local school is absolutely awful to put it in to prospectus it has 450 pupils (Cap. 1500) and 9% of these students will get 5 A- C GCSE's !!! DS2 has dyslexia, dyspraxia (very bad) and very slight mobility issues. I really want him to go to the school next over ( Out of catchmunt (year group at full capacity now)) Has a outstanding from of stead 79% of these students will get 5 A- C GCSE's large school with 1800 pupils (including a great sixth form) has an amazing pastoral care team ( this he will benefit from as his is a young carer and has to look after his 3 little sibling and me!! So I want a school that will be supportive!! It has amazing sports facilities ( he is in england development squad for Discus (Cough, Cough Proud parent!) So i think this would benefit him. I know we will have to go to appeal and i am pre pared to get legal help. We have supporting letters from GP (numerous letters) School SENCO and Ed. Psycholigist. What are my chances of winning. Any tips for when i have to appeal!!

Please help!

Thanks

You need to apply for the school, which you have and then wait for the school / LA to confirm in writing that they cannot offer you a place at the preferred school. They will probably suggest a place at your local school. If they offer this school then they have then done all they have to do legally. If you then reject this school place, it will then be up to you to find a school place, which may be a long way from where you live. There is therefore a sensible belief that it is best to accept the place, even though I recognise that it is not what you want. It is better to work towards an acceptable school place having a place arranged than reject and then have all the problems of finding a place.
You can appeal as soon as you have the rejection letter and any decision on the other school place does not have any impact on the appeal.
You are now probably not going to get a school appeal arranged before the end of term and most LAs do not do any appeals over August holidays. That will be an issue if you accept the place at the local school as you will be expected to start there in September.
You can hassle the LA to get the appeal done quickly and say that you will wave your right to certain time restraints but it is going to be tight to get the appeal before August.
If your son is registered as a young carer then that is a major advantage to you in the appeal, as the panel will recognise that such pupils need to be given as much help as possible. You need to get something in writing around this submitted as part of your appeal. If you have not said anything about son being a young carer in the admission application, it may well be worth sending an email to the admission office confirming this as some LAs do bend over backwards to admit such pupils.

It might be useful to ask MNHQ to combine your two threads on this, so you have all the information in one place.