Waiting list or appeal?

[Jotim02]

My daughter hasn't got into our preferred school, we have been given the lower attaining local one rather than the COfE city centre one. We were in the first church going category but people got in who lived nearer.

She is 6th on the waiting list before late applications, there are 200 students in each year. Do you think she will get in, do you think we should appeal?

We have a number of friends who are appealing... my daughter is happy, bright, confident, she loves music and the school we want her to go to is very musical as opposed to the local school - but I can't think of a single good reason why she should get a place more than someone who lives closer. Am I missing something here! Why is everyone else appealing? Of course I want her to go to the better school but it's a process which has been carried out objectively and we didn't win...

[pieceofpurplesky]

Last year we were completely full. The council made us expand our numbers as they had too many children in the county without places due to rising numbers. So those children were taken from appeal (all pupils ended up with a place). We have increased again this year but there will still be too many pupils for school places.
Maybe it's just here but it is pretty common ...

[cantkeepawayforever]

Locally, a very oversubscribed school, some years ago, were persuaded to take a few extra - i think c. 10-15 - pupils quite late in the day.

Those ALL went to waiting list, not appeals. Obviously there was some overlap, but it went to the children highest in the waiting list. That seems to me to be fair.

[Doowappydoo]

Agree that schools have to comply with parental preference unless prejudice and agree that schools should not "find" they can accommodate more when it comes to appeal but it does happen - I know of a school who did this regularly and it wasn't a problem for years because everyone got in including waiting list - then numbers increased massively - they turned up at appeal without much of a prejudice case, parents were very on the ball and referenced new building works that were taking place and the panel found no prejudice would be caused by admitting a further 60 above PAN. In this case adjourning (not sure what powers there are to adjourn?) and telling the school to admit above PAN wouldn't have helped - the schools case was poor but they still said prejudice would be caused over PAN. It was the panel who had to make the decision and because the panel made the decision in an appeal context it was the kids who had appealed who were admitted.

I know the rules but they aren't always followed properly and challenging is difficult and costly - and from a parents pov may well not guarantee your child gets a place in any event.

[PanelChair]

The council made us expand our numbers ... So those children were taken from appeal.

Entirely in contravention of the Act and the admissions code, as prh has already pointed out.