out of borough waiting lists - secondary - how does it work?

[mrsmayitstimetogo]

DS got our 6th choice of school.

The offer email says that he'll automatically go on the waiting list for in-borough schools, but doesn't say ANYthing about the out-of-borough ones.

Does anyone know what we need to do? Am really not happy at all with the one we've been offered - any of the other 5 would have been ok, but this one is quite a blow...

Ring the admissions authority for the schools in question (either the LA or the school itself for VA and academy schools) and ask if you have been automatically added to the waiting lists, and if not ask to be put in them. Follow up this request with an email (useful to keep a paper trail in case you decide to appeal for one or more of the 5)

They're a mix of schools - normal ones, academies and free schools. The letter is really unclear! I'll call them all up in the morning.

Could we appeal? On what grounds? I don't think it sounds like they've done anything wrong...