No Secondary School Place Offered - what next?

[Mum52016]

No Secondary School Place Offered - what next?

Hi

Firstly apologies for the long post. I feel a bit lost and confused. I have spent most of the last few days online trying find out what our options are or what I should do and feel overwhelmed.

My DS did not get a place at any of the 3 school preferences that we had put forward nor has he been offered any alternatives.

Currently my DC all attend a school in the neighbouring county. For my DS, our first choice was for an oversubscribed academy school in our LA and the second was a faith school in the neighbouring county. The third, also in the neighbouring county, was for a school that he would have fed into.

On Thursday, I didn't receive any emails but I was able to log into the council website to view the offers. On the application it says that they have not been able offer DS a place at this time.

I called up the admissions office Friday morning to clarify and the lady advised that she couldn't see the reasons why we weren't offered a place and I would have to wait for the schools to send written correspondence. I asked about waiting lists and she stated that I would have to respond to the correspondence to be added onto them.

When I questioned that no alternative place had been offered, she was a bit surprised but she advised that I would have to make a new application for any other schools I would like to apply to. There is a school that is within catchment but as it has been oversubscribed, I would be put onto a waiting list for that one, although there were a few others further out that had places available.

I am looking to appeal as our first choice school in our LA would be ideal and my son has his heart set on it, but on its list of 5 criteria, we would fall into the last one.

With our third choice I was extremely surprised he was not offered a place as the school DS attends is a feeder school and would fulfil the second criteria, although it maybe that because we are out of the catchment area, we didn't get a place.

I honestly have not got a clue what I should do. I have a few questions:

What should/could I do now?
At the moment I'm thinking that I should wait until they send out the letters to see what reasons they have for declining a place and then take it from there. But then I think that there is a risk I'm going to miss out on any opportunity.

Would the LA have the waiting lists or would it be the school, how soon are they compiled and when can I find out about where on the list my DS would be?

If I was to make another application, would this precede my original application or affect it in any way?

Why has an alternative not been offered?

From what I've read online, I appreciate that there still time for things to move but as this is all new to me, I'm hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance

[Tilliemarie]

I’m not going to Appeal they said in the letter distance isn’t a strong reason to Appeal which I really think it is I mean he probably be late to school everyday if he had to go there or leave the house about 6.30-7am, I’m just going to wait to see if any places come up at the end of March/early April, I think I’m just getting over the let down of not getting my choices.
X

[prh47bridge]

Distance IS a strong reason to appeal if the journey will be more than 75 minutes each way. And you can strengthen your appeal by showing that the appeal school offers things (subjects, clubs, extra-curricular activities, etc.) that are missing from the allocated school and are particularly relevant to your son. Plus you have no idea how strong the school's case to refuse admission will be. Sometimes the school's case is so weak that almost any appeal will win.

You have nothing to lose by appealing. The worst that happens is you are in the same position as you are now. On the other hand you may win and get a place for your son.

[Mum52016]

Hi,

Thank you for you help.

I chased up our first preference school with regards to the reduction to PAN and they eventually responded that this was due to the number of students already in year six and below. I also tried to find out from the school where we are currently on the waiting list via email numerous times and they are not providing me this information with excuses stating that the lists change daily etc. On the number of occasions I have called, the individual is always in a meeting and even though I leave a message, they never call back.

I also requested information about Year group sizes etc and they have not bothered to reply to these questions at all.

In contrast to this, our third preference school (which has merged with an outstanding academy) which we accepted, have been really helpful and fairly prompt in replying to any questions I have put forward to them.

I contacted our LA again today as the second lot of allocations were to go out today but they are still working through them, but I doubtful we'll get our first preference this round either as I have managed to find out where we are in the waiting through them.

I can't help but feel the whole process has been chaotic.

[prh47bridge]

The admission authority (the school if it is an academy or VA school, the LA if it is a community or VC school) must answer any questions you ask to help you prepare an appeal. They should be able to provide year group sizes and the like quickly.

Yes, your waiting list position can change daily but there is still no excuse for not telling you your current position. However, the LA may be managing the waiting list at this stage so you could try asking them.

[Mum52016]

Also one question I hope that you can help me with.

What would be the situation where a school which has their own admission authority and there is a criterion of 'random allocation' but does not describe the process of random allocation?

[Mum52016]

Thank you prh47bridge. I spoke to them and they have advised that we are currently at 15.

Not sure why the school are being awkward in supplying the information.

[prh47bridge]

There often isn't a detailed description of the random allocation process. It has to be supervised by someone independent of the school to ensure that it is conducted fairly.

If a school uses random allocation, they have to redo the allocation every time they award a place off the waiting list. They cannot re-use the previous order. In that case you don't really have a position on the waiting list.

[Mum52016]

I understand. Thank you for taking the time to reply

[admission]

Whilst the reason for the reduction in PAN has been stated, did you know that the PAN was being reduced from 50 to 36? Was it announced in the LA admission booklet?
The guidance on admissions is very clear that any decision to reduce PAN has to be formally consulted upon, so when did this consultation take place? Whilst the guidance presumes that schools can admit over PAN it is clear that a decision to reduce PAN needs to be formally consulted upon and agreed. If they did not do this, then those pupils who occupied positions 37 to 50 have been disadvantaged by not being made aware of this change, when they were expecting 50 to be admitted to the school.
It is worth checking up on this.

[Mum52016]

Hi admission,

Thank you for your reply. The school is an academy and handle their own admissions. Sorry, it's late and my brain is working overtime and it's taken me half an hour to process what I'm reading on the admissions code! From reading the school admissions code, they don't need to consult on increasing or reducing their PAN but they do need to consult on their admissions arrangements if they are reducing PAN? Is that correct?

I can't seem to find anything about any consultation but what I have found in last year's guide is that the school had 50 places available and one of the criteria was distance. In this year's guide, there were only 36 and instead of distance being a criteria, it has been changed to random allocation.

[prh47bridge]

No, that isn't quite right but, as your sentence doesn't make sense, I think that may be a typo. They don't need to consult if they are increasing PAN or leaving it unaltered. They do need to consult if they are reducing PAN. If they have also changed their tie breaker they should have consulted on that as well.

If you can't find anything about a consultation you need to ask the school for details - when did it take place, what form did it take, who was consulted. If it turns out there hasn't been a consultation that will potentially give you a strong case if you would have got a place under last year's PAN and tie breaker.

[Mum52016]

Oh my days! Sorry, I've just re read it and you're right prh. If they increase it or keep it the same, they don't need to consult.

I'll email the school and see what they come back with. Would the LA hold information on this as well?

[admission]

If you go to the LA website, there will be a section on school admissions and you need to find the booklet, which they have to publish by law on admissions to schools. In that there will be a section which says what the admission criteria is for the school and what the admission number is for September 2018.
It is an unwritten law for admission panels that if there is a discrepancy about what is the admission criteria etc then this booklet is deemed to be the one that is followed, which is why it is best to look at this. It does not follow that the school have completed any necessary consultation if it says an admission number of 36, because the LA ask the school as they are their own admission authority what the PAN is and what the admission criteria are, they will not necessarily follow through and ask whether the consultation was carried out, as that is the school's problem.

[Mum52016]

In the 2018 guide it states 36 places. Would it not be a case that the school would have had to consult with the LA? Hence the reason I asked if the LA would have any information?

A general google search brought up a school newsletter from December 2016 where they state that they are increasing reception PAN for 2018 but will be reducing admissions for Year 7 & 12.

It is a bit annoying as under last year's admissions criteria for distance there would have been a good chance we would have got a place.

[prh47bridge]

The school must consult the LA. However, that doesn't mean the LA will know anything about the rest of the consultation. The school has to consult with parents of children between the ages of 2 and 18. This may take the form of a notice in the local paper inviting people to look at the proposals on their website and submit their views, for example. If they haven't consulted properly with parents that is a problem.

Mentioning their plans in the school newsletter is not a proper consultation. There has to be more than that.

[Mum52016]

I emailed the school last night with questions about the consultation and the reply I received this morning was extremely vague and all they said was that with reference to DoE guidelines they discussed with the LA and placed on the school website.

I am beginning to find it quite frustrating trying to get information from them as I feel that they are not being very helpful, nor do they seem willing to help.

[prh47bridge]

If they published it on the school website and the LA's website highlighting the changes, gave details of how to make comments and put a link in their newsletter or a notice within the school that is the minimum required but may well be accepted as adequate. They should be able to give dates - when did the consultation start, when did it stop.

[Mum52016]

I've replied to the email with the same questions and will be interesting to see what they come back with.

[admission]

Actually having had a run-in with the school adjudicator about one of my schools, the school got criticised for only doing what PRH says should happen. In our particular case the adjudicator said we should have also taken out adverts in local papers and gone wider geographically in those adverts as we do take from quite a wide area. It was across an area in two LAs and the belief was that more care should be taken to communicate more to both LAs and to schools who are partner schools.

[Mum52016]

How common is this and what would usually happen?

I've checked the school website and can't find anything about any consultation having took place.

[prh47bridge]

Personally I agree with the Adjudicator although there is some guidance that suggests a lower level of consultation is acceptable.

How common is what? A failure to consult? Probably becoming more common as there are now more schools that are their own admission authority and don't fully understand the process.

If they haven't consulted they should have used last year's admission arrangements. That means there is an argument that those applicants who would have got in if last year's arrangements had been used have been disadvantaged and should have been admitted. What will actually happen is up to the appeal panel. Unfortunately it varies. Some appeal panels are happy to admit pupils where there has been a failure to consult, some take the view that the admission arrangements have been published so the consultation failure doesn't matter.

[Mum52016]

Prh, thank you. That is useful to know.

I'm not sure what to include in the appeal. Aside for why the school is suited for DS, should I include that I suspect errors might have been made or the situation with the change to admissions arrangements even though I don't have the full information? Or is it best to focus on school suitability in the appeal letter and bring up the errors & admissions arrangements at hearing?

[prh47bridge]

I'd focus on the reasons your son needs to go to this school. Don't worry about the possible errors at this stage. Keep asking questions about the possible problems. Unless they come up with satisfactory answers you can bring that up in the hearing.

What will happen in the hearing is that the admission authority's representative will present the case to refuse admission. You will then be able to ask them some questions. Use the possible errors as the basis for some of your questions.

[Mum52016]

Thank you prh, your help and input is immensely appreciated!