Distance criteria and "open school gates"

[Shattered04]

We missed out by a tiny distance on our first choice school. The criteria is described as follows:

"Distances are calculated in a straight line from the address you provide to the nearest school gate."

Is there any room for error with this method? Will the LA show me which gate they used?

"address" also seems vague - is it the centre of our house, or the centre of our plot of land, or the closest point of our plot of land, or the middle of the part on the road, or, or..

I'm fairly sure I'm not going to find anything by going down this route, but I don't want to leave any stone unturned just in case for my own peace of mind. We have plenty of (hopefully) good evidence for an appeal as mentioned on other threads.

True, but for those with mobility problems but still able to drive, I imagine they'd be more motivated than those who can walk around easily to learn.

A blue badge may not be necessary so long as the school approves.

I realise it's all very tenuous and probably a dead end, but I want to be able to honestly say to DD that I tried my very best if we don't succeed.

If you get the higher rate of mobility payment you can learn to drive on public roads at 16 and take the test on the day of your 17th birthday. It is very possible.

Sorry but you are grasping at a non-existent straw if you believe that an appeal panel will accept that because a sixth form pupil may be able to access via a different gate it will be grounds for winning an appeal.
The test will be where are the year 7 pupils supposed to enter the school. If they can enter via the other gate and it is nearer, then that is the basis of an appeal. If they are supposed to enter via the main gate and the distance has been measured from this gate, then there is no reasonable case.

My school had 4 gates that pupils could enter from, plus a car entrance - so I suppose it's possible that this could be a ticket in for you...

Can pupils be driven in and dropped at an area inside of the gate (and then the parents leave?) We have this at our local secondary. Pupils can also walk in the exit gate of the car park (as they come from a village in one direction. Most pupils come from the opposite direction and there are two pedestrian gates, one for pupils that cross the road the school is on (it's near the pedestrian crossing) so they enter the school in a different place from the cars and school buses that go through the main gate, and the other is for pupils that have crossed the main road, there's a separate gate into a corner of the playing field to take them away from the road. There's quite a few parents have to drop the kids off (catchment could be 5+ miles away, no public buses and though there is a school bus it does not cover all areas) so there is a 1 way system through the main entrance to the car park to drop off point, around a roundabout and leave by the other gate.

I would suggest pop down to the school in the morning and watch 'your' entrance and see how many pupils (if any) go in by that gate.

Meant to add, those pupils going in via the car park exit gate, there is a pavement for them to walk down, then there is a point to cross the in and out traffic, so it's segregated but shared access. Have a good look on Google Earth and see if you can see any pavement access.

Does it actually say school gate? Ours measures from a central point in the school, you can see the distance on the Council website because there is a page on there that will show you the distance from your house to all the schools in the area.

Thanks for all the replies!

The exact wording is "nearest open school gate available for pupils to use"

I agree, going down at school opening time and watching is probably the best bet, although it may just be easier to ask. DD knows pupils already there and she's seeing one of them tomorrow so that seems like the best thing to do.

From looking at Streetview, it's quite a short "drive" and although there's no pavement, there is a kerb with grass on both sides of the gate. Just not through the actual gate, and there's an intercom thing. That doesn't mean it's not open during school start and finish times though, and only closed at other times.

There are actually two vehicle gates, one in, one out. The other one might be cutting it a bit fine (now we're talking centimetres!)

I do realise I am probably clutching at straws, and fortunately we do have (hopefully!) strong grounds for appeal based on more reasonable, non-technicality reasons.

So, I got a reply, and they said they couldn't provide a map, nor did they specify which gate it was even though I asked. This is now compounded by the fact that DD spoke to a pupil who is there, and she said there is more than one gate they can use (although this second gate is not the one I was thinking of, sadly, and it's further away!) and that vehicles can also use. DD did not ask about the actual gate I meant unfortunately, and assumed I must have meant that one.

So there are at least two gates available for pupils to use even if we don't count the one I'm thinking of, and the LA appears to be refusing to tell me which one they calculated the distance from.

Any thoughts on my next step? I've asked them twice now!

You say ...to nearest school gate

I'd be checking if parents cars can go in and drop off (as opposed to being a staff only car park/access for deliveries only) and therefore it is the 'nearest school gate'. I think the key here is which gate is nearest to you, and is use of it permitted by pupils?

You could have a good scout through their website and check letters for home which usually start the year complaining about all the new parents failing to observe the rules about parking/dropping off and see whether they refer to the gate you are thinking of being used, but I'd suggest pop down there in the morning / after school and see who uses it. If it is the nearest gate and would trim time off pupils arrival rather than walk to the next gate I'm quite sure unless forbidden the pupils walking from your direction will naturally drift in at that gate if they can.

Certainly a school near us has as its nearest gate to us one that is used for deliveries only and segreggated from the next gate which is exit from the main car park (that has a 1 way system through it), parents drive through & drop off. Until they stuck a gate preventing pupils walking through to the main car park, all the kids from our end used to walk in the service gate and down the side of the building to get onto the car park, as it trimmed 20-30 yards off their walk!

sorry pressed enter too soon
I'd firstly check the gate is used if not, which is the nearest, then measure accurately on an OS map to establish the distance and see if that would make any difference.
Otherwise I'd try finding other criteria to appeal

I'd second the school website and letters- both our old primary and secondary always had issues with wrong gates being used etc. So there was always something on the website about it.

Thank you! Yes, I think it probably would trim distance off their walk, so they would use it if they could. If pupils could be dropped off that way, that's another thought.

It definitely would shorten the distance if that gate was usable, and by enough to make the difference too.

Brilliant idea about the letters home, I'll see if they have such a thing.