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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Will I be shooting myself in the foot?

12 replies

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 16:18

Hi there, hope it’s ok to post this.....
My son was allocated our 2nd choice secondary school (which is a good school but a fair distance from us with only 1 bus to and from a day). We put this as an insurance choice as we knew that if we didn’t have it as one of our choices he would have been allocated a more local school which has been in special measures and inadequate for the past 4 years. Everybody is refusing their places there.
Anyway my son is desperate for to appeal for his first choice of school as all his friends from school are going and he really loves the school. Also grandparents live just round the corner so logistically it would be perfect for us.
My question is if I appeal can the LA then say that for the grounds I’m appealing on that they will offer the other more local school which wasn’t on our preferences and take away the offer of the original school
Hope that makes sense, I’m so stressed out with it all. I really appreciate any help. Thank you.

OP posts:

MrsFantastic · 16/03/2018 16:20

Where are you on the waiting list for the first choice school?

ReinettePompadour · 16/03/2018 16:21

You accept the place you have been offered and appeal for the other school. If you lose your appeal you keep the place you currently have.

Original poster

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 16:22

He’s currently 7th

OP posts:

Original poster

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 16:22

Great... so there’s no way they can take that place away from him?

OP posts:

ReinettePompadour · 16/03/2018 16:29

As long as you have accepted the place then no they wont take it away.

Original poster

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 16:32

Yes, our LA have an opt out policy so unless I tell them otherwise then the place is his.
Thanks for your help, it’s all so confusing.

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 16/03/2018 16:38

You need to find better grounds for appeal though.
You won't win just on 'its local and his friends are going there'.

Original poster

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 16:41

I know... I do have other grounds, but still highly doubt that he’ll get in as previous appeals have only been successful after people changed their addresses to be closer!
I was more worried about them taking the other place from him.

OP posts:

BrendansDanceShoes · 16/03/2018 17:26

7th on a waiting list sounds like good odds to me, especially as the first refusals for places are about to be processed.

admission · 16/03/2018 17:55

If you have confirmed the offer from your 2nd preference school then making an appeal for your first preference school has not effect on either the second preference or local school.

tiggytape · 16/03/2018 18:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Smelliottsmum · 16/03/2018 18:10

Thank you very much to everyone for your replies, you have really put my mind at rest 😊

OP posts:

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