So disappointed - can anyone explain to me exactly how offers work?

[Coraldress]

I stayed up until midnight to login and find out about ds school place. I'm really disappointed, he has been offered his second choice, school B, a school which has just been rated inadequate.

School A, his first choice, is next door to his primary and is where all of his friends will be going.

What should my next steps be? I've already found out that a couple of people have been offered school A as their second choice. I was under the impression that the LA approached schools with first choices before offering it to those who have it as second choice, but perhaps I've misunderstood. We don't have catchment areas round here, it goes on distance.

I will appeal, but I understand that you must have pretty exceptional circumstances to win an appeal.

Can anyone please offer me any advice?

Yes you’ve misunderstood unfortunately and this is why it’s so important to understand the process before applying.

Basically you are giving your preference. If you are eligible for more than one school, you are telling admissions which one you would prefer. It’s not a ‘choice’.

Unfortunately you weren’t eligible for the first school above the others so it would not have mattered where you listed it.

Where you’ve ranked the school has no bearing on where you come on their list. Everyone who has named the school in any of their choices is ranked according to the admissions criteria. The top however many are given places. The ranking comes in to play for those who are eligible for multiple places, in that case you get the highest preference that you’re eligible for (so are taken off the lists of the others, so more become eligible and that continues til everyone has one offer)

There’s some brilliant appeals experts on here who will hopefully be around shortly to offer advice on the appeal, good luck!

Accept the place at school B, and get on the waiting list for school A.

There is no need to appeal.

So it sounds as though we wouldn't have been offered school A regardless?

We had no choice but to put School B as our second choice because it was the only other choice.

I guess I need to see if I can find out where we are on the waiting list? Why do you say there's no need to appeal rebel?

Georgie, if for example I hadn't listed school B as a preference, and only put school A, would that have made a difference.

My worry was that they would have allocated another school entirely.

Whether there’s a need to appeal will depend on how much movement there is on waiting lists (areas where lots of people go private or where lots move in and out of the area will have more movement, but others will have much less) and where you are on the waiting list.

There's no need to appeal because it doesn't sound like any admissions criteria have been overlooked or medical needs ignored, so appealing is pointless as it won't change anything.

Putting or not putting school B won’t have affected your chance of getting school A. If school B had spaces left after everyone had listed it then you’d still have been given school B, if it had no spaces at that point you’d have got the nearest school with spaces which could be further away and worse performing

The difference would have been that you might not have been given B either! You would have been left until the end and given a place at an undersubscribed school, which could still be inadequate but miles away.

No. Your misunderstanding hasn’t actually made a difference to your application. If school A was your genuine 1st choice and B was your back up you’ve ended up with the schools you would have got anywhere. The only difference not putting school B on would have made is the local authority would have given you a space in any school that had spaces after everybody ekse’s application had been considered.

Secondary appeals are slightly easier to win than primary. It might be worth a shot, but don’t get your hopes up.

Thanks.

Sounds like there's a lot of misinformation given out. At all of the open evenings the headteachers were saying that if you don't put their school as your first choice, then you won't get in.

It was the LA that told me they approach all school with first choice applicants first, then any left go to second preferences.

Any advice on how to break the news to ds? He's going to be pretty upset.

I’m not sure what the grounds for your appeal would be, but I hope someone can help you as you sound really distressed

Winning a secondary appeal doesn’t require a mistake to have been made or medical needs to have been ignored. You just need to show that the pejudice to your DC not going to the school is greater than the prejudice to the school in admitting an extra pupil.

Y

The fact that you've misunderstood the process hasn't impacted on the school you've been allocated

Ok at least I know I didn't mess up by putting school B as second choice.

It was our genuine back up.

So disappointing, I'm going to have to seem positive for ds.

I thought I'd tell him after school rather than him go to school upset.

Everyone at school will be talking about it I'm afraid

Ignore advice about not appealing - you have the right to do so and with secondary applications its not about medical needs or application errors.

Accept the place you've been offered
Go on waiting list for school A
Think about appeal - but remember when appealing you are appealing for school A and not against school B - so think about what school A offers that better meets your Childs needs. Start a separate thread on here for appeal advice - there are lots of experts who help every year!

Good luck!

First thing is to accept the place.

Then call your LEA admissions and find out where he is in the waiting list for school A.

There can be a lot of movement between now and September. I know a boy who was offered his 3rd choice on offers day. Then a couple of weeks later his second choice and in the first day of term, his first choice.

But you have to accept the place you've been offered-it's the only way you stay in the system.

Hope your Ds is ok-it can be a tough day for some families

Thank you.

Apologies if i'm incorrect about appealing, although I still think it would be a lot of stress to go through it and potentially be declined. However I still stand by accepting the place, and checking the waiting list.

Is distance from the school the criteria he hasn't got in on? If so you should be able to find out what distance offers were made to in previous years and and compare it to how far out you live.
You might still get in. All it needs is for some of those offered a place to go private or to get in to a school they prefer that they are on the waiting list for. (You said you know some people that put the school as their second choice and have got in.)
People do move up waiting lists as those with a place get offers elsewhere or go private. The distance offered to gets further out as time goes on. (If distance is the criteria and not faith etc.)

Nothing useful to add but did just want to say I understand your deep disappointment. When DD was offered a place at a school we hadnt even put on the list (Special Measures, sacked Head no replacement in sight) I was very down about it.

In many areas there is no genuine choice. Parents get to express an opinion but that is about all.

This was now many years ago. The school we wanted DC to go to is now in the doldrums and the school the DCs went to is slowly improving.

also, the fact that school B has just been deemed inadequate sometimes turns out to be a great thing, as alot of money and resources get diverted to it. We have one in thei area which went into complete meltdown and is now considered far better than the previous 'outstanding' one that has been downgraded to 'good'
That doesnt alter the fact his friends may be going to the other one. However many primary school friendships change drastically during year 7, so friends at primary are not neccesarily going to be friends at secondary - and those which do last between different schools can be facilitated through play dates and XBox/PC live chat if he is into gaming

You did the right thing in putting your favourite school first, and you did not disadvantage yourself by listing school B.

1. Accept school . This will not disadvantage you in any waiting lists or appeals.
2. Make sure you are on the waiting list for school B
3. You could ask the LA why you were not offered school A: they might tell you your distance and last distance offered.
4. Consider going in the waiting list for any other schools you prefer to school B,

5.In a few weeks, after the acceptances are due back, ask where you are on the waiting list.

1. Consider an appeal. You have a chance to win an appeal if there is a specific way your child would be disadvantaged by not attending the school that is greater than the disadvantage to the school of accepting an extra pupil. These might include medical or SEN reasons, a specific sporting, Arts’s or academic activity that your Ds does that is offered at school A but not at B. The other way to win is if there has been a mistake, e.g they mis-measured your address.

There is movement on waiting lists. All those who listed School A second will be trying for their own first choice, people move house per the summer, people accept private school offers.

Agree with above. Accept school B for now.

I hope my experience will give you hope. DS1 was offered a school I definitely didn't want him to attend. I appealed and was successful. Some years later, after a house move, DD was offered our second choice school. We accepted and thought that was that. Several weeks later, I received a phone call to say a place had come up at our first choice so we accepted.

Good luck, OP.