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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

Secondary School Appeal help please

20 replies

milliemorris · 18/03/2019 18:13

Hi,

Wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction please....

My daughter got the second choice (our catchment school). We’ve accepted that place and currently 7 out of 23 on the waiting list for preferred school. Appeals have to be lodged by the end of the month.

The main reason for choosing the out of catchment school is that she attends one of the feeder primary schools and ALL of her friends are going there. Not 1 other child in her year is going to the secondary school that accepted her.

I know this isn’t grounds for appeal so I wondered, how/where do I gather info to try and build the case that accepting my daughter into the first choice school won’t be detrimental to the children that have been accepted/already attend?

The preferred school is an academy and from what I can see online (albeit a year out of date) is that their number of children allowed is 750 and they’re currently at 803.

Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:

PanelChair · 18/03/2019 18:34

Have they explained why, if she’s at a feeder school, she didn’t get a place?

Original poster

milliemorris · 18/03/2019 19:10

Hi, that’s very low down the priority list unfortunately.

1st
Children who are in public care and those children who were previously looked after children. (See note ii).

2nd
Pupils who live in the catchment area. (See note iii).

3rd
Pupils who will have an older brother or sister attending the same school at the same time. (See note iv)

4th
Pupils who have a serious medical condition or exceptional social or domestic needs that make it essential they attend the school requested. (Professional documentation confirming the situation must be submitted with the application). (See note vi).

5th
Pupils who will have attended a feeder school for at least two years before the time of transfer. (See note vii).

6th
Pupils living nearest to the school measured in a straight line distance (home to school front gate). (See note viii).

OP posts:

dizzydora79 · 18/03/2019 19:15

I could have written this exact same post. I'm in this position with my daughter who is the only one from her class who didn't get in and is also in a feeder school. I'm appealing the decision. Haven't had waiting list info yet hopefully this week but so frustrating the unknown isn't it.

RedSkyLastNight · 18/03/2019 19:57

What are your reasons for preferring this school over the other, friendships aside? That should form the basis of your appeal.

Over 100 children moved to DD's secondary school from her primary. She was put in a class with only 2 other girls from her school, neither of whom she liked. By the end of the first term she had an entirely new friendship group. Don't assume that moving up with friends is worth jumping through hoops for.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 18/03/2019 20:02

We're in an area where everyone goes to the same secondary (rural). DS1 was devastated not to be put in the same form as his friends. Sobbed and sobbed, to the point of making himself sick.

Six weeks into term of Y7 he had made a new set of friends, never spoke to his best friend from primary again despite only living 3 miles apart and being in the same school.

There are many reasons to appeal a school place decision, but not being with friends isn't one of them.

admission · 18/03/2019 21:00

Any appeal has to be about why the preferred school is better for your child. Start looking at the facilities they have that might not be in other schools, at clubs for activities for the way they teach etc

mastertomsmum · 18/03/2019 21:06

They don’t have feeder schools here as a criteria. I’m shocked that it’s higher up the priority list than distance.

Iamnobirdandnonetensnaresme · 18/03/2019 21:21

Children will make new friends at secondary. Not being in the same school as her primary class is a bonus IMO.
She gets to start over, be natural and who she wants. With old class mates about that is impossible.
My dd only had 1 other child go from her primary and she has made loads of new mates, doesn't miss the old ones at all.
None of my youngest mates are going to the same schools, every one of her little group is off to a different secondary.

PanelChair · 18/03/2019 21:22

As others have said, you need to pinpoint why your preferred school is the best one for your child, but the panel can’t give weight to staying with friends, so look for other reasons.

Original poster

milliemorris · 18/03/2019 22:28

Thanks for the replies and my husband and I agree, a new start/ friendship groups could be just what she needs, however, the thought of her arriving on her first day and not knowing anyone fills me with a bit of fear if I’m honest...I know I shouldn’t wrap her in cotton wool and I have explained that she’ll make new friends etc but what if she doesn’t. Anyway, I’m going off on a tangent somewhat. The only real reason for wanting her to go to the other school is because she will know people, despite if they’re in her class or not she’ll at least have familiar faces around her.

Is the information ref intake / max numbers etc published anywhere ?

OP posts:

AnnaComnena · 18/03/2019 22:43

the thought of her arriving on her first day and not knowing anyone fills me with a bit of fear if I’m honest

Is it really worth the stress of going through an appeal, and leaving your dd uncertain which school she'll be going to, just so she'll know someone on her first day? On her second day, she will know people.

RedSkyLastNight · 18/03/2019 22:50

Secondary schools have settling in days. They deliberately mix students up so that they are forced to mix with people they don't know. They assign students to per so al tutors who help with activities to help the DC get to know each other.
If this is your catchment school it must be pretty close by unless you are very rural. Does your DD really never see anyone in the local park that is going to that school? No one at extra curricular activities? No neighbours' children?

TeenTimesTwo · 19/03/2019 07:44

^^ What RedSky said.

Our secondary takes children from around 40 different primaries. It has 4-5 main ones which probably provide half the intake and then 'the rest'. The school puts a lot of effort in to helping the pupils get to know each other on transition days and in the early weeks. It knows who has come as an 'only' from school. It has 'peer supporters' from y10 to help the new starters.

My DD went up with 20 others. I think precisely 1 is in her wider circle of friends now.

Ariela · 19/03/2019 07:57

the thought of her arriving on her first day and not knowing anyone fills me with a bit of fear if I’m honest
My daughter went with just 4 from her school, they split all schools across the 8 or so entry forms, and split most friendship groups on the basis you could only name 2 friends you'd like to be with, so of the 3 or 4 most popular schools there were no cliques of kids.
She was put in a tutor group with the only girl from her primary (from different class), they had nothing in common so were never friends, a lot of the classes were split so she was thrown in with others and she quickly picked up a completely new social group, and ended up on leaving 6th form as one of a lovely group of 6 who 2 years on are still best friends despite spreading out across the country at Uni.
She won't be the only child that is Billy no mates at her new school, they'll all be like ducks out of water to start with.

Have a look at what your catchment school offers that's better than your preferred school and see if you wouldn't actually prefer it anyway before bothering to appeal, then you can sell the idea to your daughter and remind her she can still see old friends outside of school - mine still keeps in touch via social media with her friends, but in reality only kept in touch with one outside of school for 2-3 years and a second she saw at a club they both attended for perhaps 3-4 years, and a third moved schools for 6th form to her school.

BarbarianMum · 19/03/2019 08:01

What if she doesn't (make new friends)? What if you win the appeal, she goes to your preferred school and within weeks all her friends have drifted away and made new friendships? Happens far more often ime - new friends at secondary are the norm.

Other than friendships, are there any other reasons you prefer the school you're appealing for?

GerryblewuptheER · 19/03/2019 08:07

She wont be arriving knowing no one.

Dd made friends on the induction day

I made my friend at school on the first day on the bus there.

Now of there are lots of reasons for wanting this school then list them and see what you can elaborate on.

If it's just friends well having been.through an appeal, its hard work, stressful, time consuming and often unsuccessful anyway, I'd say its totally not worth it for the sake of friends who they may or may not continue to be friends with

My dd went to a school with no one from her class. She was upset at first but now realises it was a really good thing as shes been able to make me friends without having to worry about including the new ones.

Tinty · 19/03/2019 14:10

My DD went to a different school to all of her friends. Out of 60 DC in her primary 58 went to one school, 2 to the school DD is in and the one other was a boy she had never been in class with in primary and who was in a different form in the new secondary.

She was a bit worried but made a friend on the induction day and has made many more in her 3 years at secondary so far.

She says if she had gone to the same secondary as everyone else she wouldn't have met all the new friends she has now. She is also still really good friends with all her primary friends.

Iwantacampervan · 19/03/2019 14:37

The schools my daughters attended held extra induction days for children who were coming from their primaries in groups of less than 4. This enabled them to find others who were on their own.Your allocated school may do something like this.

Original poster

milliemorris · 19/03/2019 20:14

Thank you, everything you’ve all said is sensible, however, we’ve accepted the school she’s been offered and in the meantime would still like to try and get her into the first choice. With this in mind can anyone point me in the direction to find out school capacity numbers etc. Many thanks

OP posts:

PanelChair · 20/03/2019 10:11

The school’s website or brochure should tell you its Published Admission Number. You can ask them to confirm how many pupils they actually have in each year group. There are lots of current and old threads about secondary appeals - look at those for general advice about how to build a case at appeal although, as has been said already, any case that’s solely about friendship issues is weak and unlikely to succeed.

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