School appeals

[Jaspari01]

Hi My daughter did not get place in her choice of schools and has been offered a place in a school that she doesn't want to go to. What is the rate of success with appeals on the grounds of commuting, bullying and safety of the child. Please advise

On those grounds alone nil, you need to look at what the school you are appealing for can offer your dd. Were any of your choices realistic? Is the offered school nearer to home ?

Commuting, very small chance unless there are compelling circumstances (e.g. child has a condition that worsens with commuting with medical confirmation).

Bullying... depends what the scale is. 1 child bullying a child isn't a compelling reason - schools are so big at secondary that they could easily be kept apart.

Safety of the child? Give an example?

Presumably the bullying took place in another school entirely so it’s unfortunately not relevant.

Thank you. Commuting:my husband travels away from home and I dint drive and have health issues so rely on my friends who are my neighbour to help with school runs so trying to get my daughter in the same school. Please advise

She has been through a lot in last year and a half. Bereavement, relocated from Newcastle to Birmingham. New school, then bullying, she got admitted in the hospital. Someone pushed her in school and she has plaster on and had to have surgery and now this has really upsetted her as she made friends and they are going to different school

Secondary school age are expected to be able to travel independently. You would need some professional evidence to substantiate emotional need for a particular school.

Which school are the children who bullied your daughter going to? It’s not clear whether you want to avoid these children or want her to go with her friends?

Neither will carry any particular weight.

What professional evidence please thanks

Same as where my daughter has been offered a place

She got bullied because she is the only Asian in the school

@prh47bridge

The only Asian in a school in Birmingham? Assuming it was a small school i suspect far less likely to be an issue in secondary as so much larger and diverse. You could use letters of support from medical professionals stating that in their opinion she needs this particular school because ... What was the reason her application was unsuccessful?

We don't live in Birmingham but in Staffordshire so hardly any Asians around here. Her application was unsuccessful on the basis of it not been in encachment area but there are kids going to that school from where we live to this school.

Presumably they met the criteria ahead of your dd. Was there ever a realistic chance of getting in? Where is she on waiting list?

Commuting is unlikely to be successful in these circumstances. The panel would take the view that this is a problem for you, not for your daughter. If the allocated school is less than 3 miles from home by the shortest safe walking route the panel will think that she can walk or cycle there by herself. If it is further than that she is entitled to free transport so the panel will think you should be using that rather than taking her yourself.

Bullying is better but still unlikely to succeed. If there was a group of bullies from her current school who were going to the allocated school it may give you a case but, even then, the appeal panel may think that the new school should be able to protect your daughter. This is more likely to work if she was already at the school, was being bullied and the school was failing to take adequate steps to protect her.

Safety of the child appears to be another way of describing the issues around bullying, so the same comments apply.

Assuming there has been no mistake and the children going to your preferred school from your area were higher priority, your best chance would be to make the case as to why your daughter needs this school. What does this school offer that is particularly relevant to her and is missing from the offered school. I would include the point on bullying if there will be several of the bullies going to the allocated school and none (or only one or two) at the appeal school. It may help but it depends on the panel you get.

We moved to Staffordshire area from Newcastle in Aug19 so even I don't know this so what's the chance of a 10 year old to know this and travel all alone to school.

You have six months to work out the journey. There are likely to be others , if not in her year maybe older, from your area going to the same school. How far is it? Is there any transport?

Jaspar, it all sounds very difficult.

Things you can do;
Go on the waiting list for you preferred school (s)
Look at other schools that you didn’t apply to originally and go on the waiting list for them
Appeal the school you want.

However the usual way to win an appeal is to show that the school you want offers something specific that is central to your DD’s education that the other dies not. For example a language that she knows and : or wishes to study at GCSE, particular extra-curricular activities or sports that she takes part in, or has a specialism in meeting a need such as dyslexia.

Professional Evidence to state why she should not attend the same school as the bullies could include the GP or CAMHS service if she had mental health support, or a letter from the school it happened at. Maybe police or victim support if they were involved? A racist attack bad enough to leave your Dd requiring surgery and in plaster is obviously very serious, and I am sorry this happened to your Dd.

Secondary schools often have an induction day and meeting. If she dies end up at that school you can tell them before she arrives what happened, that you do not want your child in tutor groups or subject classes with your Dd.

Get the present school to evidence your complaints about bullying and the dates. They will also be a record of your complaint 're the push when she was hospitalised If accidental then it will carry no weigh. If deliberate then your complaint and the outcome will be recorded. Everyone has travel and job issues sorry.

On the grounds you're suggesting, almost no chance of the appeal.

The thing to remember is that oversubscribed schools are popular, and with that every parent thinks that school would provide a better education for their child.

The other thing to consider is that nothing good comes of saying "but other people near us..." We have some students from the edge of our typical admission area (catchments aren't formally a thing in most of England) or even out of catchment because they're in care, either foster families or children's homes. Other students have SEND needs that mean they fall higher up our admissions criteria. Someone looking in wouldn't know this.

Sorry to jump on post but new to this and don’t know where to start!

My daughter has just missed out on her first choice secondary school. The second choice is also a great school so the issue isn’t the school itself. The issue is that all of her close friends and even her wider circle have all been placed at the preferred school and she is devastated as she feels completely cut off.

My daughter has been having anxiety type issues for the last year. We have been mostly managing these at home and thought she was getting better but this has been a massive set back. She has been referred for tests and counselling by our GP and is seeing a counsellor at school.

We are just getting our heads around the appeals process and whether or not we even stand a chance. Any advice please?

Some facts -

We are currently 8th on the waiting list
Oversubscription is distance only, we are 4.3metres outside (!)
The late submission deadline is Friday 13th March, this could move us up or down the list
We live in the north-west corner of a housing estate, in the north-west corner of a community, in the north-west corner of the town! The school in question is more or less centrally located so the catchment area has geographically cut us off from most of the community. North and west of us is pretty much fields and farms.

Any hope?

There is always hope. Around 25% of secondary school appeals are successful. However, it is unlikely you will win on friendship issues unless you have evidence from a medical professional that your daughter needs to stay with her friends. You need to strengthen your appeal by identifying things your first choice offers that are not available at the allocated school and are particularly relevant to your daughter. Even if you do get medical evidence, identifying things she will miss out on if she doesn't go to this school will give you a stronger case.

You don't know who at the required school no longer wants the place, is appealing for another school, how many will join the list. It really is an unknown. You may wish to ask Admissions about previous years and how many were accepted from the waiting list. It is only a very loose idea of movement but may give you a better idea of possibilities.

Does identifying things your child will miss out on really form a case, prh? (Nor arguing, just interested).

Isn’t the panel admitting that a child will be disadvantaged by not having access to certain facilities also admitting that the 100+ pupils allocated elsewhere have been shortchanged too?
Assuming there’s no special needs involved, of course.