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Secondary education

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

Original poster

HELP! Mistake on secondary school application

35 replies

GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 18:36

I'm looking for some advice I stupidly made a massive error on my daughters secondary school application and didn't include our catchment school (stupid I know) which she also currently has a sibling attending. on the list was just 2 other local schools that are very over subscribed. To my horror I only realised this when the offers were sent out and noticed she had been allocated a school 10 miles away from our home! And our first choice wasn't even on there! There are only 2 routes to the school via public transport so her journey to school would include a 6am train ride and 2 buses taking approximately 2.30hrs to get there on time. Or an 8.36am bus ride taking 56 minutes and being over an hour late to school every day. These would be her only travel options as I do not drive and start work at 8am. Our catchment school is less than a mile from home a 10 minute walk and she is currently attending one of the schools feeder schools. I have no idea where the hell my head was at at the time and have no excuses for not double checking before submitting 🤦🏼‍♀️ but now I need to deal with the consequences so I have made a late application to her first choice school and am awaiting the outcome and will hopefully hear something Wednesday or Thursday im guessing she wont be allocated a place but will be placed on the waiting list as this school is also oversubscribed but it's literally all I am thinking about I feel so guilty that my daughter is suffering because of a mistake I made! I'm just wondering if anyone has found themselves in a similar situation? And how they have dealt with it? And how high up on the waiting list they were?
TIA x

OP posts:
Gazelda · 09/03/2020 18:51

Are you on the wait list for all other schools that would be a better journey for her? If not, get her on those lists ASAP.
I'm sure there will be other posters along who can give you more useful advice, and wishing you the very best of luck.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 18:57

Yes she will be on the waiting list for the other schools. Thank you! 🤞

OP posts:
MichaelMosleyisagod · 09/03/2020 19:18

Does the first choice school have a sibling policy? If so I would imagine you will go to the top of the waiting list as not many people will be in the same situation!!

Darbs76 · 09/03/2020 19:25

If she’s in a feeder too she will be top of the waiting list so try not to worry too much, plus you’d have good appeal grounds

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 19:26

Yes it does state this in the school admissions criteria. It also goes on distance from the school and we are very very close! As well as children that are attending the local feeder schools.

OP posts:
Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 19:31

@Darbs76 yes I will definitely be appealing if we're unsuccessful. I wasn't too sure if the fact the application will be classed as late will affect it?

OP posts:
admission · 09/03/2020 20:28

There is no direct connection between the late application and an appeal. You can appeal for any school you want and the appeal is about whether your reasons for wanting the school outweigh the effect of adding a further pupil to the school year. Ironically all the reasons you have quoted that would suggest you will be near the top of the waiting list for the school are not really going to have any weight an the appeal hearing. It is all about what the wished for school can offer that other schools cannot.
If you have not done so, I would ensure that you formally check that you are on the waiting list for all the schools that you would like a place at. Whilst many LAS automatically put you on the waiting list not all do and given you have had one disaster it is better to be save than sorry. Send an email asking them to confirm you are on the waiting lists for the schools.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 20:58

That being said my daughter has been learning Spanish at her current school and would like to continue this but on comparison of both schools I've learnt that the allocated school doesn't offer spanish as a language but our first choice does. Also she has a keen interest in extra curricular activities eg. Football, dance, cooking, drama and again allocated school doesn't offer all of these. After reading the first choice school's prospectus she was ecstatic to learn that they also offer photography as an option which is definitely something she is wanting to take but if she was to go to the allocated school she would miss out on all these opportunities. Am I right in thinking this is grounds for our appeal? And yes we are automatically added to the waiting lists for any unsuccessful school applications but we will not know where we are placed until Wednesday when the wait list is established.

OP posts:
Thisismytimetoshine · 09/03/2020 21:07

Did you really forget to include both your first choice and your catchment schools?!
I’m not sure you could build a case on your dd missing out on all the extra curricular activities plus the photography option, really. By definition all the other children allocated the same school are missing out also.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 21:19

Our first choice is our catchment school. Application was unsuccessful with the 2 other schools in the area (out of catchment) and she has been added to the waiting list for both.

OP posts:
Thisismytimetoshine · 09/03/2020 21:21

Oh, I misunderstood.

Bringmewineandcake · 09/03/2020 21:36

How can you appeal if you didn't apply? It's a genuine question, it's not like you can say they failed to consider XYZ...you didn't give them the chance.
It sounds like you ought to be high on the waiting list for the school you want. I hope she does get a place there or at least for a much closer school than your current allocation.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 21:41

We have applied but it was a late application we won't know if it's been successful or not until Wednesday or where she currently ranks on the waiting lists. Thank you I hope so too.

OP posts:
champagneandfromage50 · 09/03/2020 21:47

I missed the deadline for my DS secondary school application. I completed the late application in November and was advised it wouldnt even be looked at until April. He was offered a place despite my error...this was a sought after over subscribed school but we live very close

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 21:54

I was told I should hear something by end of this week at the latest 🤞 that's brilliant you were still able to secure a space! How close were you to the school? We are 0.4 miles from ours so I'm hoping she has a good chance.

OP posts:
champagneandfromage50 · 09/03/2020 22:10

similar distance .... the one thing i should add is that where i live there is a lot of places offered to those on the WL as alot of DC go private therefore give up there place

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 09/03/2020 22:31

Ahhh I see! Fingers crossed a space comes up, I'm holding onto the fact that possibly we will be high up on the list if not🤞

OP posts:
FrankieManca · 10/03/2020 08:04

GemiNi, I don’t think you will hear anything for a while, as they will wait for all the rejections and acceptances and then compile the waiting lists. And it depends at which point they put you in the waiting list, now, or on the ‘late applications’ date.

But with a Sibling policy in place you should shot your the top of the waiting list.

Be patient and Hold your nerve, it could take til the summer hols.

And having applied, aka put yourself in the waiting list, you can then appeal.

Trampoline · 10/03/2020 12:51

Check the school's sibling policy - our local schools only take siblings up to year 10 (ie if the child currently attending the school is in y11 or above, sibling policy does not apply). Good luck!

mambanumber5 · 10/03/2020 12:56

Are you an area where lots go private? If so you will be fine.

prh47bridge · 10/03/2020 13:15

Obviously your preference is to get a place at the catchment school. As she has a sibling there it is likely she will be at the head of the waiting list so there is a very good chance you will get a place that way.

If the allocated school is over 3 miles away by the shortest safe walking route your daughter is entitled to free transport. If they simply provide a free pass for public transport you can use the length of the journey at appeal. If the only option to get her there on time takes 2 hours 30 minutes that is far too long to be regarded as a reasonable journey.

Malmontar · 10/03/2020 14:09

I've seen this before working in a primary school. Mum had 3 kids, 2 already at the really really oversubscribed secondary in N London. She didn't even put in a form as she assumed the child just moves. She threw a massive fuss and blamed us for not telling her to apply. Lots and lots of phone calls later, she managed to get a spot shortly after summer holidays started.
It does happen more often than people realise and your child is likely to get a space. But I agree, check the plane on waiting list.

Original poster
GeMiNix89x · 10/03/2020 14:11

Thank you all! She has a sibling that will be going in yr 8 so the sibling policy would apply. There are in fact a few private schools in the area so could be possible for parents to decline a space? I have heard you can get help with school transport but in order for her to be on time for school it would have to be by taxi as the other options just wouldn't be possible. I'm unsure on whether I should appeal if she's at the top of the waiting or to just sit tight and wait?

OP posts:
Thisismytimetoshine · 10/03/2020 14:21

I’m pretty sure you can do both.

prh47bridge · 10/03/2020 14:58

I have heard you can get help with school transport but in order for her to be on time for school it would have to be by taxi as the other options just wouldn't be possible

It may be that the LA will provide a taxi or it may be that there is a school bus that stops somewhere nearby. Ask the LA.

I'm unsure on whether I should appeal if she's at the top of the waiting or to just sit tight and wait

You might as well do both. You've nothing to lose by appealing and you might get a place that way. However, if you want to avoid the stress of an appeal you could just rely on the waiting list. You've got a good chance of getting in that way.