Appealing for a secondary school place

[Choccyaddict4eva]

Hi everyone. I’m looking for those who have had first hand experience in appealing for a secondary school place. DS1 didn’t get his first choice, he got his third choice. Still a good school, but he and I would have rather he got into the first choice- it’s also closer. He doesn’t have any physical or mental needs which I know gives children more priority. On the appeals form I can list up to 5/6 reasons stating why I think my son should be given a place at that particular school. Has anyone been through this process and been successful? Thanks in advance

We found out today that our appeal was successful and I’ll child has been placed in the first choice school. I’m so relieved

@Thischarmlessgirl
That's wonderful news, glad to hear it.

We recently had our appeal, no result yet. One question, the panel asked if I had written about our child's needs in the application form box for special consideration when we applied for a place. We didn't, because our older child (who left last year) got in on distance from the same address and we didn't expect the area to have shrunk and thought younger would get in like older did. Will this count against us? It was the only question anyone asked after our case presentation.

I’m not sure to be honest, we weren’t asked a single question. I did put special consideration in originally but still wasn’t granted a original place. I’m keeping everything crossed for you

@prh47bridge

Those are absolutely the right things to concentrate on. If the allocated school doesn't offer these things, they are all good reasons why your son will be disadvantaged if he doesn't go to this school. The careers programme is probably the weakest point as it will be a few years before that is relevant, but it is still worth raising if the allocated school doesn't have such a programme or you can point to ways in which the one in the appeal school is better.

It sounds like you have the makings of a strong case there. Of course, that doesn't guarantee success. That depends on the strength of the school's case to refuse admission, the strength of the cases put forward by other appellants and, to some degree, the panel you get. But you definitely have a chance of success.

I disagree. It sounds like a weak case to me. But perhaps it depends where you live. Appeals panels in my area wouldn't see those reasons as strong enough to force a school over numbers and if they did they would be inundated with similar claims. They are very generic and easy to exaggerate.

It sounds like a weak case to me

A weak case is one built around proximity to the school, transport difficulties, a desire for the child to attend the same school as their friend, childcare difficulties and the like. Appeal panels hear a lot of cases like that.

If the parent can identify specific things (subjects, extra-curricular activities, etc.) that the appeal school offers that are missing from the allocated school and can show that these are particularly relevant to their child, that is a strong case. It is not necessarily a winning case - that depends on the strength of the school's case to refuse admission and the cases put forward by other appellants. It certainly isn't as strong as a child who has been deprived of a place by a mistake, or a child who needs a particular school on medical or safeguarding grounds. But it is stronger than most of the cases appeal panels hear and is potentially enough to allow the appeal to succeed. The parent has shown that their child will be prejudiced if not admitted. The question is whether that outweighs the prejudice to the school of having to cope with an additional pupil.

Any appeal panel that takes the view such arguments should never outweigh the school's case has failed to understand its proper function.

I agree with PRH about what is and is not a stronger case. The guidance should mean that across the country that every panel should be using the same criteria for what is a stronger case but I also know that different admission authorities (which includes individual schools) can have slightly differing views on what is a strong case.
OP the only thing that you can do is appeal and make the strongest case you can for admission. Most panels know the difference between an appeal case which shows little strength and those that do and warrant strong consideration for admission.

@Thischarmlessgirl

Just got our result - appeal allowed! Still shaking!

Thank you in particular to @prh47bridge who was so helpful behind the scenes via PM. Much appreciated, sir!

You are very welcome. Glad it worked out for you. Congratulations.

Thanks prh.
It was a rather strange appeal based on family cirumstances but I guess I managed to communicate the potential harm of removing support systems. Thank you for your brilliant advice.

@AvaCallanach whoop! I’m so pleased for you. Thank goodness!!

I feel like only people who have gone through this will get it. My family and friends are disappointingly uninterested in how very distressing this has all been. Still, it's over now!

Was the appeal as daunting as it’s made out to be? We have ours early June it’s a 2 part appeal first part is written when school puts there case forward aswell

The appeal panel will do their best to put you at ease, but most people find it stressful.

The actual appeal was fine, Mstiva. It was preparing the arguments and getting evidence and the anticipation that was so hard, and the stakes being so high of course. Though we were lucky that our alternate school was ok, but just wasn't what (we felt) our child needed for their particular circumstances.

The two part bit was straightforward. The school rep basically says the school is full and can't take more pupils. Then if the panel agrees that the school is full it becomes your turn to argue your case.

We only spent a minute or two arguing against the school (they always have a couple of extra students and have improving results anyway) and then moved on to why this school and only this school could meet our child's particular needs.

@AvaCallanach

I feel like only people who have gone through this will get it. My family and friends are disappointingly uninterested in how very distressing this has all been. Still, it's over now!

I know exactly what you mean. It's 11 years since we won our appeal (also with massive thanks to prh47bridge) and DH and I still talk about it as one of the most challenging experiences we've had. At the time I remember that I thought about little else for 3 months! I remember rehearsing what we would say in my head almost constantly. Well done to you and good luck to those still waiting.

@AvaCallanach totally agree, I haven’t felt this consumed by something since going through four rounds of IVF!

Thanks I’m not sure the school will argue it’s full as looking at the statistics available the overall capacity of the school is still approx 100 pupils under capacity. The pan has being exceeded in 4 of the last 5 years also.

I agree the information is the tricky part especially trying to find out what subjects are taught at what school. The school I’m appealing for offers a triple science award which my son is looking to achieve aswell as gcse PE as he’s looking to be a sports therapist when older and the school offered just does the double science award it does teach PE also but looking at latest GCSE results I can’t see any GCSE level PE results. Apart from the ebacc subjects there’s not much extra on the latest published school results. I understand choices are available at ks4 but feel it’s important for the school we go to to have these on the curriculum. My son plays football and boxes competitively now so is pretty head strong already at 11 years old at the career he’s wanting to take. Stressful times for us all at the moment any help is massively appreciated. Thanks

Hello everyone. Apologies for jumping in. Please let me know if not allowed.

I would like to ask your opinions in regards to my son’s appeal.

He was the only one from his current school allocated to a secondary school that was recently put under special measures. Although it has been 3 years, no significant progress on school’s exam results/attainment/progress reviews.

I am a shielding mom and so my children have had limited social interaction during those times, they know my condition and the risk that goes with it and so, may have affected them in some ways.
I would like to argue that my son may feel neglected and isolated as a result of being the only one going to allocated school.

He is extremely into sports and competes on a national level. We have recommendations from his current school & coach. The school we are appealing to have a wide range of sports opportunities but the allocated one is limited, particularly on the sport he is excelling with.

School appealing to is oversubscribed since 2016.

Thank you for your advice!

@sophieR1234

On the face of it, I'm afraid your arguments are pretty weak. The school being in special measures is essentially irrelevant.

Many children got to secondary schools where they know none or few people, and those who do know people are often in different tutor groups so don't see them anyway. Unless you have strong medical evidence that your son is particularly affected, this isn't an effective argument.

The sports argument maybe has more potential, but it seems as if he's being very successful already outside of school and so a school club won't be very helpful anyway and the panel are likely to take the view that he can continue as he is now, at least in that sport, outside of school, without detriment.

[quote PatriciaHolm]@sophieR1234

On the face of it, I'm afraid your arguments are pretty weak. The school being in special measures is essentially irrelevant.

Many children got to secondary schools where they know none or few people, and those who do know people are often in different tutor groups so don't see them anyway. Unless you have strong medical evidence that your son is particularly affected, this isn't an effective argument.

The sports argument maybe has more potential, but it seems as if he's being very successful already outside of school and so a school club won't be very helpful anyway and the panel are likely to take the view that he can continue as he is now, at least in that sport, outside of school, without detriment.[/quote]
Thanks @PatriciaHolm for your thoughts.

Can I just ask please why it is irrelevant on appeals? And if asked, should I not mention it as one of our reasons?

Thanks again.

It isn't relevant for a number of reasons.

You are appealing for the school you want, not against the school you've got. Some children will have to go to the school in special measures, so using that as an argument would essentially be saying that this school is not good enough for your child, which won't go down well. Also, most schools in special measures are turned around pretty quickly.

Remember that, although the appeal panel will not include anyone with links to the appeal school, it is possible that one of the members will have links to the school you've been allocated.

Agree, as ever, with prh - it is a complaint against a school, not for a specific one.

You need specific reasons why the detriment to your child of not attending *this school" outweigh the detriment to the school of taking another pupil. This might be subjects or specialisms only they offer and that can't be got elsewhere, usually combined with chipping away at the school's argument that it is full and cannot take any more pupils in Year 7 because of space/staffing constraints, etc.

I agree too with PatriciaHolm and prh47bridge.

Appeals based on a school being in special measures or “not good enough” don’t succeed. The panel is not going to say “you’re quite right, it’s an awful school and your child shouldn’t have to go there” and the appeals code gives them no scope to make such a decision.

Likewise, appeals based on staying with friends from primary school don’t succeed, unless there is evidence from health care professionals that the child has medical or social needs for which support from their friendship circle is needed. Otherwise, schools and appeal panels will take the view that children will make new friends as they settle into secondary school.

The strongest argument here is about sports provision, but as has already been said, even that argument works both ways. The panel might take the view that, for a child already competing at national level, school sports provision is irrelevant because they’ve already surpassed that.

Thank you all for your thoughts!

Hi, sorry to jump on the post. Please let me know if this isn’t allowed. My son was offered he’s 3rd choice and we are all devastate he didn’t get he’s first but the school is over subscribed and has 2 feeder primary schools so very difficult to get into. Anyway, I am planning to appeal against the decision but I don’t know where to start. He is my eldest so I’ve never dealt with an appeals process and feel very out of my depth. My son has a physical disability that makes him a target for bullying. (It’s already happened in primary school) 1st choice school is a faith school and he is christened and also done he’s conformation, we have a supporting letter from the priest from our local parish. We have a support letter from our occupational therapist to support he’s needs to be in an setting where there isn’t an high intake of children. Apart from that we don’t really have a lot to go on the school he was allocated is very rough but I know I can’t put that on the appeals form. If someone could please help me with how I word the appeals form or have any advice. I would really appreciate it. Thank you