School place appeal

[inniki]

APPEAL ON SECONDARY SCHOOL
Good morning.
I looking for advise, any information.
Last year I applied for school place YR7 for my daughter 2 schools which is in our catchment area, we have one more school close to our home but that school have very bad reputation and my daughter totally refused it because of scariness.
In one school which we are choosing went my daughters cousin and 2 her best friends, travelling to school is very easy as bus stop is one minute from our home.
When LA refused I sent them appeal letter and goes true appeal process but it was unsuccessful. Reason distance. They try me left with no choice and accept local school which my daughter don’t want with bad reputation or 2 more options which was around 8 miles from our home. I found another school and they accept us,6 miles from home.
My daughter went there all year and i payed massive travel expenses because we don’t have buses from our area to the school.
This year May, I filled form to change my daughters school place and again put 2 schools which we applied last year. I explain main reasons transport, my daughters friends, school have a lot of opportunities, my daughter when she went to open days she was very happy with school with staff with environment. But last week I received letter and again LA refused both schools. Reason schools are full when I asked for options they again offered me school which we refused last year and schools which is far away from home or appeal process.
I’m so tired with that, I fills like a hamster in wheel all goes around.
I need write good appeal letter but I’m confused with it, what I can include on it to get little chance.
I’m so stressed out with that.

I will be very thankful for any advise ,recommendations!
Thank you

From what you’ve said you don’t have any grounds for appeal.

Are you on the waiting lists for the schools you like?

You will be automatically refused if the school is fulll but you can appeal. To win an appeal you need reasons why you want the schools you've applied for as opposed to the one you've been offered.

Things like

• subjects they offer that the other school doesn't that are important for your daughter
• relevant extra-curricular e.g. your DC is musical and one school has an orchestra

Friends and transport are not reasons that you can use at appeal.

Unfortunately this is the process you have to follow if you want a school other than the one you have been allocated.

A school being "scary" is not grounds for appeal. Have you actually been to see the school or spoken to any of the staff there? It isn't a good plan to pick a school based on its reputation (my DC's used to go to a junior school that was apparently a cess pit of violence and children regularly got attacked in the playground. The truth was there was one single incident of a child with mental health issues attacking another child ... 10 years previously.)

We are not on waiting list because for year 8 they don't have waiting list

There will be something - possibly a continuing interest list.
But it may be that lists were closed for 20/21 and you need to get yourself put on the lists for 21/22.
Try your local LEA for advice.

Things like transport and friends aren't valid aruguments for appeal, unless your DC has evidenced mobility issues (and so cannot reasonably the journey at all) or evidence that friendships are exceptionally important to her (everyone wants to be with friends, but the expectation is that new friends will be made, but exceptions can be made when there are known psychological reasons or something like a recent bereavement that makes it unusually important)

You need to be able to demonstrate why the prejudice (disadvantage) to your DD by not attending the school is greater than the prejudice to all the other pupils in the school if it goes over numbers. Tow pronged attack - a) showing that the school can come with higher numbers without detriment - eg although it's at its PAN (permitted admissions number) it has actually run with year groups slightly larger than that successfully for the last 3 years or so (ie the detriment to the school is not as great as they say). The admissions authority must provide information like that to appellants on request. But as well as showin that they can cope with a few more, you need to show why, of all potential appellants, your DD is in eif the Ines they choose to admit.

So b) you need to show why this school is particularly advantageous to your DD. Remember, you are appealing for the school you want, not against the one you have. So look at things like your DD having proven musical ability and the school want having an orchestra, various ensembles etc and current school having none. Or proven interest in drama and wanted school having annual productions and thriving club, current school none. Or demonstrable interest in science and wanted school having most pupils doing triple and current most doing double. Or a language that current school does not offer

Thank you very much to your replies. Information is helpful, now situations is more clearly for me. Thank you

I researched information about schools. Current and which we applied. School where we want place have more opportunities that other, choice of language s,( she want learn Spanish instead of French) more science options, they have swimming lessons other school dont have ( which my daughter love instead of football or other activities) School have very good perform art lessons and clubs, drama singing and dancing in other school is just drama and singing, she don't like drama but really like dancing. She attend dancing club out of school.
My question is, can I use all this reasons or I need concentrate on just one of them.

Thank you very much for any advice or information.

You can use any or all of those reasons, but you need to make them relevant to your daughter. So the school offering a good performing arts department and particularly dance when your daughter is a keen dancer is relevant. If she has a particular reason she wants to learn Spanish rather than French (e.g. you have Spanish relatives) that's a better reason than "she just fancies it". (And hasn't she already started a language in Year 7? I'm not sure she'll find it easy to swap in Year 8).

I'm not sure what you mean by more science options (they offer triple and the other school offers combined only?) - again you need to display that your daughter has a particular aptitude or interest in science. Just there being more opportunities is irrelevant unless you can link them specifically to your DD's needs.

She have couple Spanish friends but we don't have relatives. She start learn Spanish in Year 6. She goes better with Spanish. At year 7 she starts learn French and she don't like it and her progress isn't well.
With science I can't really appeal because both schools have triple science. ( now I double check both schools)
Just language, perform art and physical activities are different.