DD didn't get into any of our school preferences - any options?

[HannahTone]

We live in an area with really low performing schools, so after having checked the preferences list and admission criteria, we put the further schools as our top 3 choices because we really did not want DD to end up into one of the school nearby, as we heard lots of nasty rumours about them, but then added them in the last 3 choices just so if nothing else, she does get accepted into the more reasonable ones near our house.

However, on offer day, we got rejected out of all our preferences and DD got put into one of the most low performing schools which are even further away than the nearby school I put in number 4.

Now, I just contacted the council and the lady was really rude and just told me to wait till 21st March when the waiting lists will be out and that she will be put on waiting lists for all 6 schools, but given higher preference for the first school. I'm not even sure she knew what she was talking about tbh, but realistically I dont think she'll get the 1st school choice, so I was thinking of getting her to higher preference to the more reasonable school near to us, but I dont know if I can do that?

Has anyone been in a similar situation, do you think I could do that, or does that seem like an impossible thing to do? Please help a struggling mum!

@Prepaway Of course it is misinformation if what you post is incorrect, which it was. Totally agree with what @Comefromaway said. This forum is meant to help people with their school applications by providing correct advice, not repeating misconceptions that have already been explained to be wrong many times on the very same thread.

I think @ChildOfFriday & @Comefromaway need to chill, I clearly stated I hadn’t read the full thread and I stated I was guessing, not an expert. It’s an Internet forum where people can give opinions, I gave mine regardless of whether I was right or not, that’s the great thing about an Internet forum I’m fully entitled to give options, speculate and yes, guess if I want to.

All you had to do is say actually that’s not true based on x, y & z instead of derailing the thread and getting shitty 🙄

@Prepaway We're not the ones derailing the thread I apologise if I came across as rude but it does get exasperating when it's about the 3rd or 4th time you have to correct the same misconception because people don't bother to read the thread. It's very important to me that parents understand the system to give their DC the best chance of getting into their preferred schools, and people continually posting the outdated 'first preference first' system reduces the chance of this.

OP: the school has to publish the admissions policy and criteria on their website.

When LAs or schools publish the ‘last distance admitted’ it refers to the last distance admitted on Allocation Day. The distance usually extends once all the waiting lists have been dealt with.

Don’t despair: there is usually quite a lot of movement after the deadline to accept or reject places . They usually leave it a short while to check that everyone who doesn’t respond isn’t a result of a lost message etc.

Then after that you can usually add yourself to any other schools that you might like to consider, not just the original list.

People may have moved out of the area, accepted a private place, etc etc.

Good luck!

OP you didn't get into the schools as the maximum number of places were taken by children than fit their criteria better. If the last distance for the last child was closer than you are, you don't get a place.
You then get allocated the nearest one to you with places left over after all their applicants processed. Where ever that may be.
Put yourself on the wait list of any you would consider.
Don't listen too much to idle gossip about schools.

I called the LEA yesterday and had an hour long conversation on the next steps I should be taking, and one of them advised me to make an appeal for our 4th choice as well as our 1st, even if it might not be accepted, we'd at least have given it a shot.

I am quite apprehensive and nervous about appeals tbh, but I might give it a shot as I really think DD would do much better at a higher performing school that has good support and people she feels she can relate to, rather than the one she got offered into. Meanwhile, I'll also keep checking the waiting lists and adding her onto other nearby schools.

However, I am so stressed out that I either forgot or didn't ask, but would the application for other schools that were not in my original list be done through the LEA, or directly through the school?

Also, we have received a letter from the offered school to accept it by the 9th and send in the appropriate documents, so I was wondering if I do accept our current offer, just to ensure DD doesn't end up with no school place by September, would that mean DD would be removed from the waiting lists and/or that I wouldn't be able to make an appeal, or does it have no bearing on it?

Thank you!

@HannahTone Definitely accept the place you have been offered. It won't affect your position on the waiting lists or any appeal that you decide to make, and as you said it will ensure that your DC has somewhere to go in September if worst comes to worst and you don't get into other schools through the waiting lists or appeals.

I know appeals can be daunting but there are posters on here who are very knowledgeable about them and can help you to put your case together.

Of DD's friends who got into the school, do any of them live further away than you? If so, then it looks like a mistake has been made. If not, then probably it's just that you live that bit too far away this year.

If you really want DD to go to the other schools, can you move? That will bump her up the waiting list.

@prh47bridge

Your order of preferences makes no difference to your position on the waiting lists. There is, therefore, no point changing your order.

The council is required to tell you why you didn't get a place at any of your preferred schools and tell you how to appeal. If you haven't had that information yet, it should arrive shortly. If you still haven't got it by the end of the week, you should chase them.

Once you get that information, you can check that they have put your daughter into the correct admission category for each school and that the home to school distance looks right. If either of these is wrong, it suggests a mistake has been made and you should take it up with the council, although they may insist that you appeal even if it is clear that there has been a mistake.

Even if there hasn't been a mistake, you can appeal for as many of the schools you applied for as you want. Note that you can't win an appeal on the basis of the allocated school being low performing and wanting a better one. You need to show specific things that the appeal school offers that are not available at the allocated school and are relevant to your daughter..

some of the things posted on this thread are wrong and confusing.

please listen to prh47bridge

she is an expert on admissions, and her advice is gold dust.

please listen to prh47bridge she is an expert on admissions, and her advice is gold dust.

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@HannahTone there is no need to be nervous about appeal. The appeal panel will have 3 people. They all have to be impartial - that means that they can't have any connection with the schools offered/appealed for.

You will get a bundle of papers that state the case of the local authority and you will submit your case too, which the panel and the local authority will receive.

The local authority and the school have to give you any information which might help your case if you ask for it. So you can ask for information such as numbers of children admitted into year 7 over the last 5 years, for example.

The standard arguments from the local authority will be about capacity to educate your child and the impact that being over capacity will have on the quality of education for other children.

You can challenge statements in the LA's case. For example, they may say "the corridors are narrow and extra children will increase the risk of accidents". You can say, for example, "In 2018, when you took 5 pupils over the PAN, how many accidents were there in the corridors?" The likelihood is that the answer will be "None".

The appeals panel has no vested interest in admitting your child and equally, has no vested interest in rejecting your appeal. They are simply a group of people who assess whether your appeal is strong enough to override the decision not to admit.