Appeal

[Dearparent]

Hi, I applied to two schools, but both refused and instead offered the school we never visited neither apply. My sister has had a bad experience with the school provided hence being reluctant to send my child there. I seem not to find strong points; please help. In the meantime, should I reject the offer given?

No don't reject the place. You will be on the waiting lists for the two schools that you expressed your preference for, rejecting the offered place isn't necessary. It doesn't help anything and may potentially leave you with no school at all for your child and if you then go back to the LA admissions you will be allocated whatever school that still has places available.

Can I ask why you only put preferences for two schools? Was one of them your catchment school?

Accept the school place. If you reject it then the council has no obligation to offer you another one. You can then stay on the waiting lists for the other two schools and any other schools you would be happy with. You can also appeal and there’s plenty of advice on here about how to go about it.

Out of interest, why didn’t you use all the preferences on your form? As you provided only two options, assuming you lived too far away to both of them to secure a place, you have been given a place at the closest school to you with places. In only giving two preferences it doesn’t make you more likely to get one of them.

Not liking the allocated school is not a reason to appeal (granted a high proportion of secondary schools appeals are).

The main purpose of appeal should be that the admissions authority made a mistake with your application. Can you prove they did?

Do you know where you are on the waiting list for each of the preferred schools? You might gain a place that way.

UserError The main purpose of appeal should be that the admissions authority made a mistake with your application. Can you prove they did?

That's not true for secondary (or y3->). Obviously mistake would be easier to win, but you can appeal based on prejudice to your child not attending is worse than prejudice to school taking an extra pupil.

OP. You need to find things at your preferred school not at offered school that are particularly important to your DC. Not Ofsted or results, but things like subjects offered, extra curricular etc.

Definitely accept offered school. Ask to go on waiting list for any other you prefer to offered school too. Why did you only apply to 2?

There doesn't have to be a mistake to win. That is only the case in infant class size appeals.

At least look at your offered school. Schools change a lot in a short time.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/admission-appeals-for-school-places/advice-for-parents-and-guardians-on-school-admission-appeals

You don't need to prove a mistake.

You just need to prove that your child will suffer more detriment by not attending that particular school than the other children will by now having a bigger class, less equipment to go round etc.

Its hard. Not impossible but hard.

You cant appeal against a school so talking about the bad experience etc won't help. You can only appeal for a school.

What does this particular school offer that your child needs that can't be provided in anyway shape or form by the allocated school?

With regards to the other school-

Accept the place. The LA has done its job. It is under no obligation to find u another one. Declining it will leave you without a school or you will end up somewhere equally unsuitable but miles away.

Do you have the full story for the bad experience?

ImE all the parents thrilled about getting a particular school as it was highly sought after do not appear to have fewer complaints than those who got the less desirable schools. In fact some were extremely shocked at how things realky were. Many of the good schools are coasting on reputations from years ago. The reality is still lots of supply teachers ,.poor SN provision and buildings that are in sorry states etc that is everywhere I'm.afraid.

What other local schools do you have. Go on their waiting lists but check how many the LA will let you go on.

And visit the school you got. See for yourself.

Why did you only put two schools?!!

Still, too late to worry about that now. Accept the place. Ensure you’re on the waiting lists for the first two schools. Ask the council if there are places at any other schools, then visit the allocated school and any others with vacancies to see which would be most suitable for your child. Then appeal. You need to argue that the impact on your child of not attending a particular school would be worse than the impact of the school taking an additional pupil.

As others have said, don’t reject the school place unless you are willing and able to home educate or find a place in an independent school for September, as there’s no guarantee you’ll win any appeal or get a place via the waiting list.

For any appeal, you need to identify features of the preferred school that would benefit your child and which aren’t available elsewhere, as you’ll be arguing that your child will be disadvantaged if they don’t attend the school. That might be the curriculum, after schoool activities, pastoral care etc.

What happens if your child doesn't qualify for a place at your preferred school(s) is that the LEA offer a place at the school closest to your house that has places available.
If you reject the place offered, the LEA has no obligation to make you another offer.
In some areas you have to ask to go on the waiting lists, so step 1 is to make sure that your child is on the lists.
LEAs publish lists of schools that still have places available. So look through these lists and see if there is something suitable even if it is further away. You then contact the LEA to find out how to apply to this school. Please note if you go to a further away school, you would need to be able to fund the transport costs.
Your relative's experience at the offered school wouldn't be relevant to any appeal. You are appealing for the schools you prefer, not against the offered school.

It's also worth finding more about the school beyond your sister's bad experience. Her experience may have been very specific to her, or as a result of that (or otherwise) you may have found the school has improved.

You are never going to find a school where not a single person had a bad experience. So at least look into it with an open mind.

We won an appeal last year based on the detriment to my child's mental health in not attending this school. We were able to evidence this.

Hi Teenlittlefella.

Would you please be able to offer some advice to me on the reasons you used regarding the detriment to your child’s mental health? This is one of the reasons for my appeal to our first and second choices - we didn’t get a place at any of our preferences and instead allocated another dreadful school. I am appealing both first and second choice and on both waiting lists and waiting list for a 3rd choice (in my council we aren’t allowed to put a 4th unless it is the local school and that’s the one I do not want). My son suffers with anxiety and poor mental health, he receive support in primary school with a thrive worker and has had input from Action for children over the last couple of years, I’m currently trying to obtain a therapist for him. I have sent the appeal letters off stating it would of detriment further to his mental health if he forms not gain a place at the pref schools, I’ve relayed my case to the face the schools have excellent pastoral support, included a supporting letter from primary school, my son wrote his own letter to add too. I’m just wondering how you were able to argue the fact in the appeal? I k it I need to prove their will be more harm to him that the school but I’m struggling to formulate an articulated argument as I feel so anxious myself. I want to be able to question then and pick weaknesses in the fact that they say resources will be stretched etc etc. I appreciate any advise anyone has - thank you

Please accept my apologies for the terrible grammar and wording if my above reply! It’s late and I txt type too fast! I’m not sleeping well as very anxious because as it stands he has no place at a school in September (I had to decline local school, it has drug problems, truanting, very problematic and my son had a panic attack when we found out they gave him that school, I could not accept the place there at all). L

@Foxykatmum
I would recommend starting your own thread for the specific information that you need. You could try a title that gives people a bit more information as well e.g. "Appeal on grounds of mental health".

Thank you

Can I ask how you proved this please and what you said about how it would affect their mental health?

Again it may be a good idea to start your own thread on this but in general letters from a medical professional explaining why one school is needed rather than another would hold the most weight.

If you can't get that, a general letter from a medical professional is next best, and if you can't get that either, then a letter from someone at primary school like the SENCo may still hold some weight.