In-year application appeal

[WrenP]

Could I ask some advice about making an appeal for in-year school admissions?

We have just relocated to Winchester so I can take up a job as a children’s oncology consultant, and I have applied for schools for my four children. I’ve managed to find a primary school that has places for my little two, but have unfortunately received rejection letters from all three secondary schools as they are full in both Y8 and Y10.

Our first choice has been very helpful and advised us to appeal, so I’m starting to go through the process and write supporting documents. Has anyone been through this and been successful? Any advice for what to write or what evidence to include would be hugely appreciated. It’s pretty daunting and I really want to my best for my boys as they are both getting quite stressed by the uncertainty.

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond.

Is your eldest currently in Y10?

Have you been offered a place anywhere for the oldest 2?
ie are you appealing to get any school place, or are you after an improvement from what has been offered?

Have the LA offered you any place?

Yes, my eldest is in year 10 and my second is in year 8. We've been rejected from all 3 schools we applied for and have not been offered an alternative. Our first choice is Kings' in Winchester, which is our catchment school.

Could I also ask what to do if we're offered an alternative out of region? Is it better to accept and appeal for the school we want anyway, or to refuse if we really don't want the boys to go there?

You won't lose anything by accepting a further school. Is it far enough to get funded transport? Are they year 10 now, as you might argue that some subjects may not be offered at gcse at allocated school vs preferred, for example.

Accept if it is better than nothing (ie home schooling). Once you have been offered something, the LEA has met their obligation, and don't need to offer you anything else.

I'd be focusing on "my child is currently out of education, as his old school is X hundred miles away, and therefore not commutable, and needs a local school place"

Have you look at what private provision there is in your area? Could you afford to look at that as an option for your older two? I'd be particularly concerned about your Y10 and how this disruption could affect him.

Private education isn't financially viable - we're paying for rent and a mortgage as our house sale is yet to complete. My eldest son is very socially minded and is adamant he wouldn't want to go to a private school even if it were an option.

Does he appreciate that, socially minded or not, he might well be going to no school at all as things stand? I'm just a bit surprised you made the move at this point in your eldest child's life. Educationally, it's one of the most crucial years.

Wow. You're a medic who presumably appreciates the importance of education and you've moved at a time that will almost certainly impact very negatively on your eldest's GCSEs

Is there any way at all your eldest can finish his GCSEs at his existing school? Anyone he can stay with for a year in school time?

This is a very hard time to move him, and will undoubtedly negatively impact his exams. There is no way you are going to be able to match what he's already been studying, especially if the local Schools do a three year plan for GCSEs.

I live near Winchester so know the schools quite well. Which schools have you applied to?

Is there any way your Yr 10 can continue at their existing school. They will be following certain exam boards and there is a high possibility a new school may not be doing the same boards. Even if they are rhey mag have taught the syllabus in a different order. Your best bet I am afraid of supporting his transition into a new setting to get the best chance of continuing with his boards may well be through the private sector. I am afraid I don't understand your comment that because he is sociable he wouldn't want a private school. Kids at private schools can be sociable just as well as kids at state schools may not be.

I too am mystified why anyone hasnt considered their child's education at this critical stage when taking a job, however important a job, and ensured a way of them finishing the stage they are at.

We have discussed keeping him at his existing school but we're a close family and don't want to be separated. I do feel dreadful about moving him at such a critical point in his education, but with four children to consider there would never be a good time to move. I look after children with cancer and sadly have little choice over location - this has been a very difficult decision for our family. I would also like to add I have nothing against private education.

We have applied to all 3 secondaries in Winchester and our catchment is Kings'.

Does kings do the same exam board as the current school? And offer all the same subjects? Do any of the schools you're looking at do that? That should be your primary consideration.

And you only have one child in the middle of their exams so last year or even next summer would mean none of your children would be affected by the move.

The LA legally have to offer you a school within a reasonable distance and should have done so by now.

Yes, pretty much all the exam boards are the same. They study the same books in English and the same periods in history. That's why we're renting within catchment.

Perhaps you can move and the rest of the family stay put for a year? Moving children at end year 9, end year 11 and primary would be a much much better idea. This plan really throws your year 10 under the bus unfortunately.

You need to do whatever you can to pay for private for your eldest , you caused this situation it’s selfish not to. Either that or your dh home educates him.

I would use that as a key argument in the appeal then if you are sure it's correct - you are trying to show that the detriment to him to not attending is greater than the detriment to the school of taking another pupil.

The LA should definitely offer you something though - are you already resident in Winchester?

Another panel member here. Just finding matching subjects may not be enough, you also have to make sure the school can timetable those subjects for your son.

The other thing to check is whether they are studying them in the same order. Otherwise this will still leave huge gaps. I would think very carefully about how disruptive this is to your Year 10 student. Schools are generally extremely reluctant (rightly so, IMO) to take a child in at this stage. If you have any alternative, I would take it.

I think this is your yr10 DC’s best option. What happens if you don’t take the job, is your current post a temporary contract?

@WrenP have you looked at Perrins in Alresford?