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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Secondary School Appeals

52 replies

Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 05:11

Hi

Can anyone offer advice as to how to go about putting together a successful secondary school appeal, please?

I have read that you have to appeal FOR the school you want, rather than against the one you don't, but I'm not sure what that actually looks like when they both offer the same sort of subjects.

Thanks for any tips.

OP posts:
Ilovechoc12 · 01/03/2023 06:05

Does your child have any medical issues? Diagnosis? With consultants letters ....

BernadetteIsMySister · 01/03/2023 06:09

Well think about why you want to appeal, what has the school got that makes it the one you want or makes it the right one for your child?

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:10

No, nothing like that. I am thinking that the appeal would have to focus on procedural irregularity (if there has been any) I am not sure how I would go about proving it, so have emailed the LA for the allocation statistics to see if I can see anything wrong with the way the places have been allocated.

The school is it's own admissions authority (Faith school)

I also need to look at what the allocated school offers in terms of subjects and extra curricular and compare it with our preferred school. But I am not sure how to frame that sort of thing for an appeal.

OP posts:
TeenDivided · 01/03/2023 06:11

Extra curricular specific to your child
Specific pastoral care needs that you can show will be better looked after

Not: better Ofsted, better results, friends going there (unless specific need)

TeenDivided · 01/03/2023 06:13

Why do you prefer it?

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:13

BernadetteIsMySister · 01/03/2023 06:09

Well think about why you want to appeal, what has the school got that makes it the one you want or makes it the right one for your child?

My DD is currently in year 11 there. It is a fantastic school and in the previous 10 YEARS anyone who lives as far away as we do, has got in, according to past allocation stats.

A couple of years ago, we were thinking of moving house in order to get him into this preferred school, but the allocation stats made me feel confident he'd get in. DH unhappy cos he was all for moving house and I kyboshed it.

OP posts:
BernadetteIsMySister · 01/03/2023 06:22

Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:13

My DD is currently in year 11 there. It is a fantastic school and in the previous 10 YEARS anyone who lives as far away as we do, has got in, according to past allocation stats.

A couple of years ago, we were thinking of moving house in order to get him into this preferred school, but the allocation stats made me feel confident he'd get in. DH unhappy cos he was all for moving house and I kyboshed it.

Show quote history

Ok that's not a reason for appeal.

PuttingDownRoots · 01/03/2023 06:26
  • find out what admissions category you were put in. Is it what you were expecting.
  • find out what distance that admissions category went out to
  • find out your waiting list position

This will show if its a mistake or whether you were just unlucky.

Remember that a Yr11 sibling may not "count" as a sibling.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:30

Yes I know a year 11 sibling won't count.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:30

BernadetteIsMySister · 01/03/2023 06:22

Ok that's not a reason for appeal.

Show quote history

Yes I know, which is why I said that the focus would need to be on trying to find procedural irregularity, if there is any.

OP posts:
Exasperatednow · 01/03/2023 06:39

First thing you do is find out where you are on the waiting list.
This happened in my ds's year, similar situation. He was on waiting list and is shifted a lot. Only 1 appeal was successful. Procedural appeals are rarely successful. There are a couple of mumsnet experts who might be able to help.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 06:43

Thanks for your tips everyone.

Can you tell me who I approach re the waiting list? Is it the school itself or the LA? The school is the admissions authority, in case that makes a difference.

OP posts:
Stewball01 · 01/03/2023 07:03

Thank goodness I don't have that problem any more.

redskydelight · 01/03/2023 07:31

If you don't know of any procedural irregularity I don't know why you would go down that route.

If your older child is currently there and you think the school is "fantastic" then why do you think that? What does the school offer that is so "fantastic", that you presumably think the offered school won't offer? That's what you can put in your appeal.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 01/03/2023 08:05

redskydelight · 01/03/2023 07:31

If you don't know of any procedural irregularity I don't know why you would go down that route.

If your older child is currently there and you think the school is "fantastic" then why do you think that? What does the school offer that is so "fantastic", that you presumably think the offered school won't offer? That's what you can put in your appeal.

I don't know of any procedural irregularity because I've not seen the allocation data.

If the allocation data shows none then I will have to decide if an appeal is worth it.

OP posts:
WhiteFire · 01/03/2023 08:16

There are a number of appeal experts on the board, they will be around at some point today.

EduCated · 01/03/2023 08:31

The only thing you have to lose by appealing is the time and effort, so to some extent, as long as you’re willing to give it a go, then it is worth it.

As others have asked, what is it that you really want about this school? Does it have a robotics club and your child has been teaching themselves to code? Does it have a cricket team (when the other school doesn’t), and your child has been playing locally? Does it have a drama club, an orchestra? Does it offer GCSE Japanese or Army cadets?

SheilaFentiman · 01/03/2023 08:35

It’s certainly worth checking if you were put in the right category (faith rather than distance or whatever)

SheilaFentiman · 01/03/2023 08:37

If you call the school, they will either confirm you are on the waiting list or tell you what to do to get onto it.

PanelChair · 01/03/2023 08:52

You don’t need to demonstrate procedural irregularity, although it’s certainly worth checking the basics (such as did they put you in the right admissions category? Is the home-school distance measured correctly?) The key here is whether there’s been an error which has cost your child a place.

Otherwise, you need to pinpoint reasons why (in appeal speak) your child will be prejudiced (ie disadvantaged) if they don’t attend this school. The panel has to weigh up the prejudice to your child if not given a place against the prejudice to the school and pupils already in it in having to accommodate an extra pupil. That might be something to do with curriculum, extra-curricular provision, pastoral care or almost anything else (but not usually travel issues or staying with friends from primary school).

prh47bridge · 01/03/2023 09:34

Agree with EduCated and PanelChair.

If there has been a mistake in the admissions process that has cost your child a place, that is a very strong appeal. The most likely errors that could help you are your child being placed in the wrong admissions category or the home to school distance being measured incorrectly. If those are correct, it is unlikely there has been an error that will help you.

Most appeals are won on prejudice, i.e. showing that the disadvantage to the child from not being admitted outweighs any problems the school will face from having to cope with an additional pupil. This doesn't have to be about subjects. It could be pretty much anything about the school apart from its Ofsted rating and its proximity to home.

Lougle · 01/03/2023 10:30

I think it would help if you could identify what it is that makes you want this school, other than that your DD went there. That will help to form an appeal.

thismeansnothing · 01/03/2023 11:58

Were thinking of appealing our decision but unsure whether we have a case.

The school that we wanted and didn't get was our catchment school.

My daughter does dance and it's an arts school with opportunity to do this more with after school clubs and GCSE option.

But the biggest reason we want her to go here is that this was the only school that teaches according to ability. Everywhere else is mixed ability. DD is bright and having been in mixed year groups at primary has been to her detriment and she finds it frustrating, annoying, on occasions doesn't want to go and it's meant she's not been challenged. The thought of her being held back because of being in a mixed ability class of 30 for maths for example, for the next 5 years I don't want her feeling like this again. When we spoke to the staff about mixed ability groups even they weren't convinced with it. (It's hard to put into words, thank god I'd let the husband do any talking on this issue.) But the school we want has better progress 8 scores for girls for example where as the mixed ability they pretty much maintain which backs up our point.

SheilaFentiman · 01/03/2023 12:10

@thismeansnothing my understanding from previous posts by the experts is that all schools are assumed to provide good teaching for all abilities. So streaming or not streaming shouldn’t matter, as all schools should challenge bright pupils and support less able ones.

SheilaFentiman · 01/03/2023 12:11

The dance clubs and GCSE option, perhaps along with eg maths club if only one school has this, would I think be a stronger argument.