School Appeal, I need urgent advice please...

[NatM70]

Slightly devastated!...
My son did not get in to our school of choice, so I am appealing on medical and social grounds.

He suffers with anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts and sensory issues.
Though he's had a telephone call with CAMHS, who do believe he's on the Autistic spectrum, with probable ADHD/ADD, he's no formal diagnosis as yet due to the delays and long wait times.

He's also been chronically bullied throughout school and all of the children who've bullied him are going to the one (local) allocated to him (which we did not list). He needs a fresh start away from them.

Our school of choice has a very strong mental health system in place, excellent pastoral care and a strong and effective anti-bullying policy.
We have visited the school of choice (as we did the one allocated, which my son took an instant dislike to and begged me not to send him there) - It is perfect for our son, and we are 2.8 miles away as the crow flies.
It is the nearest school to us with all of the support our son needs.

My son came out absolutely beaming, he loved it, and was like a different kid compared to the one who came out of the one he's been allocated.

The admissions team did not take in to account his mental health or chronic bullying, so we are having to appeal.
They went on distance alone, we're 2.8 miles as the crow flies. They did not take in to account his mental health or chronic bullying.

The school have as criteria, in order: 2 - medical grounds, and 3 - social grounds. These come above siblings, catchment, etc., but these were not taken in to consideration at application.

He will not be attending the school he's been allocated, as it is not very good - They have hardly any mental health support, and the bullying is so out of control that I know of many children who’ve been taken out and moved to other schools as this school simply do nothing to protect the bullied children. If we sent him there, it would not only further disadvantage my son, but would extremely detrimental to his mental health, which we simply cannot allow.
I emailed them on 10/3/23 to ask for their policies, but nearly eight weeks later, they've still not replied, which just really backs up my grave concerns about this school.

I have submitted a very lengthy appeal, and have some evidence (especially re bullying, as provided by his current school), but as he's had no formal diagnosis yet by CAMHS, they can't confirm autism and possible ADHD/ADD, even though they strongly believe he has these after a telephone appointment with us, where they got to speak to my son too.
I have supportive letters and emails to and from from his current school re bullying and him needing mental health support and pastoral care, a general one from our GP as she's only just become involved as school told me we didn't need to involve our GP, they would sort the referral to CAMHS out (wish I'd not listened as if we'd gone to the GP, as it turns out, it would probably have been faster), and his CAMHS referrals.

ACE tell me we have a very strong case to appeal, but after 19 full days of research, phone calls, collating evidence, note making, typing up the appeal, adding to the appeal, and so forth, I am now running on empty!
A very kind lady from ACE who regularly sits on panels told me if my son's case was being heard by her, she would be putting it in the 'upheld' pile, bless her. She made me cry, in a good way...I wish she could be on the panel!

I am so worried I will fail my boy.
He's desperate to go to this school, where his best friends are going.
Whilst friends in school isn't great grounds for appeal, for kids like my son, it is really important he has this network to transition.

I am over-thinking things, I am just a wreck at the moment.

I am so worried that I may have said something wrong in my appeal.
His current school were really holding back on information, and the deadline to get all the information in was a day away, so I had to say my son had been called names by teachers at his current school, and I thought that was the reason they were not so forthcoming with the evidence I needed. I just needed to show I was trying to get the evidence, but at that point, his school didn't look like they were going to send the reports of bullying he's endured.
I am now worrying that was not a very good idea to put that in the appeal, but it's a bit late now (even though the school state that all staff are aware of his problems, that was not the case at the time he was called names).
I believe he was misunderstood by some teachers who weren't aware of his mental health issues, and he's never had an apology from them - He's a good kid, he really is, especially given all he has to deal with.
I also had to say that the local allocated school have very little in the way of provison to help my son, and that they still have not replied with the information I requested eight weeks ago - I am worried I have been negative, and constantly worrying I've said something wrong in my appeal.

I am also seriously worried that I've sent in too much in the form of my written appeal and the little evidence I do have. I don't seem to have the ability to consolidate, and I am worrying myself stupid that the appeal is extremely long, and it will really get me off to the wrong start with the Appeals Panel before they even meet me!
I am just trying to fight for my boy, but I am now scared silly the appeal is so long that the panel will be seriously upset with me because of the length of it, and points mentioned above.

I really need advice - The hearing in on 9/5/23, next Tuesday.
Please can anyone help me?

And sorry for the long post (if you think this is long, you want to see the appeal!)

TIA

You can just click the report button on your post and ask MN HQ to remove your name, best of luck with the appeal, you sound like a lovely mum.

That post was responding to the previous poster who said they’d appealed on similar grounds, but had lost.

Thanks so much, that's so kind.

Do I really need to remove my post? No one knows my last name or where I am?

Thank you.

Hi @NatM70 - we've removed your name for you on your opening post but do let us know if we missed anything.

I appealed for my daughter a few years ago. It went badly. I felt like they were just going through the motions. Long story short, I pulled her out and home schooled her (pre covid) and stuck her on the waiting list for the 2 schools we wanted.

We loved home schooling (I work part time but juggled it) and she was offered a suitable place by Christmas. We would have home schooled as long as necessary but got lucky. There are options so don't put too much pressure on yourself and this appeal.
Good luck!

When they say priority to medical they mean ehcp and when they say social needs they mean looked after children, ie in care or adopted. Adhd undiagnosed and bullying do not meet the categories so the school could not consider them at all. So don't go in saying they've ignored all this or even try and use it, make it all about why this school suits your child not their interpretation of policy which is standard.

Also think you're fine op, your username is nat and I'm sure there are many many people named similarly with children going to school in yr7.

No. The theme for today (already discussed on another thread) seems to be people spouting ‘advice’ which is in fact nonsense.

Medical/social need (or however the admissions criteria phrase it) does not mean EHCP. Children with an EHCP will be placed at the school named on it, outside the usual admissions round. Nor does it mean looked-after children. Looked-after children and previously looked-after children are the first oversubscription category, above medical/social need and all other categories.

Where the school has a medical/social need category (not all do) it is intended for any child who has a particular need which this school would be well-placed to meet. There’s no definitive list but it could be (say) a pupil with mobility issues who needs a place at the school with a lift, so they can access the upper floors.

Thank you SO much.

Thank you so much, that sounds really positive.
I am so happy that worked out for you.

Ah okay, thank you.
I was told by ACE that mental health grounds and bullying were strong cases to appeal.
He is believed to be autistic, I am trying to get evidence before the hearing.

Thank you.

Don’t listen to Boomboom22. They’ve got it completely wrong!

Thank you for clarifying this. I do appreciate your time.

Phew, thank you! Still hope then!

It doesn't matter. If they have them they have them. So if another school does so do they

You can apply for an EHCP yourself, you don't have to do it through the school. The first step is to apply for an EHC needs assessment, and the criteria you have to meet are simply that your child has or may have SEN, and that he may need support through an EHCP. For the second limb of the test, you need to show that your child is not making progress despite getting help at school, and that he may need support beyond what is available through normal mainstream resources. When you're looking at progress, it's not just academic progress that you need to take into consideration, but also progress in other areas such as social communication, motor and sensory difficulties, and things like anxiety and mental health.

SOS SEN produce some really helpful booklets on this - https://sossen.org.uk/services/booklets/

You can do this, but it would probably be easier if his current school was on board?

This is not correct. In some schools, priority medical and social needs are a separate category to ECHP and LAC, usually the next highest priority. Not all schools have it as a separate category.

It covers things like a child having regular hospital treatment who needs a school close to hospital, rather than home, or a child with a physical disability who needs a school with minimal stairs. Social needs might cover something like a young carer who really needs a school close to home etc. So someone who may not have an ECHP, but does have an "exceptional" reason for needing a specific school.

It doesn't usually cover bullying or common additional needs where there's no ECHP, because these are not seen as exceptional, unfortunately.

I do think it's most likely correct that OP wasn't placed in this category.

Just to this all the schools and academies I know with this oversubscription category ask for supporting evidence in between the closing date for on time applications and then ranking the applications in order to work out if the child does meet the criteria. I am a panel member for community schools with this criteria and we take time to carefully consider each one, it has to be exceptional so is a high bar. Ones I can think of it the last few years are a child with a stoma who needed a certain school due to the set up of the toilets and one where all staff were epipen trained and another where a child was having regular hospital appts so being in a school near the hospital meant they could easily attend appointments without having a lot of travel time leading greater loss of teaching time. When it's medical we always ask for professional supporting documents ideally ones that specifically state X school is best suited to meet need and the details of why.

Most on the grounds of anxiety/bullying wouldn't meet the bar of exceptional because all schools would be expected to meet need. It is obviously very upsetting for you and your child but anxiety isn't really exceptional unfortunately

@NatM70 just want to wish you the very best of luck for tomorrow. I hope it goes really well and that your appeal is upheld - and that they don’t keep you waiting too long to hear. x

How did it go OP?

@steppemum @NatM70 provided an update on this thread: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4803024-school-appeal-procedural-question

It was a really good update and helpful for us who are still waiting for our hearings.

@steppemum I’m really keen to hear outcome for her, really hoping she gets good news soon!