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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Secondary school place help

45 replies

afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:25

Hi everyone,

We have an appeal next week for high school. We only put one option on the application which we obviously didnt get hence the appeal (seems stupid i know but daughter was adamant) , but i have had conflicting advice from other parents that the local authority has a duty to offer us a place at another local school? We havent been offered anything? Can anybody confirm if it is true please? Thanks!

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:26

It really was very stupid to only put one school on the form, adamant daughter or not. Are you appealing to the school you listed? What is wrong with the one allocated?

AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:27

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:26

It really was very stupid to only put one school on the form, adamant daughter or not. Are you appealing to the school you listed? What is wrong with the one allocated?

Says they haven’t been allocated anything?

DibbleDooDah · 15/06/2023 18:28

They should offer you a place at the one nearest to you that has spaces. This may be a long distance away and invariably not one you would have chosen if you had used all your preferences.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:30

AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:27

Says they haven’t been allocated anything?

Show quote history

The councils in England have a legal obligation to allocate a school. We were notified of schools on 1st March.

DibbleDooDah · 15/06/2023 18:30

That is, unless you were offered another school and you have turned it down. The LA have performed their property duty and do not have to provide you with an alternative.

AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:30

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:30

The councils in England have a legal obligation to allocate a school. We were notified of schools on 1st March.

Show quote history

OP is in Wales. (Based on her many other threads)

PaigeMatthews · 15/06/2023 18:32

Crikey op. An 11 year old being adamant doesn't mean you do that!

were you definitely not offered another school on offers day?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:34

It's the same in Wales. 1st March a school will be allocated. Regardless. So something js wrong here if the child hasn't been allocated any school, and a call to the admissions team/lea should have happened ASAP to get them to sort the error and allocate a school.

Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:39

@DibbleDooDah we havent been offered anywhere.

OP posts:
meditrina · 15/06/2023 18:40

AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:30

OP is in Wales. (Based on her many other threads)

Show quote history

I think it's the same in Wales -ie if you apply for a state secondary school place, you must be offered one. If you are too far down the criteria to be offered at any school you list as a preference, you will be allocated one which has a vacancy.

If that has not happened (OP says they have no place at all) then she needs to pursue that as well as appealing for the school she wants.

Mentioning that currently you have no place whatsoever will not harm your appeal. But it is not in itself and appeal-winning point

Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:40

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz the la have not been answering the phone for weeks so trying to get an answer is impossible! I have emailed but not had a reply yet.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:41

afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:39

@DibbleDooDah we havent been offered anywhere.

What did you do on getting notified that they weren't offering you anywhere? They have a legal obligation to offer somewhere so you should have contacted the LEA immediately and notified them of their error.

Have you got a screenshot of the email/letter stating no school place is offered? It's literally against the law.

Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:42

No we have had no offer for anywhere else.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:43

When did you email? Offers came out 1st March, so are you saying no one has picked up the phone or emailed you back for 3 1/2 months? You should have got your MP involved.

Whippetlovely · 15/06/2023 18:47

This sounds really odd, are you sure you sent the application off properly? You should have received an email with a school placement on the day offers were sent. It will have said no offer and then a note of the school you had been offered. You will be offered any school with a space and as you didn’t put a second choice it’s likely to be a crap school because they are the ones with spaces left. You should always put three schools and include catchment even if it’s last on your list because now you will be placed anywhere within the LA. I’d be really stressing by now not knowing where my child’s school is. I’d go to the council offices.

Whippetlovely · 15/06/2023 18:51

Sorry that wasn’t very clear I meant ‘ no offer’ on the school you put down but then they will have said the school you have been offered. Go to the council offices where the education department is you can’t leave your child without knowing what school they are going to as you also need to make arrangements on how they will get there as it may be far away. I hope this gets sorted for your child

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 15/06/2023 18:55

So did your email on offers day say “we have not offered you a school place”?

Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:57

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz they said we could appeal / go on waiting list / submit another application as a late admission but they didnt allocate a place anywhere.

OP posts:
AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:58

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:43

When did you email? Offers came out 1st March, so are you saying no one has picked up the phone or emailed you back for 3 1/2 months? You should have got your MP involved.

Education is devolved. The Member of the Senedd would be the person to contact.

AmITooOldToDoThis · 15/06/2023 18:59

Which LA are you in, OP?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 18:59

afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:57

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz they said we could appeal / go on waiting list / submit another application as a late admission but they didnt allocate a place anywhere.

But they are legally bound to offer a place at any school. Failing to offer a place at any school is (1) clearly an administrative error and (2) against the law.

titchy · 15/06/2023 19:01

afemrobe · 15/06/2023 18:57

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz they said we could appeal / go on waiting list / submit another application as a late admission but they didnt allocate a place anywhere.

And have you submitted another application with three other choices on? Have you phoned round schools to see if they're undersubscribed?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/06/2023 19:04

Appeals need to be made to the school you want, so how many schools are you appealing to?

I still honestly don't know how they've not allocated a single school. Or how we've got to the point 3m later where you haven't pursued this as its clearly an admin fuck up

Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 19:07

Said they couldnt offer a place at our school of choice then the options were waiting list/ appeal/ submit another application

OP posts:
Original poster
afemrobe · 15/06/2023 19:10

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz we are appealing for the school we applied for. I havent pursued it sooner as i genuinely didnt know they should offer another place hence my initial question. Havent done this before.

OP posts: