Secondary place

[MaxwellCat]

Only looking for advice on whether it’s possible to change a secondary school Place at this point (leaving year 6) and how I would go about it?

It is possible if your preferred school has a space. Have schools broken up in your area yet? You can call the LA and see which schools have spaces. Be aware though that this is likely to be the less-popular schools.

No he is number 277 on the waiting list, I don’t think many schools are worse than what he has ☹️

There may be spaces in other schools that you like better than the one you have been allocated? The only way to find out is to ask the LA or the schools themselves tbh.

As above, the first thing to do is call the local authority in charge of admissions and ask where has spaces. Many will be full of course, but you can go on waiting lists for any that you would accept, and you never know.

You could also appeal, if you feel you have grounds to show why the detriment to him of not attending this school would be greater than the detriment to the school of taking another pupil. Why do you want this school - are there subjects that suit him specifically, clubs, specialisms etc?

Bear in mind that even if you decide to appeal, a) all the appeals lodged on time for the normal admissions round will have been heard by now, so any school not undersubscribed (in which case, you don't have to appeal, just apply and the place is yours) may currently already be over PAN and b) even if you submit your appeal(s) now, it will not get you a hearing until sometime in the autumn term, so your DS will either have to start at the allocated school anyway, or you will have to make alternative arrangements for his education.

Just curious, but if the school allocated is so awful, why are you only just asking this question now...?

All the schools in the area are bad there wasn’t much choice the one I applied for that was decent he didn’t get I’ve tried to just give it a chance and see how it goes but since telling people where he is going I’ve had so many people tell me they can’t believe I am sending him there

And where do all these people send their kids then? I'd ignore much of it

I doubt they all lucked out with their first choice and many others must send their dc to that school . Stay on waiting list but try to make current one work. What are these negatives? Real or rumoured? Unless you find a better school with a space you would need to go through an appeal which will take time with no guarantee of success.

I have my reasons I don't want to send him there and they were confirmed at the meeting we had that it isn't the right place for him so only looking for advice on how I can change his school now not whether I should. He hasn't even started

Check your LA website, it will probably be either a late or In Year application, but it will only work out if the school happens to have a space and no waiting list, unlikely if you are 277. Are there any other schools you would be happier with you can ask to go on wl for?

227 is very low down a waiting list. Is it a school that allocates via a lottery (rather than distance)?

Get on as many waiting lists as you can, but be aware that you’re probably unlikely to see much movement on them between now and September.

So if you want to change schools you need to find a school with places, or go on a waitlist. Talk to your la to see what their process is, it might be in year app, it might be late apo

Don’t forget you can apply to schools outside your LA, so check with neighbouring boroughs to see if there are vacancies in schools that he could travel to.