Appeal for high school

[JF76]

Hi we need some advice, please 🙏🏻 prh47bridge*;^@admissions; ^*^@panelchair^;**@tiggytape
We moved house last November and applied the catchment high school, but they are very full, even the nearby school. We have been told my son is the 10th on the waiting list. My son is currently in year 8 and it takes him 50 minutes to get to school everyday by buses which put huge financial stress on our budget for his bus fare (over £90 per month). More stressful is to get him up in the morning. We had tears, shouting, screaming, all sorts, which never happened before. He used to love school. In this cold weather, public transport is not always reliable, sometimes we had to wait over 20 minutes. We made an appeal and just wonder how much chance we have to get a place in our situation. We are in the catchment, no siblings. Any advice will be appreciated.
thank you

Have you submitted your appeal information/reasons - its not clear from your post if you've registered intention to appeal or already sent documentation in?

On what grounds are you appealing? You are unlikely to win an appeal because your child (unless specific reasons why not) can't manage a 50 minute journey to school. However, you may be able to get free transport if it's over a certain distance.

Are you on the waiting lists for other schools? Have you looked to see where the nearest school that has a space is - it might be preferable to where you are now?

I'm afraid you won't win an appeal on the basis of wanting a school nearer home. The appeal panel cannot take your financial issues into account. For a secondary school pupil, a journey of up to 75 minutes each way is considered reasonable. Your son's journey is well within that.

If the journey by the shortest safe walking route is more than 3 miles each way, your son is entitled to free transport.

To stand a chance of winning an appeal, you need to identify things that the appeal school offers that are missing from the allocated school and that are particularly relevant to your son. For example, if he is sporty and the appeal school has more extra-curricular sporting activities, that would be a point in your favour.

This won't be good enough grounds to win an appeal I'm afraid (been there) therefore you have no choice but to wait for a place to come up for him. Although, you can look into whether his transport can be funded due to the distance.

Thank you for all your response. We will try our best to give it a go. It is heartbreaking to see my son getting stressed out every morning. Apparently nearly all of the local schools are full.
Thank you all.

Surely if any of the schools have places he would be better there. Have you applied a d been offered any?