Page 3 | Appealing a secondary school place

Mevy · 2024-03-01T11:15:19+00:00

Hi, I have been offered a place for my daughter her second option. I wanted to ask can i appeal for the first choice solely just on what enrichment activities they offer and how it will be beneficial for my daughter who loves those subjects? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ThatBeverleyMacca · 03/03/2024 08:06

SpaceInvader321 · 03/03/2024 07:35

Hello, new to the thread.

Our LA's schools website says you can appeal for a place at any school you applied to, so could I please run this scenario by the group?

DC has been offered the school we put as first choice, which was the best school that we were likely to get given the distance criteria. The school we put as second choice is the school I think would actually be best for him. Both are highly oversubscribed and I thought putting the second school first would run the risk of us not getting the school we have been allocated because they'd have enough people putting it first that no-one who put it second would get in. Hope that makes sense?

Since we applied in October there have been significant developments in understanding DS's special needs. He has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD and we're in the long slow process of applying for an EHCP.

There are (I think) valid reasons why school 2 would a better fit for him (eg, calmer more structured environment that would enable him to focus better, and normal-length class periods instead of a timetable of all double-periods that the school we've been offered follows).

Do we have any chance of success if we appeal? Is it worth trying in this case? Thank you!

Unfortunately you have misunderstood how admissions work. You should always put the schools in your genuine order of preference. Schools do not prioritise people who put them first, but instead every application is treated equally, whether it is someone’s first choice or their sixth, and you are then offered the school that you listed highest that is able to offer you a place. Someone who listed a school sixth would get a place over someone who listed it first if the person who listed it sixth met the admissions criteria better (e.g. by living nearer) and didn’t get into any schools that they listed higher. It isn’t that they work down the list of people who listed them first, then second, then third, and so on.

However, you are still entitled to appeal for the school that you listed second, and it is also worth contacting the LA to put yourself on the waiting list for the school, as there is often lots of movement before September so a place may come up that way. I’ll leave it to the experts to comment on your chances of success but best of luck

Lougle · 03/03/2024 08:13

Pardonnezmoimadame · 01/03/2024 22:18

You say she was given your second choice though?

It is harder to appeal if you’ve actually stated a preference for another school and it has been offered to you.

This is incorrect. All admissions decisions are irrelevant when it comes to appeal. You are no more likely to win or lose an appeal based on what you put on your CAF.

@SpaceInvader321 yes, those could be good reasons to appeal. It's unfortunate that you thought putting the second school first would stop you getting either place, but what's done is done. It concerns me that you are talking about the 'long slow process' of getting an EHCP. The legal time frame is 20 weeks. When did you apply?

SpaceInvader321 · 03/03/2024 08:19

Thanks, @ThatBeverleyMacca . The LA publishes the data on applications and at the school we want, 230 out of 232 places went to those who put it first. They had over 1500 applications for those 232 places. The numbers are similar for the school we were offered, so I still think that we could very possibly have missed out getting the place we got if we had put it second. But maybe I'm wrong.

ThatBeverleyMacca · 03/03/2024 08:27

SpaceInvader321 · 03/03/2024 08:19

Thanks, @ThatBeverleyMacca . The LA publishes the data on applications and at the school we want, 230 out of 232 places went to those who put it first. They had over 1500 applications for those 232 places. The numbers are similar for the school we were offered, so I still think that we could very possibly have missed out getting the place we got if we had put it second. But maybe I'm wrong.

I’m afraid you are if you are in England. I have a bit of an obsession with school admissions (strange I know!) and it’s not the way it works. It’s a very common misconception but it has been illegal to prioritise applicants by putting the school first since about 2007.

Anyway, as I said you still have a chance of admission from the waiting list and appeals, and I really hope you do get your place

tripz · 03/03/2024 08:30

"at the school we want, 230 out of 232 places went to those who put it first."

That just means it's a very popular school, not that those people were prioritised. As pp's have said, schools are not allowed to prioritise on preference, only on the basis of their own oversubscription criteria (which will be on their website). The LA sees your preference list, but the school doesn't - the school only sees high level stats like the one you mentioned.

SpaceInvader321 · 03/03/2024 08:34

@Lougle It should be a 20-week process but if your LA delays by refusing to assess (a common practice) and then refuses to issue, it can drag out for a long time. We started the process last June and are just now starting the actual assessment. If they refuse to issue, the appeal could take another several months.

@ThatBeverleyMacca very happy to benefit from your obsession. Thank you again. 😁 We are in England but we're not from the UK originally, so aspects of the system are still a bit mind-boggling.

prh47bridge · 03/03/2024 09:20

@SpaceInvader321 Agree with @Lougle that you have good grounds for an appeal. Also, if you get an EHCP, you will be able to name the school you want and they will have to admit your son.

SpaceInvader321 · 03/03/2024 10:38

prh47bridge · 03/03/2024 09:20

@SpaceInvader321 Agree with @Lougle that you have good grounds for an appeal. Also, if you get an EHCP, you will be able to name the school you want and they will have to admit your son.

Unfortunately, it's not that straightforward either. We can seek to name a school on an EHCP but it's pretty standard practice where we are for a lot of sought-after schools to argue that they can't meet a child's needs (eg, admitting the child would be 'incompatible with the education of others') ... which leads to another appeal/delay in the process. It's not as simple as saying which school we want and then getting a place there.

Slim chance maybe, but I think it's worth appealing, even if I stupidly ☹️ didn't put the school first. Our child's circumstances have changed and his needs have been more clearly defined in the past few months.

Thanks, everyone.

Lougle · 03/03/2024 11:19

It isn't always as difficult as you think @SpaceInvader321 . You're absolutely right that there can be bumps in the EHCP process, but the bar is very high for a school to say they can't meet need, and the LA can override maintained schools and name them even if they say they can't meet need (as long as the LA believes they can).

I'm not saying that to put you off appealing - absolutely do. I'm just trying to encourage you that it isn't always as fraught with difficulty as you may think (I have children with EHCPs).