Admissions day - tips and info if you are disappointed.

[PatriciaHolm]

I've posted this before and it seemed to be helpful, so reposting today...especially as we are already getting the "you can only appeal if the admissions policy hasn't been followed" nonsense being posted on other appeals threads.

OK, so it's National Offer Day for Secondaries today so I thought it might be useful to do a quick summary post, primarily on what to do if you aren't happy, as I know it will come up a lot today....(FWIW, I Chair Appeals Panels, and am also a Chair of Governors. There are several other experienced panelists around too.)

What to do if you get a school you don't want?

1 - Accept it. This is does not signal to the LA that you are happy, it just locks in a "last resort" option. It has NO impact on waiting lists - you get no preferential treatment on lists or at appeal if you turn the place down, nor are you negatively impacted if you have accepted a place.

If you turn it down, the LA no longer has an obligation to find you a place, so you will be dependent on waiting lists/appeals. If they don't come through, you could find yourself with no place in September. So ONLY turn it down if homeschool (or private) is definitely an option......

2 - Get yourself onto Waiting lists for schools you do want. In some areas you are automatically put on lists for schools higher in your preferences that you don't get into, in some cases you need to ask, so check - your LA website, email, or login portal will probably tell you what to do. You can also add yourself to lists for schools you didn't apply for (some LAs limit the amount of lists you can be on though.). The LA may also have an idea of which schools still have places, you never know there might be something that appeals.

3 - Check there has been no mistake. If you are genuinely surprised and you think a mistake might have been made - wrong distance used, sibling link ignored etc - it's worth checking. Your decision letter/portal is likely to have the criteria you were assessed under for each school and, for example, the distance used in the case of distance criteria, so check all is well. If it doesn't, check with the LA. But be patient, lots of people will be calling/emailing today and tomorrow....the letter will be in the post soon.

4 - Think about appeals. You can appeal for any school you applied for and didn't get into. I won't go into depth here as each appeal is different, but essentially you need to show that the detriment to the school of taking another pupil is less than the detriment to your child of getting a place. If you decide to do this, post and ask for help! A number of us here are happy to do so. Appeals for secondary do not have to rely on a mistake being made, or be based on admissions grounds only. (Years R 1,2, under infant class size rules are different).

If you are happy - great! Accept it, if you need to (some LAs will auto accept for you.) And be patient - most secondaries are a bit busy right now (!) so it may be a while before you hear from your chosen school re. induction etc.

Any questions, do ask. Sometimes it's easier for someone not emotionally involved to figure out the answer or find a detail.

@tripz Yes, I know there is an annual service charge. I am speculating, based on what I know of costs, that the annual service charge doesn't actually cover all of the fixed costs and some of them are bundled into the per appeal charge.

You clearly are pressurizing parents. You could have made your point once and it would have been OK but by continuing to stalk the Appeal threads in this way over the weekend, with your multiple posts, you are clearly attempting to derail appeals threads.

If the Academy chain that you represent are unable to afford meet the costs of their statutory obligations to hear appeals - well perhaps they would be better off getting out of education.

It would be better to read the room and not constantly harass distressed parents.

"You could have made your point once and it would have been OK but by continuing to stalk the Appeal threads in this way over the weekend, with your multiple posts, you are clearly attempting to derail appeals threads."

It is you that is stalking and applying pressure.🙄

My views are as valid as anybody else's. If you want my opinion to disappear, stop attacking my posts - they will soon drift off the bottom of the forum.

Hello, I’ve posted a separate thread, but wonder if the very helpful and knowledgeable posters here can help me.

I’m not clear on the difference between - nor the merits of - changing order of preferences, vs. going on waiting list.

we received an offer for first choice place, but would like to explore option of changing to second choice place (in catchment). Any advice gratefully received.

@SlobDylan I don't think there is any difference. You can't just change order of preference at this stage, you need to ask to go on the waiting list for your previous second choice.

Changing the order of preferences is an option while applications are still pending, so isn’t relevant once the initial offers have been made. Now, you need to make sure you’re on the waiting list for the lower preference school you would now prefer. Generally, as you’ve been offered your first preference, the admissions authority won’t place you on waiting lists, so you need to make an explicit request for this.

Thank you for replying @TeenDivided and @PanelChair .
On advice of the LEA Admissions team I was able to change order of preferences in the online parent portal and hold the initial offer place open, pending the outcome of second round allocations.
I thought I’d update for info for anyone else in a similar position.

That’s good to hear! I’ve never before heard of anyone being able to change their preferences post-allocation.

Then perhaps the answer is to give longer to make appeals.

Answer this though, if your child was allocated a school that requires improvement and has dismal exam result, with literally no chance to get into a good school because of how your LA draws the boundaries, would you honestly just accept that? Would you think to yourself, oh well, she’s statistically unlikely to get 5 GCSE passes but if I appeal I might inconvenience children who are going to receive a good education? Or would you try to fight and advocate for your child. My husband and I are the only ones fighting for our child so morally, my conscience is clear

Are the second round offered at the end of April (or by the end of April). With a grammar application if they reached the score for selected entry but didn't get a place due to out of catchment applicants getting a higher mark would you look to appeal after second round?

In my area (a London Borough) they usually go out as a batch in late March, but it may be different where you are. The new batch of offers triggers further acceptances/rejections so there are further waves of offers after that, though they eventually become a trickle rather than a wave.

Your local authority will publish an appeals deadline. So long as you meet that deadline your appeal will be considered at the same time as all the other appellants. In my area it is mid April, so after the second round of offers.

Thank you. I will wait and see what happens. I don't think we will appeal if he doesn't get a place.