2024 waiting list/appeal support thread

[Hopeful88]

I thought I'd start a support thread for everyone in the same position - either waiting on appeal outcomes or hoping for a secondary school place from a waiting list.
I've read all the advice I can and I'm doing the best I can but I'm still struggling with the unknown.
We're currently in the 20s on the waiting list for our first choice school and an unknown number for the second choice.
Fingers crossed for everyone in the same position. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

The very best of luck for you today 💐

@Gobbolinothewitchscat ahh you are still here. Lovely to hear from you thank you for the well wishes. Should have an update early next week of the outcome.

Just worth adding to that is that decisions aren't made until all the appeals in that set of school appeals are heard - so if there are 4 or 5 days of appeals, no decisions on individual Part 2 success will be made until the end of the 5 days. Panels don't make decisions day by day when there a multiple day hearings. All appeals must be heard first, then often a quick notification of yes/no is sent followed by a more detailed letter.

@PatriciaHolm there are 60 other parents at this appeal all next week and I had understood there would be levelling but the email they have sent does say outcome within 24 hrs of my hearing rather than the last which indicates they don’t intend to do any levelling as expected. This is what they’ve said and mirrors others on this group hearing the next day but it could ofcourse be inaccurate and I’ll only know when I receive the outcome.

They are not allowed, under the appeals code which has the force of law, to make decisions until all appeals are heard - I would suggest the email is misleading. If they are making decisions by day, they are acting unlawfully, and appellants could make an official complaint about maladministration.

From the code - it is very explicit - "A panel hearing multiple appeals must not make decisions on any of those appeals until all the appeals have been heard."

@PatriciaHolm do you think I should point this out at stage 1 tonight?

@Rinse123 I would possibly just say - "I assume we will hear the outcome of our individual appeals next week, once all appeals are heard?"

It may be the case that the email is actually referring to the outcome of Stage 1 - with 60 of you they aren't going to want everyone to hang around for the outcome of that, so may be referring to the idea that they will send an email with that decisions pretty immediately to reconfirm that you should attend your appt for stage 2.

It's also possible it's a standard email wording they use to for all appeals and no-one has thought to change it.

I would be staggered if they had it wrong tbh, its a very basic rule and is there in black and white! (and indeed the "must not" is bolded in the code!)

Thank you for your help @PatriciaHolm really good advice. Will keep you posted.

Just to say you were correct badly worded email they said within 24 hours of last heard appeal at todays stage 1; last stage 2 is 23rd May so should hear next Friday or following Monday. I’m feeling quite disheartened no upheld appeals this or last year seems chances are so slim.

@PatriciaHolm Thank you for your helpful advice.

We have our stage 1 appeal in early June. I am a little unsure as to how much preparation we put into stage 1. Is that the time to ask about incidents caused by overcrowding etc? We’ve prepped a lot for stage 2 but I don’t want to risk treating stage 1 as just a formality. Thank you

Stage 1 is about the school's case to refuse admission. You should raise any points you have to undermine their case during stage 1. That includes asking about incidents due to overcrowding, etc. If you have any evidence of a mistake, that should also be raised at stage 1.

Agree, as ever, with prh. The first stage is the general argument against the school being full - not about your case at all, (other than as prh says, if you think a mistake has been made, because that would affect other cases too). Stage one is about showing that the school can cope with a number of additional pupils, whoever they are.

Appeal date today I am so nervous I want to be sick. Really hope I manage to pull myself together.

Everything crossed for you, @Rinse123 !

Good luck.

Good luck @Rinse123

Very best of luck @Rinse123 💐

All done. I was so nervous but they thanked me for being clear and structured. I really think it’s very hard to tip the prejudice balance from the school to your child but for me it was about exhausting all the avenues my child asked me to get that place. I can safely say I’ve done that which is all I can do. Thank you for all the well wishes and much needed support. It’s helped an immense amount.

@Rinse123 Wonder whether we were at the same appeal this morning :-)! Collectively, the group of parents managed to pick big holes in the school's case, but the panel went to the 2nd stage anyway. That went well too I think - my husband and I made our case quite well.
I also now know that our 2nd appeal, for our very much preferred school, is on the 14th of June. I still don't know how thing are going to be handled from now. Should today's appeal be successful, will our currently allocated place be immediately withdrawn? In that case, on the 14th of June, are we comparing the school for our 2nd appeal with the school we have been allocated through the 1st appeal? Or do we only need to make a final decision once both appeals have been heard? It's confusing....

Hi @dodi1978 my appeal this afternoon was stage 2 sounds like yours was the stage 1 - where the school put their case forward.

usually you are comparing the school offered and accepted to the one you are appealing.

@dodi1978 sorry think I got muddled there as you have more than one appeal. So appeal 1 - stage 2 was today was it? Second appeal in June?

@Rinse123 Appeal 1 was today, both stages, Appeal 2 14th June.
My question is what happens now, in the hypothetical case we win the appeal.

Will we have to immediately relinquish our originally assigned school place?
If that's the case, this might, in their minds, make Appeal 2 redundant because we have now got a place at a school (Appeal 1) school that we have said is appropriate. We would now, on the 14th of June, not comparing Appeal 2 school to assigned school, but comparing Appeal 2 school to Appeal 1 school.

I hope this makes sense, but this is what's swirling through my mind. We can make a really good case for Appeal 2 school against originally allocated school. Our case for Appeal 2 school against Appeal 1 school is just not as strong, but our preference is still Appeal 2 school.

It is pretty rare for appeals not to go to the second stage. The only way second stage would be avoided is if the appeal panel decided that the school could accommodate all the appellants without any problems.

@Hopeful88 with your appeal had they finished hearing all appeals that day? Thinking maybe that is why you heard so quickly. With ours mine was on Monday but they have appeals for our school through to Thursday.

Yes, our appeal was the second (and last)day of appeals.