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. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

I can completely understand how you feel. I’m not going to patronise by saying you shouldn’t feel like that because this is a horrible horrible situation and the waiting period and undefined process for waiting lists/timings etc makes this even worse. I was better yesterday and in tears this morning. So I know how up and down it is.

All I can say is please keep going. The only way over this is through it. Because if you give up now, you’ll be in exactly the same situation and feel just as shit. Stay on the waiting list. Can we help you with the appeal? I know you won’t want to say anything personal but even if we could give some comments on the broad points. Even if the appeal doesn’t work, you know that you’ve done everything you can. But just try and take it day by day. I’m totally overwhelmed thinking ahead to September etc so just trying to focus on daily and weekly tasks.

Oh man people saying this pisses me off so much! If we had gotten our preferred school, statistically my child would be getting one grade higher in each GCSE. So no, I'm not going to just lie down and accept a shitty school thanks all the same.

That said I am off to see Shit School (that we've accepted an offer for) on Friday. Partly to see if it's as bad as I remember and also to find evidence for all the stuff they don't have that we might be quizzed on at appeal...

Appeals process also messes with my mind. Our WL isn't updated after 1st April until 2nd round offers, but the LA have been v. helpful

My appeal is in and has been for some time. My DD is awaiting ASD/Adhd diagnosis and the latest appointment noted the immense anxiety DD has about secondary and her separation anxiety. Our first choice is one bus and we already have a support network at the school, so I’ve argued that the facilities school 1 has, proximity to support network, direct bus route make this school meet her needs. However none of this is the admission criteria as not states EHCP must state school. I have also questioned an error with our recorded distance. I’m under no illusion that I have a strong case but I promised DD I would appeal so I am.

Are you also appealing for a selective grammar? I might be confused but, if you are, I would highlight that.

Is there anyway to hurry along the EHCP? I might be mistaken but I think they can name a specific school

I will also join! Our child did not get offered any of our preferred schools and received an offer of a school with a very poor rep. On the advice on the LA we accepted the offer - but we plan to appeal to the schools we prefer and keeping everything crossed we will get an offer on the second wave of offers next week.

Fingers crossed for us all!

@Gobbolinothewitchscat yes top two are grammar. She passed the test so not an appeal regarding ability to pass sort of thing.

i very much doubt she’ll be severe enough for there to need to be an EHCP it’s a 2 year wait from this point atm to go to full diagnosis.

Admissions for second choice just emailed to say he’s jumped from 24 to 15. Definitely been some movement since deadline day.

Spending some time on appeal letter today. I think once it’s submitted I’ll feel better.

@Supamum3 that sounds a very similar scenario to us. Does your child have any classmates also allocated to the same school?

What a lovely post. Thank you!

Our LA won't tell us (and the school) the waitlist position. I'm not sure why. Sounds very positive for you :)

Thank you.

I think we’re fortunate (ha!) that the WL are dealt with by the schools here rather than the LA.

Hurrah! Keep on keeping on!

We are in same boat. DS has qualified for the grammar - just not been given a place due to oversubsription. We do have some arguments around the admission process and a possible mistake. But if we don't succeed in that, we have a specific point on detriment that he won't get into a grammar school and the alternative is a needs improvement high school (with other points around curriculum etc). Therefore he suffers more detriment than the school does by allowing him in. Just wondered if there www any mileage for you in that

Yes, we are in a similar predicament. There are other kids in class that are going to this school, but none are in my child's friends circle iykwim.
Lots in the circle are going to our 2nd choice which my child is sad about, but their two best friends are going to different schools.
I know we can't use friends as a reason to appeal, but it doesn't really bare much relevance as there are lots of schools in close proximity, so bound to have some class mates in all of them.

Its good that you have access to WL, we won't find out until after 2nd round of offers.

This sounds great! Glad you're heading in the right direction. 🤞🏼

But if we don't succeed in that, we have a specific point on detriment that he won't get into a grammar school and the alternative is a needs improvement high school (with other points around curriculum etc). Therefore he suffers more detriment than the school does by allowing him in. Just wondered if there www any mileage for you in that

I'd be careful with that argument. A panel will essentially take the view that all schools will give a good education; trying to argue that he's too clever for the school he's been given won't go down well. We as a panel know you want a grammar; and we know you don't want to send him to a school with a poor ofsted. But that's not grounds for appeal I'm afraid. And you never know, the panelists might have connections with the school you have been given so running it down isn't a good idea!

Thank you. Very helpful. Our argument would absolutely not be that he is too clever. It is that the alternative is (as a matter of fact) is a high school with a needs improvement rating where Ofsted have highlighted curriculum teaching issues in 2023. That is a fact. Not opinion. Then we would move onto look at the curriculum that both offer and the additional options that the grammar can offer with one particular subject that I won't go into as too outing but something that we have written evidence from a third party is of particular relevance for DS.

Is it not acceptable to make factual statements about the ofsted report? If not, won't do that.

Hello everyone.

we have waitlisted for 2 schools and I’m working on an appeal for 1.
I’m quite envious of those of you in areas that will tell you where you are on the list - we can only find out once the lists go over to schools’ control on 25th April.
I haven’t heard of any further offers as yet- and there are quite a lot of our class on waitlists. I thought there would have been a bit of movement this week once the acceptance deadline had passed, but I guess it’s still early days.

its very hard to think of anything else at the moment.

wishing good luck to you all

Sorry should have said, it's an Order of Merit ranking so from 1 as the best to however many take the exam. So at 477 she is 3 away in the first allocation. Cut off to be considered is 500. No catchment whatsoever so anyone can apply from anywhere

@Fizzyrosie i see. Yes our second choice is like that they have their own minimum score even though it’s a good pass and can apply from anywhere I don’t think our score is close at all so I’m not holding my breath on second choice offer. Your DC seems very close though so I’m optimistic for you.

@KirriIrry ours is the same nothing until WL offers 25 April.

Is it not acceptable to make factual statements about the ofsted report? If not, won't do that.

@Gobbolinothewitchscat Weeeeell it's a fine line. The panel has to "take into account the appellant’s reasons for expressing a preference for the school, including what that school can offer the child that the allocated or other schools cannot."

However, those points need to be very specific to the child and their own specific needs, rather than general education points. So you won't gain anything by showing Ofsted comments about, say, a poor level of education, under developed curriculum, lack of staff, etc; those are general issues and in reality, many children do have to go to such schools. This is really just an argument that says "X is a better school than Y", which won't get you anywhere - otherwise every child allocated school Y would have a case for appeal.

If there is a very specific comment about something that you can evidence is of especially importance to him and is something the appeal school can support - say he has a demonstrable interest and talent in languages, the appeal school offers 5 languages at GCSE and a strong tradition of language exchanges, and the offered school only one and is failing to support language teaching - that would be more relevant.

That is super helpful. Thanks so much. So the only reason we would mention the ofsted is because we felt that contained evidence to show the teaching in a particular subject had been highlighted as needing improvement (along with other things) and that was a finding by ofsted so therefore (I know they have their issues!) a very recent finding of fact by an an assessment body. Then we have our evidence from the third party and the school re an aptitude for DS etc which we would like to contrast with that to show a detriment to him.

However I absolutely take your point that it would not be appropriate (for many reasons not just because of the test that needs to be applied) to turn up and criticise another school. When doing our appeal submission, I'm working on the basis that if I don't have some evidence to back something up, I WONT be saying it as my opinion is totally irrelevant.

Sorry - another question.

one of the grounds of our appeal is that DS was bullied very badly in year 6, escalating to strangulation by another pupil. the police were involved.

the schools we are appealing to have very good anti bullying policies and ethos, and behaviour hubs.

the school DS has been allocated to has a reputation for bullying, and the problem is mentioned in their 2023 and 22 ofsted inspection. would it be acceptable to mention that?

@AllSuggestionsTaken

the school DS has been allocated to has a reputation for bullying, and the problem is mentioned in their 2023 and 22 ofsted inspection. would it be acceptable to mention that?

the reputation part, no, that's hearsay and can't be taken into consideration. The comments in Ofsted yes, given your specific grounds.

Sorry - I have a question re PAN if I may. I understand that some schools offer over PAN initially and then the plan is to not offer again until under PAN so I get that.

However, some seem to offer over so much it’s basically another class. So what happens then if they offer 30 over PAN and get 10 rejections. No more offers and they just run one class with 20? Or would they think they’ve planned for another whole class and offer the other 10 places again?