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. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@Mummyk13 Sorry to hear this. Head up - you have done what you can! I hope for everyone still waiting that, as transition days come along now, there is finally movement in waiting lists for those that are close to the front!

@prh47bridge ok I can only talk for my area. It was listed as one of the reasons for my win on the decision letter

Would have been unable to do any extra curricular or maintain friendships at the allocated school

I’ve just had to drop my daughter off at the awful school we’ve been allocated for her first transition day.

I rang the council yesterday for an update on waiting lists and I’m pretty sure they’ve not been updating them awaiting the outcomes of all appeals. I know there has been movement but they’re telling me there hasn’t. Honestly it feels beyond hopeless now and I’ve told hubby if we don’t manage to get her into a school that’s not failing by year 9 we’re going to have to suck it up and send her private for her GCSE years. We absolutely can’t afford it but I won’t have her future ruined by the LA’s inability to provide an adequate education

My DD doesn’t want to go to the transition day at her allocated school and I feel a bit mean making her go. Are there repercussions of not going? They went to her primary school and gave her (and the one other kid assigned that school out of 120 y6) a PowerPoint presentation which talked about the induction day. I told her it would be interesting even if she didn’t go there to see another school from the inside but she wasn’t keen.

@Rhayader if there's a chance that's where she'll be going I'd say get her to go. She may like it ? At least she'll be prepared if necessary

She’s No1 on the waiting list for her first choice and has been since the beginning of the list. We’ve heard a rumour that in previous years they didn’t offer any places until after the appeals and then the list typically moves 15 spaces or so… meaning it’s unlikely she won’t get in to her first choice.

In your shoes I probably wouldn't send her. It's very likely she'll get a place from number 1. In the unlikely event she doesn't, I don't think the changeover days make that big of a difference to settling in.

Thanks, it’s frustrating as the induction day of her 1st choice school is the same day (tomorrow) and she will miss the Cat tests that they give them… The kids are set from week one based on the Cat test and she didn’t even do sats because she wasn’t back in school yet after moving from abroad so I have no idea how they will set her.

@Annio82 they don’t do the waiting list right at all I know a lot of people who declined offers made for the school we are on waiting list for I email council every Tuesdaymorning they tell me no movement no new children added to waiting list and I haven’t
moved forward it’s a joke

@Rhayader we had to take our dd to her settle day last Thursday was heart breaking 💔
this week all her class where told what class there be in and they been so excited talking about it which they should caused my daughter to cry every evening asking if she is a bad girl and is that why she been taken away from all her friends 💔 she been potty trained since 18 months and started wetting the bed again this week to we told the council this at the appeal they said keep her back till the term after her 5th birthday may be space then angry is an understatement 😡

@Rhayader what would she do if she doesn’t go to the induction day? What are her reasons for not wanting to go? Do you know when the appeals will all be heard?

@Mummyk13 it’a so frustrating isn’t it. I get that they don’t want schools over PAN if they can avoid it but it just feels unfair to claim they’re on a waiting list if actually it doesn’t become effective until appeals are over

@Annio82 the thing is they have happily up ration in nursery to accommodate the new funding that’s been put out but kept every where the same if they can up ratios for 2 year old why can’t they do this for older children

they can also go over pan/ratio if an appeal is won more likily to win if a child has a ehcp or medical needs but can’t if a child has no extra need surly it’s less of an impact if it’s a child with no need compared to a child with a need

@Annio82 She would just go to school as normal. There are about 5 kids in her class who won’t be at induction days.

I don’t know if all the appeal results were today but I know people who heard today, and then induction day tomorrow so I guess they will have more time to look at the waiting list next week and send out some emails/make some calls.

@Mummyk13 thats so hard as little ones can’t really understand the system :(

Fair enough @Rhayader. my daughters school make no allowances for kids not going to open days

I used to be a school governor for a primary school and we never lost appeals for reception classes as they can’t make you go over 30 in a class. The only time we ever lost was when a mistake was make in the processing of an application (by the school) and then they forced us to go over PAN, but by September it was back to 30. Reception appeals are a totally different ballgame to year 7 appeals.

They should be offering places from the waiting list as soon as they become available! That's so wrong to do it that way.
@Mummyk13 I know it's upsetting but children that age really do make new friends and adjust quickly. I'm sure your daughter will be just fine, although I know it's hard for you.

@Rhayader i know we will not win but had to try
just got to hope we get offered of the waiting list
the local council have admitted kids this year that shouldn’t start till 2025 and had parents change there children’s date of births on the applications for it to clear when we brought this up at appeal they wouldn’t listen our point is that’s taking a place for a child who should be starting this year

@willowtolive i hope so because the way the settle session went I am not holding out much hope
its such a shame she has to be the only one to have to be separated she been with her class since 3 months old they went to nursery through covid together so it really is a different bond

what will be will be just so frustrating

@Mummyk13 If you know that parents have changed birth dates it is probably better to flag this up with the council directly. Perhaps this would make them investigate! There is little the appeal panel can do about it I think. In our first appeal, there was another set of parents who complained about the admissions criteria disadvantaging their children, and the appeal clerk made it very clear that this was outside their remit.
As for proof of age, interestingly, our initially allocated school didn't ask for a birth certificate, but our appeal school did once registered after winning the appeal.

@dodi1978 thank you we have flagged it with them turns out it was the head on adminastration that told them to change the date of birth

@Mummyk13 Head of administration where? At the school (headteacher) or at the Council? If you have evidence, you could go higher up the chain with a complaint.

Admissions authorities have the ability to admit a child out of their normal year group. It's very rare to admit a younger child into reception, but if it was agreed by the admissions authority, that is entirely legal. It bears no relevance to an appeal, which is why the panel would have dismissed it as a discussion point - there is no point going over things that cannot be taken into consideration, especially in infant class size appeals.

@dodi1978 council who would we complain to?
it seem totally relevant as that child’s taken a place that could be given to a child on the waiting list who should be starting this year plus adapting a date of birth is totally illegal
and makes me question what else is he doing that’s totally unfair

I think the council dose what they like they say criteria must be meet but how can it be done fairly when there doing things like this 😡

@willowtolive totally agree they add people to the waiting list as soon as they ask but do not offer declined spaces straight away giving more time for people to be pushed back on the list the whole thing is frustrating

I’m really panicking now. The school had their open evening last week and my friend said that the head commented on how much of a tight squeeze it was in the hall because they had x number of kids (12 over PAN). Does this mean it’s over for us despite being number 1 the entire time 😩 they must have lost A LOT of appeals.