School appeal for previously look after child

[cheeko01]

Hi,

I'm hoping to find someone who has some advice.

We applied and were accepted to our first choice school as our child is adopted so was lucky to be given first choice. We chose that school as it is a school that we thought a lot of our child's friends would get. However none of them did.

This has been a shock and is upsetting and causing a lot of worrying for our child... We realise how lucky they are but has asked if we will appeal for the second choice school.

To be honest the second choice school in my opinion was much better however we were told our area was too far away and kids from near us aren't accepted there so didn't think there would be any friends going. 5 from our child's class were accepted.

For an adopted child attachment to friends is a big thing.

We have a letter from our social worker but was wondering if the fact we got our first choice school will go against us.

Thanks :-)

Not sure if you can appeal in this case but are you on the waiting list? They normally go in the same order as the admissions criteria so you'd be right at the top.

Hi thanks for the reply. We're on the waiting list so we may get a space that way 🤞

You may need to ask to formally amend your preferences order first, or you may just be able to appeal, because you were refused a place, even though you were only refused because you got a higher preference. Different LAs do things differently.

Where you live is irrelevant for the LAC / PLAC criterion; the only time 'just' being LAC / PLAC is not enough is for Catholic schools, which are allowed to, and often do, give priority to this category of RC DC over other DC, then non-RC LAC / PLAC over other non-RC categories. (Can't remember tbh whether it's all faith schools, but I've only come a cross Catholic ones doing this).

Anyway, once you get o the waiting list, your DC will be at or very near the top of it.

As they have put you on the waiting list, you have now applied for this school and you can appeal. The fact you got your first choice school should not go against you. Parents are allowed to change their minds. As the previous poster says, you are almost certainly at the head of the waiting list, so you have a very good chance of getting a place that way.

Fellow adopter here.

I have no idea how much churn there is round your way, but if I understand correctly, if the school takes say 5 on appeal, then 6 others will need to drop out before there is a waiting list space.

You have nothing to lose by appealing, people like prh above can help with what point to headline on.

Thank you everyone. I did ring the school and they said last year they did take some on appeal but no children got in through the waitlist. It is a small school and a popular one.

I have a letter from our social worker stating why smaller schools, attachments, etc are better for our child but still worrying that getting first choice will go against us.

It just confusing where to even start to write an appeal.

I have since confirmed with the council that we can still appeal even if we got first choice so that's good.

OP what happens if you get in at school number 2, but the other 5 children then get offered places at school number 1? Would you then want school number 1 again?

No not at all.. I was always unsure of the first school. In my heart I feel my child will do so much better at second school.
The others aren't even considering appealing. Some are who got say choice 3 school but we've realised school 2 is a much better fit.

I can only try to appeal. We realise how lucky we are to even get a good school by us but it's worth a try to stop our child's worrying all summer about starting. I'm sure most kids are worrying as well.

I was just looking for some advice or maybe someone who'd been in a similar situation.

Sorry I wasn't being snipy, I just didn't know if it was something you'd thought about. They could get in off the wait list, they wouldn't need to appeal to get in. Have they told you they definitely aren't going on the wait list?

Does your child have an EHCP?

If they do then possibly you can ask for an EHCP review to name your preference school.

Hi I did think that it was a possibility friends may get in to school 1 through appeal or wait list.. It could happen. The school is further away so I don't think it's likely but again some from our school did get in last year.

I've checked with the friends in school 2 they are happy and won't be appealing or going on a wait list 😊..

No he doesn't have an EHCP..

@cheeko01 Schools can have feeder schools or have a catchment or both! Just because dc get in one year from your school, it doesn’t follow dc will get in for subsequent years. Birth rates, sibling priority and all sorts of variables alter the distance if it’s a catchment system. It sounds like it is. I would appeal because if you don’t, you will be waiting for a child to “leave”. Often schools will take more than pan for LAC and adopted dc. What you did previously doesn’t matter because nearly everyone appealing will have been offered a school. Just not the one they want.

When appealing you have to explain why dc should go to that school. As dc is adopted you have valid reasons and explain why this school suits dc better. Include anything such as curriculum, pastoral care, sport, music etc if relevant. . Don’t say anything negative about the school you have got.