Hello, first time posting here and I wondered if anyone could offer any advice?
Daughter has not been offered first place secondary school and instead has been offered second choice which is feeder school to primary.
We were wanting the first choice as our daughter and us felt the school suited her better, she is wanting to make new friends and have a clean start as she has had some bullying issues at primary school and the same group are going to the second choice offered also. It is also closer and it has a school bus that would pick her up from the end of our road 1 minute walk away.
Second choice that was offered would mean me dropping her off and picking her up everyday which at the time wasn't such a bad thing as younger daughters school was 10 minutes away and friendship groups do change etc.
Since applying, my younger 5 year old daughter fell ill in January with a viral infection and has since then suffered multiple cardiac arrests and is now residing in hospital with permanent brain damage. So our family circumstances have changed massively. Younger daughter, we don't know if/will be able to attend school again and when she eventually comes home will now need 24 hour care. This leaves us in the situation that daughter would have a 10/12 minute walk to a bus stop, then will need to get two busses there and back to the school she has been allocated.
We are wanting to appeal for the first choice school as to be honest I don't know how I will manage to get her to school otherwise. My nerves are on edge at the thought of her leaving early in the dark, walking along quiet roads to the nearest town then getting two busses. Medical needs of younger daughter currently mean she isn't able to be put into a car twice a day to come on the journey with me.
My husband works, albeit on reduced hours whilst I'm staying at the hospital. He normally leaves for work at 7am. His work are fantastic and some flexibility could be accommodated but not enough for a 40 minute round trip to school twice a day everyday.
Our house is fairly new and is in a catchment blackspot so no actual secondary school attached to postcode.
1st choice not offered is 2.00 miles away
2nd choice offered is 4.9 miles away
To be honest I am struggling with the whole thing, I stupidly assumed 1st choice would be offered due to distance. I am now aware I should of let the admissions team know the change in circumstances prior to offer day but to be honest it wasn't in my head to do so with what's going on with younger daughter.
Do you think this is grounds for appeal, its imperative older daughter can get to school and be slightly independent. She has had enough upheaval already, and I just feel I have let her down.
Any opinions/advice would be greatly recieved. Thank you
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Secondary school appeal help - change of family circumstances
9677mumoftwo · 26/03/2024 11:34
9677mumoftwo · 26/03/2024 11:58
Thank you for replying, the second choice school offered does not offer any transport and relies on normal public buses.
Yes first choice is 2 miles away and on the map the closest secondary school to our house/postcode. We assume she was refused due to over subscription.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:12
I'd definitely appeal. You have a very strong case. Your family circumstances have, very sadly, changed and the nearest school is far more appropriate. Just throw everything at the appeal from the bullying to your younger daughter's situation and stress what impact this is having on your older daughter.
Lougle · 26/03/2024 12:19
Do you sit on appeal panels? I'm interested that you say this is a very strong case. I'm not sure it is as strong as 'very strong'. The main grounds of appeal is transport, which is rarely a good grounds for appeal. A sympathetic panel may allow the appeal, but it isn't a slam dunk.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:12
I'd definitely appeal. You have a very strong case. Your family circumstances have, very sadly, changed and the nearest school is far more appropriate. Just throw everything at the appeal from the bullying to your younger daughter's situation and stress what impact this is having on your older daughter.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:34
Not actually sitting on the panel, but I’ve had peripheral involvement. We had one family appeal as they had one child with severe SEN and two neonatal deaths. Their DD was given a place on compassionate grounds. Transport rules were ignored for a sad case.
Lougle · 26/03/2024 12:19
Do you sit on appeal panels? I'm interested that you say this is a very strong case. I'm not sure it is as strong as 'very strong'. The main grounds of appeal is transport, which is rarely a good grounds for appeal. A sympathetic panel may allow the appeal, but it isn't a slam dunk.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:12
I'd definitely appeal. You have a very strong case. Your family circumstances have, very sadly, changed and the nearest school is far more appropriate. Just throw everything at the appeal from the bullying to your younger daughter's situation and stress what impact this is having on your older daughter.
Lougle · 26/03/2024 12:42
'Transport rules' isn't the issue. The difficulty is that the panel has to decide if the prejudice to the school is greater than the prejudice to the applicant by being denied the place. The difficulty, as I see it, is that @9677mumoftwo is largely appealing on the basis of the school being more convenient. That generally isn't a strong grounds for appeal.
If @9677mumoftwo thinks that school 1 would give a much better pastoral support, which would be beneficial because her DD will have to process the life-changing illness of her sister, that's a very different matter. I would encourage her to look at the offering of the two schools in that respect. However, if she focuses on transport/logistics then someone who has a need for the school because of what it offers them in their education would (and should) win, assuming that any places at all could be offered on appeal.
A panel can't just decide that they feel sorry for the appellant.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:34
Not actually sitting on the panel, but I’ve had peripheral involvement. We had one family appeal as they had one child with severe SEN and two neonatal deaths. Their DD was given a place on compassionate grounds. Transport rules were ignored for a sad case.
Lougle · 26/03/2024 12:19
Do you sit on appeal panels? I'm interested that you say this is a very strong case. I'm not sure it is as strong as 'very strong'. The main grounds of appeal is transport, which is rarely a good grounds for appeal. A sympathetic panel may allow the appeal, but it isn't a slam dunk.
PleaseletitbeSpring · 26/03/2024 12:12
I'd definitely appeal. You have a very strong case. Your family circumstances have, very sadly, changed and the nearest school is far more appropriate. Just throw everything at the appeal from the bullying to your younger daughter's situation and stress what impact this is having on your older daughter.
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