Did anyone else's DC not get first choice?

[Anxietyqueeen]

Are you planning on appealing? We didn't get it, but I don't really have any grounds for appeal.

How disappointed are you with the school you got? I know several children who went to their second or third choice school and they settled in well. We got our third choice and did appeal. We were successful but dud have a very good case. I think I read that only around 20% of appeals are successful.

We didn't get any of our choices and have been offered a terrible school. Absolutely gutted and also thinking of appealing. Will be watching this thread with interest. Sorry you didn't get the school you were hoping for

Not too bad tbh, but it seems everyone else got first choice aside from one friend (different area) so feel quite unlucky. It was second choice. Third was a good school but would have been a nightmare to get to and back from for him. Fourth I would have been quite disappointed with as it felt like a prison, but the only other one a reasonable distance away.

I'm sorry :( how is your DC? How many choices did you put down?

We put 5 down and didn't get any. I haven't broken the news to him yet as he is at school but he will be devastated. He struggles terribly with anxiety and has been awaiting an ADHD/ASD assessment for over a year now. He doesn't quite process things in the same way others do so i am sure we are in for a rough few months whilst we hope and pray we can find an alternative.

Oh bless him! Surely you should be able to appeal with that information ☹️

I plan to appeal on that basis but reading through threads i am not particularly hopeful 😓

Sorry to read that OP

It was a very long time ago (1996) when I appealed a school allocation place for my firstborn,
He did not get 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. Took it to appeal and it was put to us that there was a school, which I would perhaps like for Him, but it was under Greenwich Council, we lived under Lewisham Council . To cut a long story short, he went to the Greenwich school and his Sister followed some years later
They loved that school (and I also heard, later, that our 1st choice school were having to teach some DCs in a corridor!)
Good Luck

It’s not unwinnable though. And there are plenty of posters here that can help with making the best possible case for admitting your DS.

You're absolutely right, sorry i probably come across as negative. It has just been a disappointing morning and i know the battle we have ahead but i will do everything i can for him

@HollyJ2 If you want to appeal and want help then start a new thread with appeal in the title. Think about what your preferred school(s) offer that your offered school does not that are of particular benefit to your child. Not GCSE results or Ofsted rating, but extra curricular, pastoral support, specific curriculum offers etc.

In parallel talk up the offered school in case that is where your DC ends up.

Accept the offered school.

Hi everybody! I am watching this thread with interest as I was in this position last year. We appealed and did so successfully. We had a good case, but you also need good knowledge of the system to succeed. I lived this appeal for many months! If any of you are considering appealing, I am happy to support with my little pearls of wisdom of just a handhold.

I think everyone in ds3's class got their first choice. Ds1 was in a surge year and that was a nightmare - some kids didn't get any of their choices.

Give it your best shot. We appealed for similar reasons for my son, who's extremely anxious, sensitive and has a history of selective mutism. I spent so much time putting together our appeal. We had a doctor's note and a letter from his speech therapist. I even found an academic research paper on children like him and why they need to be at a school with a trusted friendship group. We were successful. The appeals panel told us we had an extremely strong appeal.

@HollyJ2 Agree - give it your best shot. The process is stressful but with good preparation, you can be successful.

This is so reassuring to hear! I am sorry it was such a stressful time for you but i'm so glad it worked out well for you in the end!

Yes please...i am going to start a new thread for advice. Would love to hear your pearls of wisdom!

This post is quite smug really

It's not smug, it's just a statement of fact that you are unlikely to win an appeal unless you have a good case but not to worry because most kids settle into their assigned school. Honestly, I'm sure some mnetters go scanning for offence in the most benign of posts.

I didn't mean it to be. I was trying to say it's possible to be successful at appeal but you need a good case. I didn't mean to be smug about the fact we had a good case. We only had a good case because of my son's mental health struggles and I certainly don't feel smug about that!

Thank you.

Exactly, not even a little smug! Think that poster is one of the eternally offended..

Hi! I would love to hear more please! We are looking at appealing based on the Curriculum of the school that was offered to our child (no triple science and no music, he is into STEM and very musical). Also, we applied to Church schools and we were offered none from our list but a non church place. Not sure how strong our appeal can be. Our first choices are VERY oversubscribed so I don't have a lot of hope a place will come up :( :(

Hi I think you have a case to make based on all these points.

• STEM: collect evidence of his current love for STEM. School reports, statements by teachers, any extracurricular clubs in this area he may be attending etc. Get statements from anyone in authority (e.g. club leaders) to support this.
• Similarly, music: Evidence of extracurricular involvement in music, statements by music teachers, choir or orchestra leaders, evidence of concerts he or she has been part of etc.
• Church: Evidence of church attendance and involvement beyond attendance, evidence that his faith is important to him/her.

Use this evidence to argue that the appeal school provides an educational advantage over the allocated school.

I posted on this thread yesterday with some more generalised advice:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5286351-secondary-school-appeal-advice?reply=142610197

Hope this helps - good luck! It's a tough process, but worth it!