Advice and help for secondary school appeal please

Akh8 · 2025-03-07T21:18:44+00:00

Hey just hoping I can get some advice please? My daughter was refused ALL 4 schools we applied for and has been placed in a school 4miles away which is a 1 hour bus journey and 2 bus changes which my daughter just cannot do as she suffers from bad travel sickness - can this be used in the appeal - the school is also a catholic school and not the same faith school as us. all 4 schools we applied for were within 1.5miles from us and at walking distance or no more than a 15/20min bus journey as she cannot travel more than this without feeling sick - she cannot take travel medication everyday as this leaves her drowsy and will impact her education. i have also found out today that another child from her class who lives further away from our 2nd preference school and has no older siblings, or special needs, has been given this school even though he didn’t apply for it whichi his mum confirmed - this clearly shows admission policy has been breached right? Can I use this in my appeal?

clary · 07/03/2025 21:33

As I said on the other thread you were on – I do think from what you have said, if it all stacks up (and be aware that people don’t always share everything) then there may have been an error.

If you actually listed school A in an on-time application, and were not offered it, and another student who lives further away, with no additional factors that would affect their application, and who did not list school A, is offered a place there, then something has gone wrong, so I would raise that asap with the LA.

LIZS · 07/03/2025 21:46

You can't rely on the other child's application meaning an error was made - they might have an ehcp, be looked after, or have health/social criteria if they use such a category. The letter should give details of why you were not offered and you can ask for last admitted jn that same category, and check you were put in correct category and distance if that was a tiebreaker. Go on waiting list of any school she could access even if you did not list it as a preference previously.

Original poster

Akh8 · 07/03/2025 22:09

LIZS · 07/03/2025 21:46

You can't rely on the other child's application meaning an error was made - they might have an ehcp, be looked after, or have health/social criteria if they use such a category. The letter should give details of why you were not offered and you can ask for last admitted jn that same category, and check you were put in correct category and distance if that was a tiebreaker. Go on waiting list of any school she could access even if you did not list it as a preference previously.

Thankyou - I have added her to 5 schools all within 15min bus journeys from our house, and we just need to await an appeal date.
She just cannot physically get to the school they have placed her at due to the distance and her travel sickness, we are not bothered about which school she gets at this stage as long as they give her one that she can get to with the travel sickness her has 😣

OP posts:

EduCated · 07/03/2025 22:13

Have you been told the distance the LEA measured between your house and the school? Does it look correct? Ask for it if you haven’t been given it.

Are you certain where the measurement at school is taken from (the seed point)? It can sometimes be unexpected points on the school site.

If there has been an error that has cost you a place, in theory it should be corrected without you needing to appeal, though they may insist that you do (or may need to if it’s an error affecting a large number of applicants).

cestlavielife · 07/03/2025 22:15

Are you on a city? Hence 4 miles taking one hour? And 2 x buses??
There can be movement anyway on wait lists before and even during September so don't panic just yet
Was her medical need in her application?

Undrugged · 07/03/2025 22:17

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fashionqueen0123 · 07/03/2025 22:20

I wouldn’t have been able to do a bus like that at that age for the same reason so I have a lot of sympathy.

Our council has an email address to use if you believe an error has been made. Do you have this? As you could email them about that other person.

prh47bridge · 08/03/2025 00:30

If the information you've been given is correct and the other child did not apply for your second preference, there is no way they should have been given a place ahead of you. It would be different if they had applied, but everyone who applies for a school must be ahead of everyone who didn't. This sounds very much like a mistake was made. You therefore need to find out exactly why you didn't get the schools you applied for. Did they, for example, treat your application as late?

Original poster

Akh8 · 08/03/2025 03:19

prh47bridge · 08/03/2025 00:30

If the information you've been given is correct and the other child did not apply for your second preference, there is no way they should have been given a place ahead of you. It would be different if they had applied, but everyone who applies for a school must be ahead of everyone who didn't. This sounds very much like a mistake was made. You therefore need to find out exactly why you didn't get the schools you applied for. Did they, for example, treat your application as late?

Thankyou for your response - the family are adamant they have not applied for this school at all as they have no way of getting the child to the school and will most likely appeal too,
my application was put in the day the applications opened so i definitely didn’t submit late

OP posts:

Original poster

Akh8 · 08/03/2025 03:21

cestlavielife · 07/03/2025 22:15

Are you on a city? Hence 4 miles taking one hour? And 2 x buses??
There can be movement anyway on wait lists before and even during September so don't panic just yet
Was her medical need in her application?

I’m not so sure - but when we have planned the journey online - it’s showing a 10minute walk to a bus’s top and then 1 x 20 + 1 x 25min bus journey and then a further 10minute walk to the school - it’s a ridiculous amount of travel for a young person.

OP posts:

CaptainFuture · 08/03/2025 03:24

Akh8 · 08/03/2025 03:21

I’m not so sure - but when we have planned the journey online - it’s showing a 10minute walk to a bus’s top and then 1 x 20 + 1 x 25min bus journey and then a further 10minute walk to the school - it’s a ridiculous amount of travel for a young person.

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For a 4 mile journey? Could she cycle?

prh47bridge · 08/03/2025 07:44

Akh8 · 08/03/2025 03:19

Thankyou for your response - the family are adamant they have not applied for this school at all as they have no way of getting the child to the school and will most likely appeal too,
my application was put in the day the applications opened so i definitely didn’t submit late

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I didn't think you were late. But the only way someone who didn't apply to your second preference should get a place ahead of you is if your application was treated as late for some reason, or the LA simply overlooked your application. The first thing is to get the LA to tell you exactly why you missed out on all your preferences. If that doesn't reveal anything, you will have to challenge them as to how a child who didn't name your second preference as one of their preferences got a place ahead of you.

cestlavielife · 08/03/2025 14:51

A lot of kids do travel bus and train or tube up to one hour to preferred schools across London...but as it is not your preference speak to lea _/appeal as pp suggested
Is her medical need documented by GP? Doyou have evidence?