Year 7 refusal – St Marylebone CE – any hope on appeal?

[LiliaCuciuc]

Hi everyone,
Looking for some honest advice.
My daughter was refused a Year 7 place at St Marylebone CE. It was our first choice and we’re quite surprised by the outcome.
We applied under the Church of England criteria and submitted a completed clergy form. We attend a CE church regularly (not St Marylebone parish specifically), and we provided confirmation of 32 services/mass attendances.
We live within around 6 miles (Tottenham Hale area).I’m prepared to go through the appeal process but would really appreciate honest experiences before getting my hopes too high.

How far away from the school are you? That might give you a clue as to which band she's in. If you're closer than 3.478 miles, then something has definitely gone wrong. If you're further away, then you need to know the band to know if something went wrong.

@Lougle OP says about six miles away

Ah, I missed that. So band B would be fine but it's likely that @LiliaCuciuc was in band C - got it!

Just an update the school confirmed she was placed in Band C .She applied under criterion 2.1.2 with the clergy form (26+ services). Our distance is 6.197 miles.
In Band C, the last place offered in that category went to 3.478 miles
She is currently number 6 on the Band C Church waiting list. Does anyone know if position 6 on the waiting list realistically has any chance of moving?

Just an update the school confirmed she was placed in Band C .She applied under criterion 2.1.2 with the clergy form (26+ services). Our distance is 6.197 miles.
In Band C, the last place offered in that category went to 3.478 miles
She is currently number 6 on the Band C Church waiting list. Does anyone know if position 6 on the waiting list realistically has any chance of moving?

I guess you could hope that 6 band C offer holders have got private schools lined up, or that they are on waiting lists for other schools.

In hindsight I probably underestimated how much the banding test could affect the outcome. Still hoping there may be some movement as she’s currently number 6 on the Band C Church waiting list.

Yes, if she had been in band B or D, she would have a place. If she was in band A, you'd be even further down the waiting list.

I hope she gets a waiting list offer, very frustrating that she'd have got in if she was in any other band, i guess we can never predict that in some years more people live closer and end up in certain bands.

No band A went to 2.1.4 critera meaning everyone in 2.1.2 would have been offered (if i'm reading it right).

Yes, you are - they didn’t have enough people under 2.1.2 in that band so had to go down to the lower church criteria to fill the places. So OP would have been fine. It’s very bad luck that her daughter is in the one band that seemingly had more church applicants under 2.1.2.

At position 6 there is a chance. Stay on the waiting list.

Yes, sorry!

Well, at least that had more church applicants in a close proximity to the school.

How complicated banding is :-(

OP, did you get your second choice and how do you feel about it?

Your niece was offered a place under the Open category. Each band has 40% of its places allocated to the Open category.

A C of E child is in the C of E category for whichever band applies and they may well live closer than someone in the Open category, but if enough children in their band both live closer than them and fall into the C of E category, then they won’t get a place.

Hope that clears it up.