We didn’t get any of our choices - appeals & what next

[Switchy111]

I’m devastated that we didn’t get any of our 3 choices.
we have been allocated a school, we never discussed or even considered as it is required improvement and 7 miles in opposite direction to where we work/ nearest town. I tried to put a positive spin on it but my son just cried and said he didn’t even know where it was.

His first choice school, offers aptitude places, which he passed the test for (we got a letter after test to say he was in top 15%, you don’t get exact score). Based on this I was quietly confident he might get through.

I would have been equally pleased with school 1, 2 or 3 - but to have missed all 3 is gutting. All 3 are outstanding and oversubscribed.

ive added him to the waiting list for all 3 schools and now starting appeals.

School 1 & 2 are effectively sister schools. So children take a single cat4 test for entry to both, the school then band the children into 5 groupings and take an equal number from this band (to prove they are taking a mix of abilities).

school 3 has faith criteria.

the basis of my appeal for school 1 is;
— the day before his cat4 test, he was ill - 16 hours before the test I had to take him to the gp and they diagnosed tonsillitis and gave antibiotics (I now have doctors notes to confirm this) therefore he testing ability was compromised and he is likely to have been incorrectly banded
-he has an aptitude for drama, which they have recognised, this school is a performing arts school gives him the chances to develop his aptitude, which other school cannot offer
-his dad, my husband, is acting as a carer for his father who lives 300m from the school (inside catchment). This means our son frequently needs to stay at his grandparents, and only this school would allow this with minimal impact on his schooling (my husband is registered with his gp as a carer, and is on the electoral role of address within catchment)

Appeal for school 2; (sister school of school 1, but single sex)

• same as above, in terms of cat4 test/ illness: antibiotics/ doctors notes to be provided

appeal for school 3:

• the independent application to the school was not competed correctly, i genuinely believed I had completed everything but hadn’t submitted the full application
• because of this the supporting evidence for faith criteria wasn’t considered
• i am now providing baptismal certificate, holy communion certificate and letter for priest to demonstrate with are practising catholics (school is actually CofE, but any faith is considered)
• we are a long term religious family, and need our son to be in an environment that fosters this

apologies this is very long, but just wanted peoples feedback or experiences.
can I boost appeals or add anything?
for example would a letter from his teacher or head teacher help, if added to supporting evidence.
is it worth mentioning in the appeal that we didn’t receive any of our choices and have been allocated an unsuitable school.

im so devastated for our son and for me/ our family. My husband has worked as a state school teacher for over 20 years, in good and outstanding school, so it’s a kick in the teeth that we can’t access the prvovision he has worked so hard to provide to other people’s children.

I know appeals are a longshot but feel like we have some strong points- rather than just saying we want him to go there.

if we are unsuccessful, we will need to remortgage the house for private school fees which would be awful…but i really don’t want him at a required improvement school.

there is no other school with spaces within 20 miles of us. It’s ridiculous.

“is it worth mentioning in the appeal that we didn’t receive any of our choices and have been allocated an unsuitable school.”

This is a quotation from your OP.

Nobody should blame you for wanting your son to attend the best school in your area. The only fault - and with only 3 slots on the form I can see it’s an emotionally difficult thing to do - is that you didn’t also put a ‘banker’ school, one that you had an extremely good chance of getting into.

It was an understandable, but high risk strategy, especially as by not applying to your catchment school you may also have affected your eligibility for school transport to your allocated school.

I'm confused about the religious elements. If you are a religious family who go to church weekly and wanted a faith school for this reason, why didn't you put it first? And why didn't you apply correctly with the supplementary information? Did no other parents in your church community explain or remind you? The priest? Was there not a register and form signing process? People round here love a religious priority and go to great and complicated lengths to get it - so the churches are very set up for all of it and you couldn't have missed it if attending and part of the group really.

You are really cross about your allocated school but so far you have only said you feel it isn't for you because it is RI? And because your dh has improved a school from RI? Those aren't reasons why your son can't attend though? The universe doesn't owe you an Outstanding school for your dh efforts any more than my Grandad shouldn't have got cancer after spending decades researching cancer.....

Sorry but to be blunt you are daft for only considering “outstanding” schools and not even considering “requires improvement” schools nearby. What makes a school good for your dc is different to what makes a school good at ticking ofsted boxes! If you are stuck on ofsted ratings did you actually read the reports? Some can end up RI for reasons that won’t affect most pupils, such as SEN provision.

No outstanding schools within a few miles of here so we visited the most local ones and made a judgement based on those visits.

Erm, you literally asked this question in your OP

is it worth mentioning in the appeal that we didn’t receive any of our choices and have been allocated an unsuitable school.

OP: "I’ve not once used the phrase ‘unsuitable school’."

Also OP: "have been allocated an unsuitable school"

😂😂😂

Nobody wants an unsuitable school (unwanted) for their kid. That's life. Most parents play the elementary school game and OP lost. Maybe she could have played it wiser. That's life too. No news under the sun tbh.

Then you either take the place or see what the waiting lists offer. Most time it works out fine as a lot of school are underestimated by parents.
An appeal case is unlikely to very successfull but you can try.

You are unhappy with the catchment school (so didn't list it, but it was allocated) and didn't correctly submit the faith supporting documents for your third choice. However, you can't turn back time. Now it is about how you move forward from this situation.
*In your OP you mention remortgaging and private school. You need to think hard about whether private school (fees and availability of places) or home schooling are realistic options. Unless you are absolutely sure you can and will opt for one of these options (if a preferred school isn't offered) you must be relentlessly positive about the offered school. If your son is going there in September you need to be positive and supportive.

*I would double check with the LA about how you join waiting lists on the date given. Check the procedure for joining them and whether there is a limit on the number you can join. I would then research all the schools your son can practically access (think about transport) and be ready to join the waiting lists not only of the schools you originally applied to, but any others that you view as better thsn the offered school. I would also double check that your now submitted faith documents will be accepted and considered once the waiting lists open. I would request formal confirmation of this (e. g. an email) if not already received.

*You can appeal to the three schools you applied to. For the many reasons stated on the thread, I dont think that either the grandparents location or illness during the banding test would be taken into account. Appeals experts might know more, but neither seem relevant. The performing arts aptitude/interest could form part of an appeal to school 1. You need to look at what is offered by the other schools and see if you can generate a case that thise schools would specifically benefit your son. The case may not seem that strong, but you have nothing to loose by trying. You are appealing for a school not against one, so comments about the suitability of the allocated school are unlikely to be helpful. Beyond that, panel members may have connections with the school or children at it. Rubbishing it is unlikely to go down well and wont strengthen your case.

I’m not even in the UK but I find threads like these interesting as often people are piled for simply wanting the best for their kids.

Children witnessing knife crime should not be part of their school day. I’m personally increasingly sick of dealing with the outcome of other people’s crap parenting & I wouldn’t judge anyone for trying their upmost to avoid it.

It isn't necessarily knife crime. Our local secondary school has had a couple of instances where a child has been bullied and has taken a knife to school in the misguided belief that it might protect them. Someone has spotted the knife in their bag and told a teacher. The child has been permanently excluded and sent to the PRU. Is it a 'knife problem'?

According to Google, there were 1304 knife incidents in England and Wales in schools in 2024. There are 11.5 million children in full time education in England and Wales, and 26,000 schools. So only 5% of schools will have had any knife incidents, on average. Although, some schools are likely to see more than others, granted.

To add (because you can't edit twice, it seems!) that of those 1304 cases, only 150 resulted in a stabbing.

Yeah I think the way the OP put it as the catchment school having 'a knife problem' sounds more vague bad rep rather than the 1000s of students passing through there witnessing knife crime as part of their school day. Obviously even one knife incident is too many but chances are a kid could go through the school without any whiff of this knife problem, and equally they could encounter trouble borne of crap parenting (or any other cause) at a school with no prior knife problem.

Well we are going theAppeal process, been allocated a school with well documented knife problem (knife problem isn't just if child brings a knife to school but also the knife culture fostered amongst the students in front of the school and outside). It's sad that presence of knives is considered as not a big issue you can exist around in schools.
Knife crime and carrying amongst teenagers is HIGHLY ALARMING AND UNACCEPTABLE especially with the record of students ending up dead

It's sad that presence of knives is considered as not a big issue you can exist around in schools.

Who doesn't consider it a big issue?

It's difficult for it to be a basis for an appeal, because of course every parent would like to send their child to a "knife free" school, but some children will have to go to the schools which have such problems.

Knife crime and carrying amongst teenagers is HIGHLY ALARMING AND UNACCEPTABLE especially with the record of students ending up dead

Lougle has posted above about the nationwide numbers of knife incidents. She has noted that 150 were stabbings - however, I believe few of those were fatal stabbings. To note, 53 teenagers were stabbed to death in a similar time period (see below) but a fair number of those would have not been at school (see article linked which includes 9 fatal stabbings of teens in London in 2024)

In 2023-24, 53 of 64 homicide victims aged between 13 and 19 - or 83% - were killed with a sharp instrument, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24855840.10-teenage-homicide-victims-london-2024/

And who can blame any parent the OP included for trying to avoid it. I think people are dumped on on MNs because they are trying to operate in a system that prioritises catchment, religion etc etc

Who wouldn’t do the best for their child? And not all children are the same. Some kids have the confidence & social skills to manage situations others find very difficult.
I was bullied by the roughest crowd in my school. I’ll do a hell of a lot to protect my kids from that.

I’m not blaming any parent - not sure what about my post makes you think I was?

I simply said that I didn’t think it was likely to be a good basis for an appeal because it wasn’t specific to any given child.

I was more referring to the thread in general

Ok - you quoted me so I thought you were replying to me.

I don't think anyone is saying the OP shouldn't have preferences for specific schools. Rather they are saying that the case for appeal isn't the strongest and it likely that the allocated school won't change. There is little to be lost by appealing and there is always the possibility they may win. However, as I stated in my first post unless you are sure you will home school or use private the only option is to be positive and supportive about the allocated school. I understand that the OP has (potentially justifiable reservations), but if (as for many people) this is the only possibility then you have to work with it. My DD had a single realistic option for secondary. She has to make the best of the opportunities there because there is no 'choice'.
Parents can state a preference, but they can't make a choice. Across England most secondaries set their own admissions. There are a myriad of criteria (siblings, religous observance & rites, priority areas, 'fair banding', nearest school, distance, aptitude and attainment tests of many flavours, social and medical needs ....). Different schools allocate using different criteria. There is no co-ordination some young people will have a good chance of being allocated several schools if placed first on their preference list. Others may have a realistic chance of one that may not even be their closest school.

It is a system that generally favours informed parents with higher attaining children who have religous parents and/or parents who have the time, knowledge and resources to engage in religious activities or research and apply (and potentially prepare for) 'aptitude tests'/'attainment tests'. If people are allocated a preferred school they tend to be happy with the admissions system, when they aren't they tend to question it more.
We could move to a more co-ordinated and standardised system, but there appears to be no will to do so. For there ever to be true choice for the majority of parents, we would have to fund spare capacity. I can't see that happening any time soon.

I agree. Nobody is saying that @Switchy111 shouldn't try to get her preferred school on appeal. What they are saying is that her current arguments, which seem strong to her because she loves her DS and thinks he deserves a good school, aren't arguments which panels can consider.

Logistical issues are very, very, rarely considered by a panel. In the absence of SEN, a Secondary School age child is expected to travel independently and it's reasonable to think they can stay home for short periods.

Therefore, if the OP wants to win at appeal, she has to find things about the school that really matter and will make a difference to her DS, so that she can present that to the panel. Then they can consider the strength of that case.

It was really heartbreaking when I was a panellist and parents would come with a huge bundle of evidence about LA transport strategies, philosophy statements about local schools for local pupils, etc., because although we listened to everything they were saying, we knew that it wasn't evidence we could consider when weighing the strength of the case.

@Lougle SEN isn't even strong enough now. I just ended a phonecall with a Council Special medical team and they refused our application saying that 'autisam isn't strong enough reason and every school is trained to deal with it '.
It's just so exhausting and heartbreaking.

Dreading facing the Appeal panel now

Not necessarily. It's about disadvantage to the individual child. "Because: Autism" won't win an appeal. But 'Jane struggles with crowded environments. At her current primary school, she has adjustments to reduce the stress of break times. She sits in the library, which is normally closed to pupils, and she has her lunch brought to her so she doesn't have to queue in the school hall. Our preferred school has 1000 pupils, staggered break times to limit the number of pupils on break at any one time, a quiet zone for SEN pupils, and the option to go to the canteen 10 minutes early so that they don't have to queue with the other pupils. The allocated school has 1600 pupils, all pupils are on break at the same time, and there is no quiet zone or early lunch option.' would be much stronger.

My daughter has ASD but is high functioning academically and her issues are on the social side. My ASD nephew is non-verbal, still in nappies, tube fed, has no sense of danger, has sensory challenges with school uniform etc.

One of the above children’s ASD impacts absolutely everything about their experience of the world and how they access education. For the other, much fewer interventions are required. Treating them the same because they have the same headline diagnosis would be deeply unfair.

Some people were picking apart the OP’s “unsuitable language” etc.

Maybe she doesn’t have a realistic chance of appeal (I don’t know as I’m not in the UK), and I agree about being positive in front of the child.

She wasn’t given much of a chance to vent though.

Much like you & the OP my choice of schools is very limited mainly due to religion in my case. I find it very difficult that my child can’t go to the “good school” because of religion, and that I have to listen to all my friends constantly talk about how amazing it is. It makes me feel like my child isn’t getting the same experience (extra curriculars in particular) or even opportunities. And as positive as we have to be for the kids, it sucks. I’ve paid tax since I was 16, I want my kid to have the same opportunity as his friends.

@the7Vabo OP didn’t post to vent, though - she posted to outline her appeal cases and get comments on any points she could add.

apologies this is very long, but just wanted peoples feedback or experiences.
can I boost appeals or add anything?
for example would a letter from his teacher or head teacher help, if added to supporting evidence.
is it worth mentioning in the appeal that we didn’t receive any of our choices and have been allocated an unsuitable school.

And it is good (and frequent) advice not to say negative things about the allocated school - after all, panel members may have kids who go there!