Secondary school appeal

[RAl46]

Hi. Sadly we didn’t receive any of our preferred secondary schools so are planning to appeal for our first choice (we were in catchment for it so feeling very unlucky not to have got it!)
our main grounds are that DS plays ‘high level’ football. He was selected after trials to play at a club’s advanced centre and is on an academy trajectory. Our appeal school offers an elite football program which children can join if they qualify. So we thought this would be a great match. That and proximity and well aligned teaching ethos to DS learning style.
There’s also the fact appeal school is much closer to DS training centre (which has fixed training times) than allocated school (would
likely miss some sessions if had to travel from there)
Would these be good grounds for appeal? Would any of you with panel experience find this argument persuasive? I know it all boils down to balance of prejudice, but I’d be grateful for people’s insights.

Do you know where you are on the waitlist? "Catchment" is not always the way these things work so you need to know the strength of your application.

Would he definitely qualify though? School training and team commitments may be at odds with external academy training.

@FromTheFirstOldFashionedWeWereCursed waitlist data is revealed next week. But as I understand the two processes are separate. If we’re no1 on waitlist then great but preparing for planb if we’re no76…

Would he definitely qualify though? School training and team commitments may be at odds with external academy training.
yes this is a good question and one to prepare an answer for if asked by panel so thank you! I presume appeal school training during school time/morning so should clash with club training but I will double check

I am not sure you have persuasive arguments. As your son is already on a football development pathway, then why would he need to do this through school too? It could be argued that his club training is a reason for him not to go to this school, and give the school opportunity to another talented footballer.

This has the makings of a decent appeal case, as it is a specific factor to this school. I would try to find out as much information prior to the appeal as you can - you can ask the school things like training times and they should reply.

Do you know who did get the places and why you didn't?

Locally to us young and see which admission criteria people were allocated spaces under, this may be helpful to you.

If everyone else had a sibling and went to a feeder primary and lived closer to the school than you, then you can understand what happened.

Do they give places under a category of football ability?

For an appeal to succeed you either need to show thst the admission criteria were incorrectly applied (you also have a sibling and go to a feeder etc) or that the detriment to the school from giving you an over numbers place is less than the detriment to your ds.

I have some panel experience. There will be several appeals for year 7 if it is an oversubscribed school. Essentially the appeals are ranked and some are usually allowed. You will be ranked alongside children with potentially better arguments. If you don’t get in for year 7 you can always try again for year 8. In year appeals have a better chance of success in my opinion as the sheer numbers of year 7 appeals makes it tricky to win, if the school is very oversubscribed. If the school is just a lot “better” than the one without the football academy, arguments based on that (academy) would tend not to hold much sway. Any other reasons you can add would help your case. If you appealed in year 8 and were able to show that your son was having to miss 2/4 training sessions per week due to travel etc, then I would find that more persuasive because it is solid evidence of current problems, not hypothetical problems you can’t fully assess yet before you go.

I think things that would help your case would be:

• Confirmation from the club that being part of their advanced centre isn't a conflict with being part of the elite programme at the school
• A letter from the advanced centre to say that missing sessions would put his place there at risk

-Confirmation of training times at the school and, if he would need time off to attend the advanced centre that this would be accommodated.

Basically, anything that shows that his place at this school will directly influence his football future. Bear in mind that the statistics on footballing success following youth participation are horrific, though.

I think you also need to broaden your appeal grounds. What is it about the teaching style that suits your DS and why can't he get that at the offered school? Is it subjects?

@RAl46 Your appeal must be what your preferred school offers that meets your DCs needs and that the offered school does not. Is the football a separate undertaking or is it school provision?

Around here year y8 appeals don’t have more success at popular schools because they have no one leave in y7 and appeals have already tipped them over PAN. The success rate is 28% for y7 appeals to non grammars here.

I would appeal on grounds of sport provision but you need more. So think carefully about curriculum, school organisation, subjects on offer, pastoral care and that this school is in your community. You need to look at admission data for this year if available and previous years. Has it come down to distance? I would also look at numbers on roll and ascertain if they go over pan every year. If they do, argue that taking your dc is not detrimental to other dc at the school. If history shows they can accommodate over PAN, use this data.

I don’t think travel to a football academy is admissible. It’s travel - not education. The guidance from my LA is that appeals are not based on logistics.

Your LA should publish appeals info for secondary schools in terms of number of appeals snd success rate and also distances dc live away from the school. Catchments are in effect a distance from school but categories of dc take preference as detailed in the admissions policy. My LA also gives details on what will be considered at appeal and what is not relevant. Check out what your LA says.

I agree with @Lougle that the football point is good, especially if you can get the additional evidence she suggests, but backing it up with some other points will help.

I disagree with @OhDear111 about travel to an academy not being admissible. Normally, travel is not admissible as it is just about getting to and from school and, unless the child is physically unable to make the journey, it doesn't disadvantage them. However, here there is a clear disadvantage to you son if he is unable to attend all the training sessions.

our main grounds are that DS plays ‘high level’ football. He was selected after trials to play at a club’s advanced centre and is on an academy trajectory.

I don't actually understand this. Sorry I am not a football fan and googling isn't helpful.

Does your DS actually need to attend you chosen school? Is there a child who would benefit from the school's programme who can't access football training outside school? How do you know your son would 'qualify' for this programme?

It seems to me, and this will sound harsh, that you are appealing on the basis that there is a programme (that might even be an extra curricular) that your DS, as yet, doesn't qualify for.

@prh47bridge Not attending training outside of school is not a case for wanting a school though is it? Lots of dc are disadvantaged because they get allocated a poor school. The fact the school they want has better football is surely the better argument?

A friend of ours appealed on similar sports grounds without having evidence because they were lying
( Rochester area )

So I’d say with evidence you have grounds for appeal

I would agree that the school having better football provision is the stronger argument, but the ability to access provision outside school can also be relevant in some situations. The question is whether the child is disadvantaged if they don't go to the appeal school. There is nothing in the Appeals Code that limits the question to things directly provided by the school. Simply wanting to attend training is not enough, but if a child has an aptitude for elite sports, music or whatever and needs to access non-school provision in order to develop that skill fully, they are clearly disadvantaged if they have to go to a school that does not allow them to access that provision.

So OP maybe I can help with my experience. My son plays at a Cat 1 Academy. Unfortunately development football even at an Academy isn't seen as playing sport at 'the highest level/elite level' as again unfortunately there are very very few kids who actually make the transition from development pathways to academy status.

In terms of the school, my son is given authorised absence because it is considered elite sport. This means both day release for games and for international camps. You should find out if the school considers the development pathway 'elite sport' as many don't and only allow Academy football as there is a very structured and set process in place for these absences. For example, if the school doesn't release you, then your kid can't go to the game/training/fixture.

A lot of clubs will request 'day release' from a school and it is up to the school to agree or not. This can still happen anywhere - you son doesn't need to be at this special school. You son will have to maintain his grades and the club will check each term he isn't falling behind. I would probably also say that if he is training x4 times a week and playing on the weekend, the school won't probably offer much more than that at development stage anyway.

I understand why you are trying to get ahead of this, but I don't see this as being a possible exemption reason. Good luck to your son.

As so often, I agree with Lougle and prh47bridge.

The football provision is a solid argument, and you could strengthen your case further by identifying other features of the preferred school which would benefit your child. Nobody can say, though, whether you’ll win because the appeal hinges on the strength of the school’s case for not admitting, when weighed against yours.