Advice for Year 7 appeal after refused place for being out of catchment

[caperucita]

@prh47bridge, my son is currently number 20 on the Year 7 waiting list for our first choice.
The only reason we were given for not being offered a place was that we live outside the school's catchment area (even though we live in the same borough, Islington). We live approximately 20 minutes away by bus (a direct journey on bus 43) and 10–15 minutes by car. His father can drive him to school every morning if necessary. I was informed by the admissions team that this was the only reason he was not accepted and that if we had lived slightly closer, he would have been offered a place.
My son is currently on the waiting list for a neurodevelopmental assessment for Autism and ADHD.

Music plays a particularly important role for him He often fidgets with his hands using modelling clay while listening to or quietly engaging with music throughout the day, which helps him stay calm and focused (he has achieved the ABRSM Award in Music Performance Grade 2 in Violin from The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). This has been very helpful in supporting his concentration and emotional regulation.

Not receiving a place at this school has been emotionally difficult for him =( as he was very happy when he saw the music department at our 1st choice.

Any advice on the appeal, what should I write, which grounds can I base my appeal on?

Thank you so much =(

I’m not an education expert, but I do live in Islington and I don’t know any schools here with defined catchments. Perhaps what they meant was that you live further away than the last place offered on distance? If so, do check that they have measured correctly, and that he was placed in the right oversubscription category.

What did he like about the music department when you visited? Can you be specific about the musical opportunities the desired school would offer, that he would be disadvantaged by missing out on?

I am wondering whether this is SMMA? Didn’t think they had an orchestra or regular instrumental groups but it’s a while since I visited. Choir - yes. If it is SMMA, did he take the Governors’ test and is he on the separate waiting list for those places?

As @HighburyHope says, you should check that they haven't made a mistake by putting him in the wrong category or getting the home to school distance wrong. It is unlikely but mistakes do sometimes happen. If there was a mistake and your son should have been offered a place at the school, that would be a very strong appeal case.

Regardless of whether there was a mistake, you need to identify specific things about the appeal school that are missing from the school he's been offered and are particularly relevant to him. So, for example, given his interest in music, if the appeal school has more extra-curricular musical activities he could join, that would be a point in your favour. Identify as many things as possible that you can show are relevant to him and are missing from the allocated school. It all helps. But remember, this has to be about what benefits him. Saying, for example, that you would like him to learn Spanish which is not available at the offered school would not carry any weight. However, if you can show that he has a particular desire to learn Spanish (or, even better, a need, such as some of his family being Spanish speakers), that would be a stronger argument.

You seem to have zero grasp of how London school admissions works. There are no catchments. Each school has its own criteria, usually prioritising children in care, those with an EHCP that names the school, siblings continuing at the school, and then distance, usually stratified by CAT4 score bands. You need to read the criteria. You haven't mentioned anything that sounds like reasonable grounds for appeal.

You need to find out if your waitlist place is #20 within your band, or across all students. If the latter, you might have a chance.

People often use catchment when referring to the distance of the last child admitted. For this reason, formal catchment zones are often referred to as priority admission areas.

The vast majority of secondary schools in Islington do not use banding for admissions.

OP has mentioned the importance of music to her son which could be reasonable grounds for appeal.

Does the allocated school have a music dept?

By "grade2 performance " do you mean the one for above regular grade 8? Meaning he is for his age quite exceptional in music? If he really high level in music that clearly gives you grounds to appeal for a school with good music dept.
Or regular grade 2 level?

Have you checked on the council website the home / school distance? Although it feels close by in terms of the travel time, sometimes the measured distance is much further than we would assume (this is the distance the allocations are based on).

@HighburyHope it's not SMMA, but SMMA is 5 minutes from us, and even though the cut of distance did not help us either (literally we can walk there), but SMMA was not our first choice. Also, thanks for understanding what I meant by "catchment area"@prh47bridge , yes, we are Spanish speakers =) Latin Americans, the school offers many extracurricular music activities, including one-to-one classes and a recording studio. The school is Central foundation boys, but they do not take medical into account =(

@prh47bridge Thank you so much =) My son was offered a place at an outstanding school, even though we also live outside their cut-off distance, because he scored 120 out of 140 on the aptitude test (a non-verbal reasoning test). I am ADHD myself and find this type of test quite easy, so I helped prepare him for the exam. However, this school does not offer the same extracurricular music activities as the other one. @cestlavielife I’m not entirely sure what his violin grade means =( , but the certificate states that it was awarded by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and that he received 9 credits at Level 1 in Music Performance (Grade 2). This is his 3er certificated. My son is very good at music. His dad gave him a harmonica, and within a couple of days, he was already playing a song.

I contacted an "education solicitor", and he wanted to charge £2000 for the appeal. I was shocked =(, thanks God then I found this forum =)

Grade 2 wouldn't count as great at nearly 11, sorry.

Grade 2 is pretty standard after a couple of years of tuition. To give you some idea 11+ music scholars at private schools are usually minimum grade 5 (or have the equivalent aptitude as evidenced by audition) in more than one instrument. So while it is great he plays and presumably is keen to practice it is unlikely in itself to be enough to, for example, join the school orchestra or ensemble.

Yeh is just regular grade 2 music you might expect for his age. Is great he pursuing his interest
What is wrong with the allocated school?

@LIZS thanks =) He is currently at his primary school ensemble, I guess I lose more if I don't try =)

The alternative school does not offer the same extracurricular music activities, and, given his possible neurodiversity, music helps him throughout the day. He sings or fidgets all day long with musical patterns, which seems to help him focus on other activities.

Whilst grade 2 isn't particularly unusual for this age, the point you should be making for appeal is that music is important to him and that the appeal school offers more opportunities for pursuing this. If the appeal school offers Spanish and the allocated school doesn't, that is also a point worth making. Whether these will be enough to win your case depends on the strength of the case put forward by the school, so no-one can say for sure whether you will win. But you have the beginnings of a decent case.

He sings or fidgets all day long with musical patterns, which seems to help him focus on other activities.

How does school manage this?
Does it distract other students?
Does he need a school with asd support? ?

Thanks for the good questions. His primary headteacher has given a support letter for secondary school regarding my son's SEND Support and what is being done about it... will read it in full.

Ideally you want letters from primary head and hcps stating that in their opinion only the appeal school can meet his needs for x and y reasons. Does he have an OT for example.

Can it help that the Central Foundation teaches Mandarin, and that the allocated school no, and that he is learning it on his own through an app?

You are so right, no one can say for sure if I will win, but there is no harm in trying. =) love how positive you are =) . From my own experience, I went through something similar not so long ago. I went to a university to make enquiries about an undergraduate degree and was told I did not meet the requirements (though they never explained what those requirements were). I left feeling quite discouraged, but I decided to apply anyway. I did it one day before the deadline; I had nothing to lose. Now I am nearly finishing my degree.

will ask on Monday if this can be done =) What is an OT?

Occupational Therapist , they assess motor skills, sensory problems, planning and processing issues , focus and can help with practical aids like cushions, fidget toys and pen grips.

Mandarin sounds like a stronger argument than the music to me, I'd definitely include that.

@caperucita last year there were 9 appeals for Central Foundation Boys School, and only 1 was successful (see stats here: https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/education_and_learning/schools/school_admissions/School-admission-appeals.aspx)

The school is very popular and over-subscribed, and your case for appeal sounds very weak. The advice that you have had here is technically accurate, but nobody can help you to turn a fundamentally weak case into a strong case. You therefore need to manage your child's expectations and encourage them to think positively about the school they have been offered.

He does not, but his primary school letter mentions practical aids like the ones you mentioned (cushions, fidget toys) that he has in place.