secondary schools appeals help pls

[ladybird03]

HI Im new here but in desperate need of some advice on appeals
My dd did not get selected for either of the 2 schools I put down for her.
The school she has been allocated is a run down school with horrific results and is not in our catchment area. There is no of me getting her there either.
I am appealing to the 2 schools she didnt get into but just hoping anyone has any advice on this??? How does one appeal win over another??
thanks in advance from a mum pulling her hair out !!! xx

Firstly make sure that your name is on the waiting list and find out where you are on the list. Usually come May time people will have made their final decisions and will then contact schools re dropping out etc and places become free.

Appeals are extremely hard to win especially if the LEA have followed all the rules correctly. If they havent then you have grounds for appeal.

Wishing you luck...

When you say either of the 2 schools, did you only have to put 2 down or 3 and you only put down 2 schools? (I'm assuming we're talking about secondary school place?)

Can I just check which county you are in? I sit on school appeals tribunals, but I believe they differ across the country.

You will have been allocated the closest school with places, doesn't matter a jot whether you are in catchment area or not.

You absolutely MUST stay on continued interest list for other schools, you may well be given place in next few months as people accept and reject state and private places.

Ask your LEA for all details pertaining to the decision - distances, route to school etc

I don't want to sound defeatist but it depends wwhere you are in the country and your individual case. Most appeals are not successful, and you can only appeal once in any school year. More appeals are granted for year 7 if the parent tries the school allocated, decides it isn't working and then appeals mid academic year as a casual appeal when there are fewer appeals going through.

IF the school is already full, then your only chance of getting in on appeal is if you can prove either that the LEA have failed to follow their own rules (e.g. your dd didn't get admitted but children lower down on their list of criteria did) or if you can show that your dd's need to be in this school is so overruling that it is more important that the detriment resulting to the children already admitted by overfilling the school. But it would have to be a need that is specific to your dd (not to all the other children also not admitted) and that can only be met by this particular school.

So it being the only not-run-down school won't cut it, as you'd have a job showing why your dd deserves this such a school more than any other child.

But if your dd has any social or medical need that means she does need it, then you have a chance of succeeding.

We got dd into her secondary because it was the only local school that had disabled access and I was able to provide a medical letter that travelling long distances would be bad for her condition.