What counts as "exceptional compelliing social, medical or psychological" reasons for entry to a particular school?

[BicycleBelle]

Like previous a poster, I am trying to get my daughter into an out of catchment 13-18 yr age group grammer school. My child has no statement, no special educational needs, and no sibling at the school. So the only available criteria is the one in the title above. What sort of thing comes under this category? She is gifted and very under stimulated at her current school, and being called a boffin and a swot. Would that count?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Sigh! Not a lot of chance then! I knew this but feel I have to try everything in my power, even if there is little chance of success.

Here in West sussex we don't have exam entry, its catchment only. It's called a grammer school, and run as a grammer school, but actually its non-selective.

So it's not really a grammar school? Does it just retain it's name to sound grand?

We have one like that in my neck of the woods!

Yes, I suppose that does describe it. But it runs very much on grammer school lines and it gets results.

that criteria need corroborated reports,Ax,letters eg from CAMHS/GP/SW/doctor

the desire to attend specific school isnt a compelling enough reason for admission and doesn't fulfil that criteria

what cory said really

i also know of a school that specialises in taking children with certain medical conditions so hsving one of those would 'help'

You can get a social services referral for nursery places here (obv. not applicable to someone your daughters age)

Looking at it from the LEAs point of view for a minute, they differ from you in two respects:

they see over-filling of a school as a bad thing, as it makes a good school a less good school

they have absolutely no interest in the advantages coming to child A(yours) rather than child B (somebody else's child): if they are a good and efficient LEA they will therefore stick rigidly to their stated criteria, unless there is a very good reason why child A needs to be prioritised before child B

the fact that the school is a better school would presumably benefit child B equally