Appealing a School Place

[birdiesX4]

When my children were in school which wasn't that long ago I sorted the kids and then I and my job came second and I worked around getting them to school safely.
It seems that parents want schools and local authorities to consider personal circumstances of parents like who works where and what time they need to be at work.
DH worked shifts which were not conducive to any kind of school drop off or pick up so I had to do it all my self so this was my priority.
I'm not sure it would be right to allow a child in a place that was near to where a parent worked, just to make life easier, rather than near the home. That potentially takes a place from child that lives close to the school.
I know that isn't what is happening here but parents seem to want it all and it just can't be like that. Maybe you should try to alter or reduce your hours of work so you can sort your kids out for a short time until you get something sorted you are happy with.
We sent our kids to our nearest schools, I walked to the primary school with them and they walked to high school later albeit a decent walk every day.

[Dazed]

I feel for you in your situation but I am not sure you will win an appeal.

I have been to appeal 4 times, once last year and 3 times (different schools) this year, in the last couple of weeks.

You need to make sure you can appeal under one of the LA's specific criteria. You then need a lot of evidence to back up your argument and then you need to be able to fight your corner against all the schools facts and figures.

It really isn't easy, and although you have nothing to lose, you can be fighting a losing battle and the emotional turmoil that comes with it is exhausting.

Make sure your child is on the continuing interest list and ask what place they are.
Ask the school what their PAN is and what the exact number of children are for that year group.
Check the council website for school appeals and make sure you have grounds for appeal (distance to home isn't enough on its own).
If you have grounds for appeal then fill out the forms, collate your evidence under the criteria and submit it.
Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Good luck 😊

[disney1st timer]

Originally Posted by birdiesX4

When my children were in school which wasn't that long ago I sorted the kids and then I and my job came second and I worked around getting them to school safely.
It seems that parents want schools and local authorities to consider personal circumstances of parents like who works where and what time they need to be at work.
DH worked shifts which were not conducive to any kind of school drop off or pick up so I had to do it all my self so this was my priority.
I'm not sure it would be right to allow a child in a place that was near to where a parent worked, just to make life easier, rather than near the home. That potentially takes a place from child that lives close to the school.
I know that isn't what is happening here but parents seem to want it all and it just can't be like that. Maybe you should try to alter or reduce your hours of work so you can sort your kids out for a short time until you get something sorted you are happy with.
We sent our kids to our nearest schools, I walked to the primary school with them and they walked to high school later albeit a decent walk every day.

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Wow. How incredibly judgemental of you to assume that my children don’t come first because I have to work. The reason I work so hard and do what I do is FOR MY CHILDREN. If I didn’t do this we couldn’t pay our bills, have nice things or go on holidays. I’m extremely happy for you that you are so privileged that work can come as second thought but unfortunately those living in the real world don’t have that privilege.

[Twin mummy]

Really hope that you manage to find a solution.
As I said earlier in the thread I'd have thought your best chance is that the school suggested there was room in the specific year group you needed and you therefore proceeded with your house move in good faith.

[birdiesX4]

Originally Posted by disney1st timer

Wow. How incredibly judgemental of you to assume that my children don’t come first because I have to work. The reason I work so hard and do what I do is FOR MY CHILDREN. If I didn’t do this we couldn’t pay our bills, have nice things or go on holidays. I’m extremely happy for you that you are so privileged that work can come as second thought but unfortunately those living in the real world don’t have that privilege.

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I didn't see you don't put your children first but said that we sorted out the logistics of getting our children to and from school and then we sorted work out after.
We were not privileged but we just didn't go on expensive holidays, had one older car and lived in a small 3 bedroom semi that we really would have liked to move from but didn't so that I could work part time.
I get frustrated when people I know want everything and life isn't like that. Sacrifices have to made for most of us to achieve a life we are happy with and for us it was holidays, a car we didn't need to worry about and extras that we would have loved but didn't need. But I could get my kids too and from achoo, and was at home from them at the end of the school day which we thought was important. When they were older and made their own way to and from school and had activities they wanted to take part in after school I worked more hours.
We didn't have the luxury of family to fall back on so we had to be totally independent.
I very definitely did live in the real world, there was me and just me to see to our kids and we cut our cloth accordingly. Nice holidays and lovely things didn't factor into it unfortunately.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by disney1st timer

They have 7 spaces that can be given to children that move into catchment but this would make them oversubscribed. The council say they won’t ask them to oversubscribe

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We had someone move next door to us, about a 5 min walk to a offsted outstanding school, they had a child they wanted in the school and were turned down and put on a waiting list, they were 9th on the list

Then a couple who foster had a child move in who is of course in the care system and is " statemented " same age child as next door, same month, the school found a place for this child

So the " 7 spaces " could well be for situations like that

[Floridatilly]

Personally I would try to appeal, as others have said you can only try. I would also appeal regarding your youngest nursery, it seems crazy to be in another village.
You could also put your son on the waiting list and sort something different out for your youngest, maybe a child minder that could take them to nursery, or a small private nursery.
Another option is to speak to the school he has got a place at and ask if he sit in the office/reception area rather than outside alone so early. Hopefully that would only be short term.
Is there any secondary schools closer? Could you appeal for your daughter to get into a closer one?
It seems the other two children have more of an issue than your son with distance so I would try to sort those out ASAP. As you live so close to the primary school he should be first on the waiting list.
It’s a nightmare trying to juggle 3 children going 3 different places x x

[whlparkstone]

Op I really feel for you! We moved house last year in the hope that when ds moves up to secondary school (currently in year 4) he can go to what is now our catchment school. I am aware that it is not always cut and dry as to whether he will get in.

I hope you manage to find a suitable solution, whether it be to appeal or amend your work/childcare arrangements. It must be such a stressful time for you so I hope you get is resolved.

[Guest]

I’ve been through this a few times. You need to apply to your local authority not just the school as when this happened to us because our son was going out of area to school our LEA (local education authority) provided taxi transport to his school. If you deliberately send your child out of area this won’t happen but in our case (as yours) we wanted him in the nearest one. Eventually a place opened up in the nearest school and life was easier!

Appeals are awful and I wouldn’t advise it. The reasons you have for appeal aren’t strong enough to win one. I felt on trial in ours and the onus was on me to prove why our child should have a place irregardless of work schedules, commuting distance etc.

I think people are being incredibly judgmental to you on here. It is a natural assumption that if you move house your child should be able to go to the nearest school. We were a military family so none of our moves were our choice and we had to grapple with the stupidity of how the system works. Quite frankly it is all due to people sending their kids out of area to the better schools so when people do actually live in the right area there are no places.

[hellin family]

OP - any update - how did you get on?