School Admission Policy-Appeal

[Shazza36]

A friend's daughter has recently been denied a place at her first choice school despite sitting the entrance exam and passing. The school's policy is that even though the exam was passed the places go to those who live nearest first, she knows of 2 children who started at the school last year who live further away from the school than she does and who didn't pass the exam either. the intention is that once her daughter got a place the family will move nearer the school as her son goes to the neighbouring boys school, Anybody got any pointers on this one regarding the Appeals system? Thanks

[Barmaid]

I have never heard of this type of situation before, but I have had some experience of appealing for a school place. The school governors will have set a planned admission number for each year in the school (the PAN). If they receive more applications in each year than exceed the PAN, places will be allocated in accordance with their admissions criteria. It sounds to me as if the two children were admitted LAST year (either in a different or the same year) when the year group may not have been full. Now your friend's child has passed the exam, but the year group is full, they cannot take places away from people already on the roll.

Full information on an appeal can be found at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sacode/.

[dzug]

What happened last year is not necessarily relevant - there could have been fewer applicants living near the school then so that the 'places to the nearest first rule' was still met. She'd be better off finding someone THIS year who lives further away and still got a place to use that as grounds. (Even then the school could play the 'sibling at the school' card if it applies).

[kags]

As has been mentioned above, admissions in previous years are irrelevant to this particular year, and using examples in an appeal would be a waste of time. Look at this year, and as dzug has mentioned, try to find out if any children without older siblings at the school or statements of special need, who live further away, have been admitted.

As regards the appeal, it would need to show very strong reasons as to why the child would benefit educationally from attending that particular school. Letters from current teachers and medical professionals would be a huge boost. I would imagine that the intention to move into the area would hold very little weight, but difficulties with transportation would be considered. I am aware of 2 families in my area who successfully won appeals - one had a letter from their child's paediatrician to say her social development would be severely impaired if she were split from her group of friends, another was successful at appeal because she was able demonstrate that she could not physically get her daughter to school on time because her son attended a distant school.

You friend needs to think very carefully about whether she wants to subject her family to a stressful appeals process, and a period of great uncertainty. If the school is very popular, you can be sure that there are many other families gearing up for an appeal too.