no school 4 son in september, what do I do?

[michellethegooner]

got our letter from council and my son didnt get any of our 3 choices for his secondary school I am so upset been crying for ages as the offer they gave us is one of the worst in our borough, I dont know what to do, I rang admissions and they said I can appeal, go on waiting list, but ultimatly they have made an offer of a school so if I dont take it and worse case senario our appeal is unsuccessful then it is down to me.

Now I want to appeal, as since our application we moved we are nearer our original choice school, so that is one factor, can anyone help me write it please, I have also put in that I am open to offers from another local secondary school, I cant put down I am turning down their pathetic offer of xx xxxxxx on the grounds it is 1 of the worst schools in the league table with some of the worst behaved kids

I am so upset and feel really sick to my stomach

[mamasheshe]

oh dear hopefully they'll let you go to your closest one xxxx

[melanieabigail2004]

how about something along the lines of this:-

Dear School Appeals Organiser

We have today heard that our son, (NAME), has been allocated a place at the (SCHOOL NAME) in (WHERE SCHOOL IS). His school candidate number is (INSERT CANDIDATE NO).

Unfortunately we are writing to request to appeal this decision. Since making our application choices we have now moved nearer to (INSERT SCHOOL OF CHOICE). As such, we would appreciate it if you could reconsider (CHILD NAME)'s schooling allocation as the current option is not as accessible for us as a family.

We await your response: you can contact me, (YOUR NAME), on (TEL NO.S) or email me at (EMAIL ADDRESS) and hopefully we can quickly arrange an appeal date and if necessary to meet with your independent panel to discuss this situation.

Yours faithfully

Somewhere to start

Mel

[~Chelle~]

I am so sorry that your son did not get his first choice. I was stressing about my son going secondary school in September as when we was looking round the schools, the kids all seem so much older and BIGGER.

If you have now moved closer to your preferred school, this can only go in your favour.

I always thought that if you put down 3 choices, they have to try and get your child into one of those schools.

I would write that you would like to appeal as you feel that your son has not been given an consideration whatsoever and has not just been refused entry to your first choice but also his other two choices and you do not feel that this is fair.

I would state that you now live closed to preferred school and that consideration should be given for this.

I would also state that even though your son has been allocated a place at a school, said school in not suitable and you will not be sending your child there under any circumstances.

They cannot bully you in accepting the space, you do not have to take the space just because it has been offered. You chose 3 schools and not one of them was offered, so I don't think that you are being unreasonable in asking them to reconsider their position.

You should have received some information in your letter about appealing. In mine it says that all appeals should be lodged by the 16th March 2010.

If you don't get any luck in your appeal, I would contact your local government representative and ask them to help you.

Good luck xx

[Minstrel]

I have applied for my son to start primary school this sept. Not heard back yet but i have the pack here and it says that in your situation you should accept the offered school anyway so your child has somewhere to go in September and that accepting a place will not affect any appeal.

I hope you get it sorted. xxx

[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]

Oh I am so sorry your son didn't get in, it is just not fair but the others have given you some great advise, so fingers crossed you will get in especially as you have now moved closer.

Good luck and keep us informed.

xxx

[Tink]

Oh that's awful

I've just put my DD's name don for school and she's only 20mths but the lady said they were already filling up.

Thank goodness I phoned

[michellethegooner]

How does this look???

I have today heard that my son, xxxx, has had his three choices for a secondary school turned down and has been allocated a place at xxxxx instead.

Unfortunately I am writing to request an appeal on this decision, for the following reason. Since making our application choices we have now moved nearer to xxxx Secondary School. As such,I would appreciate it if you could reconsider xxxxx schooling allocation as the current option is not as accessible for us as a family.

Also I feel that my son has not been given an consideration whatsoever and has not just been refused entry to our first choice but also his other two choices and I do not feel that this is fair.

xxxx Secondary School is our local secondary and is within walking distance, also as far as I am aware none of Rxxxx friends are going to xxxx, with a lot of them attending xxxx and some of them attending xxxxx, we are open to an offer from xxxxx if it helps in my search for a secondary school for Robert.
I am rejecting the offer of xxxxxx school, as I feel this school is unsuitable and will not be sending R there under no circumstance.
.As such, I would appreciate it if you could reconsider R schooling allocation. xxxx xxxx school is only a 15 minute walk from our door, and R education would be far more accessible for us as a family if he was able to attend the Local School..
I await your response: you can contact me, on 0xxxx or xxxxx or email me at xxxx and hopefully we can quickly arrange an appeal date and to meet with your independent panel to discuss this situation.
Yours sincerely,

anything I should add or take out, what do u think ???

[sillysausage]

Don't know if this might help, but on the bbc breakfast news yesterday they were speaking to a man who ran a company that specialises in helping parents make appeals. He said that approx 30% of unaided appeals are successful, but this can be increased to approx 80% if you use a 'specialist' to help you. Now obviously he's going to charge for his services and I suppose it depends on what those charges are as to whether it is worth your while.
Google 'school appeals help' and quite a few come up.
Also there are a number of books that come up on amazon to help with school appeals.
You need as much information as you can, so pester people. Maybe your current primary school will be able to offer advice or tell you where to go. Also it may be worth trying citizens advice. I would imagine that many of the appeals that fail will be down to incorrectly filled out paperwork, insufficient information and parents not being pro-active enough.

[louised]

I have been through the appeal process although it was to get my DD into a primary school when she was in year 4. The headmaster basically told me I had zero chance of getting her in as they had no space in that year group, they were actually already over their numbers. I went ahead and appealed anyway, gathered as much ammunition as possible and amazingly was granted a place. The headmaster actually said whatever I had written must have been very good to get a place which didn't exist.

Try and find out if children who live further away than you got a place, include their names and addresses so the lea can check, they can't offer someone a place who lives further away than a child who has been refused

[michellethegooner]

just been reading the ofsted report on the school they did offer and it doesn't make pleasant reading tbh, def not sending him there, have to go to another school tomorrow with another ref from our priest (catholic school) it was 2nd on our list, they said if I bring all the relevant documents back in they will put him to the top of the waiting list, so thats something will still be appealing as he could be on the waiting list forever,

[Carpet Monkeys]

Include what he can offer the school ... does it specialise in anything like science/maths/sports, is it one of his stronger subjects?

Unfortunately, I've only got experience of primary school appeals, have 3 under my belt! First was to get DD into Year R at our local school which was only a 4 min walk, we won, then relocated to Singapore, upon returning to Singapore, appealed to get both DD and DS into the same primary school, got a big fat NO. Then DD got a place through someone leaving, so as our circumstances had changed by our DD getting a place since our original appeal we re-appealed (you can only appeal once every school year) to get DS in and won ... if I can find my appeal forms, I can forward to you if you let me know your email.

[Rainy]

My son started sceondary school last September and i had to appeal to get our first choice. We were offered our 2nd choice though.

Firstly, when you appeal for a school i don't think the appeal actually goes to the LEA (local education authority). I think you have to appeal directly to the school of your choice and it is the school governers who decide. You will need to phone your 1st choice and ask to go on their waiting list. Hurry up with this as basically it is a queue so the nearer the top you are the better chance your have.

You will need to accept the school that has been offered to you because if you don't it will be seen as you refusing to give your son an education if you don't get your first choice. By accepting the other school will not affect your appeal.

When you write your appeal, mention what a brilliant school it is and how you feel your son would thrive there and also what qualities your son could offer to their school. For example, if it specialises in sports then say how keen your son is to learn more in that area and that he already does various sporting activities out off school. Basically grovel to the school. Definately say how you have now moved closer to the school but don't critise the one that has been offered to you, just say something like it would not be very easy to get to it using public transport or stuff like that.

I hope this helps and good luck on getting your son into your 1st choice.

My appeal worked and my son got into his 1st choice.


Edited to add - also get character references for your son from his yr 6 primary teacher and head if poss. If he does an after school activity (scouts or something) also try and get one for that

[julie w]

There was an article about this on GMTV this morning. If you look on their website they said they have all the advice and information you may need in this position. Might be worth a look, Good luck.xxx.

[Karaza]

This book is amazing I used it for my daughters appeal and we won

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...px !important;

[TheBTeam]

Only bit of advice is to get on the schools continuing interest list, and i would do this for all three schools, it can be the case that quite a few on these lists get in before the appeals are heard. Accept the place at the school you do not want your son to go to, this will not affect any continuing interest or appeal.

I really do wish you well, we have been lucky our son has his first choice of school. but that is because the school used to have a bad reputation and some people have long memories.

[button68]

Appeal, appeal, appeal.......

I went through this 2 years ago with DS. He is now halfway through year 8 in the secondary school of MY choice

I don't know if it varries between LEA's but my Appeal had to go through Wirral LEA. At the Appeal Hearing there was 3 members on the Indepentant Appeals Committee, the Head of the School I wanted and a clerk - oh! and little old me on the othe side on the table

Firstly the Head explains to the Independant Committee why I was NOT allocated his school (my first choice) then I get a chance to say why I believe my son SHOULD be awarded a place. The committee ask a lot of questions of both of us then 2-4 weeks later inform you of their desicion.

It doesn't matter how much the school in question weep and wail that they are full etc.... If the committe decide that it is in your sons best interest to go to that school them Bobs Your Uncle

For the school I wanted 48 parents appealed in person (I don't know how many appealed but chose not to attend the hearing) they actually took 10 extra pupils from the appeals process.

Go for it what have you got to lose?

Oh and I got some good help and advise from a FM on my initial appeal letter

[donnawalsh123]

i had to apeal to get my daughter into high school.

with my appeal it was heard by an independant panel (i think they all are). headmaster from school we wanted was there, and got a real grilling from them on there selection policys (was more of a role reversal for the headmaster. like a naughty boy read the right act ) play up on there selection policy as no doubt someone on the panel will read the daily mail and by then have a bee in there bonnet about faith schools and there selection policys

if the school you want is a church school then letter from your priest will help. Although they normally ask for these and any relevent info to start with, when its time for your application forms ?

any reletives already at the school that you can describe as 'ohh theyve been brought up to gether, and even though there fourth cousins twice removed there more like siblings'.

as said before if youve moved nearer try to get info of people who have been accepted who now live further away than you. and use the evidence. you did inform the school you want at the time of your move that youd moved nearer. if not it must of been there clerical error or the postmans fault

listen out for anybody whos been offerd place at the school who dosent accept or moves out of area nearer the time. as this is quite a common accurence. and is to late to offer the places

if all else fails schools have to have a few places left. for appeals and after that for newcomers to the area ive known 2 people that have been turned down on appeal. then 2 weeks into the new school year have gotten a transfer to the school of there choice due to bullying

try anything you can think of no matter how little as it may help your cause with someone on the panel.

And good luck

[mama2three]

good luck with your appeals- i would appeal to more than 1 of your choices. use the criteria for selection to help you with your appeal - unfortunately saying anything about friends going to whichever school cannot help you. Definately say you informed the lea of your change of address details before the cut off date.
I understand why you wouldnt want your son at the offered school - but sometimes the schools that go into special measures can be a great choice. they get a huge amount of extra support and funding which can only benefit the child.
I agree with the others whove suggested getting a book to help you plan your letter , maybe order it from the library - the authors are experts and know all the tricks!
Hope it works out for you and ds.

[cuffleygirl]

You say that none of his friends are going to the school you've been allocated - are they going to your school of choice - if so stress continuity of care - this worked for a mindee he went to the same school as my son as mindee had been in my care from the age of 18months.

Does your son have any particular talents sports, science etc, is your preferred school some sort of academy could you get in on those grounds? Keep appealing, find out who the Governors are - do you know them - nothing works better than a bit of nepotism.

Its a long time to September - keep us updated.