Primary school appeals process - help

[prdarling]

Surprise surprise I haven't got a place at a school I wanted. Am feeling slightly nauseous. Can anyone let me know the next steps

For God's sake I live in Ryedale - is that really too far from Goodrich?

[tor]

i also live in ryedale and i also feel sick...

we put down goodrich (obviously as it's our closest school and less than 5 mins walk away) and have been offered a place in nunhead/peckham.

what do we do???

[tor]

yes - i think we do know eachother! you have two boys as well?

i was hoping it was a mistake but clearly not if it's happened to both of us.

is it wine o'clock yet?

[Fuschia]

I am afraid due to limits on infant class sizes a successful appeal is virtually impossible

however hopefully a place will become available

is goodrich your closest school?

[ryedalema]

Goodrich? It's, like, two minute's walk away! How big is the catchment area for g**dness sake.

My thoughts are with you both!! What a horrid situation.

My two are a couple of years away from school - but if it turns out Ryedale is a black hole I won't be Ryedalema for much longer I can tell you.

[ryedalema]

Oh no - how old are your collective boys? They're not trying to put you in the new Academy are they? Sorry - no aspersions being cast, but it obviously wasn't your premier choice.

[tor]

I'm just really hoping it's a mistake - if it's not then there's been one serious baby boom in 2005.

[tor]

fuschia - yes goodrich is our closest school, it takes less than 5 mins to walk there, it's literally a couple of streets away.

[Fuschia]

I am thinking most places have gone to siblings

last years bulge class will mean there are more goodrich siblings than prev years...

[prdarling]

Tor yes it is me...we have been offered Bessemer Grange. Don't even know where it is. Yes it's wine o'clock in my house now. Especially as have just found out that BA are striking so my long weekend of luxury with my husband which we booked a year ago is now off. Pales into insignificance in comparison though

Ryedalema - my boys are 4 and 2 and a half

Fuschia yes it's my closest school - am on Ryedale but at the Forest Hill Rd end

I have just spoken to Victoria our new councillor - she told me to email all my details to peckhamryelabour@hotmail.com the labour group are meeting tonight and she will try to find out as much as possible for me. Obviously they have just taken over so everything is up in the air.

Am completely shellshocked

[Wiz]

Hi prdarling

I was in exactly the same boat as you last year. We didn't get any of our choices and were allocated Bessemer Grange. The school is at the bottom of Red Post Hill. It is about a mile from our house. Regardless, that is where our daughter is now at school and she absolutely loves it and is thriving there. Personally, I am really happy with the school. I can pm you if you wany any further info.

[clux]

We didn't get a place at any of our 4 choices last year but did end up in our favourite school eventually - 2 weeks after term started. We were initially 7th on the list. My advice would be to find out where you are on the waiting list and then to make yourself known to the person in charge of the school office and keep in regular touch with them. Things do change a lot between now and when term starts but it is a really really horrible wait!

I think hardly anyone wins an appeal.

[prdarling]

clux my son isn't due to start till January so maybe there is hope but I am very very upset and stressed

wiz i'm glad to hear your daughter and you are happy wih the school - that's reassuring but I just can't get past not being able to go to a school which is 2 minutes walk from my house. It seems ludicrous that hundreds of parents drive to Goodrich from God knows where and I would have to drive to BG.

[clux]

I was in tears this time last year so I know how you all feel. It's horrible and I hated the way I was totally helpless and that if i lived 50m nearer I would probably have got a place and had nothing to worry about.

[Fuschia]

You wil be able to find out how many places went to children under each criteria and what the distance was for the nonsiblings

[Fuschia]

Page 22 for lAT YEAR'S CRITERIA (FINAL?)

gOODRICH HAD 90 PLACES LAST YEAR

38 SIBLINGS

3 Special needs

iT SEEMS TO SAY 1 place was issued on distance criteria, 683m from the school (last yr rule was shortest safe walking journey, this yr distances will be shorter as rule is as the crow flies)

If that's correct guess all pupils for whom it was the closest school did get a place, and that would have been 90-38-3-1 = 48 places. As there are 60 places this year, you might surmise only 18 would have got in, everything else being equal... but I would guess there would be more siblings due to the larger existing school population since the bulge class. If there were again 48 pupils for whom it was the closest school, that would be 30 unsuccessful applicants...

[toast]

Saw my neighbour go through this last year, looked horrid, and really hoped they would have it sorted for this year. Wish we could fast forward the next few months,... stress....

[malcol]

Just to confirm, Goodrich actually took in 4 classes last year (two in September and two for the January in take) so they had 120 reception children (09/10). This year they won't have a bulge class but will still be taking their usual 90 children (3 classes) again spread over two start times (September and January).

[Fuschia]

malcol Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just to confirm, Goodrich actually took in 4

> classes last year (two in September and two for

> the January in take) so they had 120 reception

> children (09/10). This year they won't have a

> bulge class but will still be taking their usual

> 90 children (3 classes) again spread over two

> start times (September and January).

That's odd then.. why does the booklet give data for the allocation of just 90 places? Guess it's all just rubbish then!!

[malcol]

Possibly it was compiled before the bulge class was agreed or perhaps it makes it easier to stick with the normal 90 places so as not to confuse people who may think that 120 is their normal intake amount. I can assure you though that this academic year (09/10) they took in 4 classes amounting to 120 children and next year it will be 3 classes.

[toast]

A few of us mums are meeting at the Herne in a few min, all welcome. I'll be the one in the blue skirt drinking a G+T.

[Fuschia]

malcol Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Possibly it was compiled before the bulge class

> was agreed or perhaps it makes it easier to stick

> with the normal 90 places so as not to confuse

> people who may think that 120 is their normal

> intake amount. I can assure you though that this

> academic year (09/10) they took in 4 classes

> amounting to 120 children and next year it will be

> 3 classes.

It would be useful for parents to clarify how the places were allocated last year and this year and for the nonsiblings how far from the school the net was cast...

[Fuschia]

Info re infant appeals:

"Appeals Involving Infant Class Sizes (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Classes)

There are separate and different rules for appeals which involve limiting infant class sizes to a maximum of 30 pupils. Apart from some very limited exceptions, no infant class may contain more than 30 pupils being taught by one teacher. Any admissions which would increase a class to more than 30 pupils would require what are called 'qualifying measures', such as organising an extra class, appointing an additional teacher, providing an additional classroom or introducing or extending mixed age group teaching.

When the Local Authority can show to an Appeals Panel that any further admissions would require qualifying measures your appeal could be upheld only if the appeals Panel decided either that

a mistake had been made in the allocation of places according to the admissions criteria which had deprived your child of a place and if the criteria had been applied correctly your child would have received that place, or

the child would have been offered a place if the arrangements had not been contrary to mandatory provisions in the School Admissions Code and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, or

that the decision to refuse admission was 'unreasonable' in the circumstances of the case. 'Unreasonable' as defined by the Courts is construed as being perverse or irrational and is a very high threshold for an appeal to be successful.

"