Has everyone now got a school place they are happy with?

[Carbonara]

I know lots of people were offered schools not amongst their top choices - has anyone been lucky in appeals or on waiting lists?

Good luck to everyone for next week, whether primary or secondary starters.

[Medusa]

No, I appealed to two schools and lost both appeals, having turned down the school I was offered because it was unsuitable. I now have three children with no places at all.

[LondonMix]

That's terrible. If you don't mind me asking, what was unsuitable about the school you were offered and did they reject you appeal because you turned down that school?

[Medusa]

It was unsuitable because it didn't meet specific requirements of one of my children who has OCD & AS. I had good letters of support from the primary school's Senco and a child psych but still lost the appeals. 'Parental choice' is a meaningless concept. It's more like 'express your preference and we'll promptly disregard it'.

The grounds given for dismissing appeals are about as meaningful as your average cut-and-pasted pupil's school report.

[LondonMix]

Wow, that's terrible. Have you tried to get help from one of your local cllrs?

[Carbonara]

Medusa, your situation sounds terrible.

What on earth happens now?

[Medusa]

I'll home-school until they have a place at a school that's right for them. No other option really.

[Carbonara]

Very shocking that with the backing of professional testimony your appeal was turned down.

I saw a report about an academy in Hackney, Mossbourne, I think, turning down appeals by parents of children with SEN as they said they had 'too many'. I think it was successfully overtuned by parents who turned to lawyers, but I could be wrong. Was it an academy you applied to? Part of the issue was that academies have more leeway than community schools to control (aka fiddle) their intake, I think.

I found a link: http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1074385/mossbourne-academy-loses-legal-challenge-failure-admit-sen-pupils and here: http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2012/08/21/mossbourne-academy-loses-challenge-special-needs/ and the IPSEA coverage: http://www.ipsea.org.uk/news/hot-topics/parents-win-despite-academys-refusal-to-admit-their-statemented-children.aspx.aspx

I don't know whether this situation is relevant solely to statemented children or whether it could be relevant? Can IPSEA help you?

[Renata Hamvas]

Hi Medusa,

please pm me with more details

Renata