Admission to primary and secondary schools is not automatic: all parents or guardians must apply for a place at the school of their choice. All schools have ‘admission criteria’ which the school admissions authority uses to allocate places if they receive more applications than are available. If you are deciding which schools to apply to, or if you have been denied a place at your child’s school of choice, this admissions criteria article will assist you in your appeal.
If your child is not offered a place at their preferred school
If your child is not offered a place at your preferred school, then the first thing you should do is apply to have your child placed on the waitlist. If you contact your Admissions Authority to request an appeal, do not assume you have been placed on the waiting list; you must explicitly request to be included in the list.
If you’re lucky, there may be kids revoking your spot at the school you’re on the waitlist at, and if you’re high on the waitlist, you may be offered a spot before your hearing is heard. appeal.
When appealing the decision, it is important to remember that you are appealing to the Appeal Panel and you will need to address your appeal documents to them. For example, if your child has a medical need that was not addressed in the admission criteria, then it is important that your GP or consultant write you a letter. a the Appeal Panel, not just a general letter stating your medical necessity. The letter should contain detailed information about how your need means they must attend your preferred choice, not just a general letter stating your child’s condition. This personalizes your appeal and will help the Panel understand why your child needs to attend the particular school. You want the Panel to be on your side, this is one way to do it.
While you will no doubt be very emotional about the decision not to offer your child a place in your preferred election, you should make sure that the appeal letter you write is clear, concise, and not too long. If it is too long, any valid details or points can be lost in it. It is also evident that it must be typed and not handwritten.
How do schools assign their seats?
By law, every child between the ages of 5 and 16 has the right to a place in a public school. However, this place is not guaranteed to be one you want to send your child to, known as a preferred school choice, as many receive more admissions than they have places to offer.
Each school has a ‘limited admissions‘ and this determines the number of applicants they will accept. Once they’ve filled the slots according to your admissions criteria, they can’t admit any more unless you appeal the decision and win.
Admission criteria
Each school has a set of rules, known as ‘oversubscription’ or ‘admission’ criteria. Schools that are oversubscribed will follow these rules when assigning seats. The admission criteria are established by the admission authority of the school.
The admission authority depends on the type of school to which you apply.
state schools
- the local authority (LEA) for ‘community’ or ‘voluntarily controlled’ schools; gold
- the school governing body for ‘foundation’ or ‘volunteer assisted’ schools.
- independent school
- Independent schools decide their own admission criteria.
Does your child meet the criteria?
The School Admissions Code says that children in public care should have the highest priority for a place in the school.
Other criteria that can be used:
- your child has a brother or sister who will be in school when they start there;
- you or your child have a disability that makes traveling to a distant school difficult;
- lives in the area served by the school;
- (for religious or faith schools), your child or family is of the particular religion or faith that the school serves;
- (for secondary schools) your child attends a linked elementary school;
- his house is near the school.
Some of the above can be difficult to define and are therefore open to interpretation. If something is open to interpretation, then it is fair to say that it can be argued against on Appeal. By doing this, you are increasing your chances of success.
Some of the admissions authorities may also use a random assignment or ‘band’ system. Bands help ensure that a school has students with a range of different ability levels.
Certain types of schools may also apply other admission criteria, which may include:
- church or religious schools may request RSVP from a relevant place of worship;
- primary schools and some other schools that select a proportion of their students on the basis of academic ability, award places on the basis of an entrance examination or a selection test;
- schools that award a percentage of their places to students with aptitude for certain subjects may use some type of assessment or audition where appropriate;
- boarding schools may interview your child to assess suitability for boarding (interviews are not allowed for admission to any other type of state-funded school).
If your child does not receive a place offer at the school of your choice, you have the right to appeal the decision. There are guides available online that provide insider tips that increase your chances of a successful appeal.