Got confirmation today that my youngest hasn't been offered a place at the school his older brother goes to. The place they've offered him is at a school a mile away from his brother's school. There's no way we'll be able to take them to separate schools so I've appealed.

Does anyone know about the criteria for siblings having priority? We live in the middle of both schools and the catchment boundary changes year to year depending on the number of kids living in each area. We haven't moved house since the oldest started, so I can onpy assume that they've cocked up somewhere.

I'm not one of those who thinks their kids should go to any school they like regardless of geography, just don't want the chew of trying to take them to different ones a mile apart.

Admissions policy is decided by local authority. In Hpool siblings get priority. At the very least it should be a good basis for appeal.

You can try appealing - but the rules changed this year regarding admissions due to pressure for places

A few too many people moved to get a child into a school - then moved out of the catchment area - they then went down the sibling in the school rule to get the next child into the school - even though they had moved out of the area.

This loop hole has closed and they have removed the priority place for siblings.

If you can find out where your child is on the list for that school (they usually hold a reserve list in case places aren't taken) and if they are towards the top an appeal may be successful - if you are way down the list you are wasting your time.

School place appeals process follow a set pattern - kids in local care / medical issues are first priority - siblings are way down the list.

hope it helps.

As Ripper said not in Hartlepool though, sibling link is actually top priority followed by those living in the catchment

The rules changed this year Fensy - not sure about Hartlepool but most places around the country dropped the sibling rule (Poolie in Nottingham might be in Nottingham)