Question: I have a son at a Roman catholic grammar school which is also an academy. He passed the entrance exam (by 3)and he received a place based on over subscription criteria 7 (baptised Christian boy with a supporting letter from a minister) His brother (one year younger) passed the entrance (by 40 marks) and was not offered a place - he is was criteria 6 and in previous years he would undoubtedly achieved a place. The school is within walking distance. The criteria is as follows
1. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who are designated ?looked after children?;
2. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who have a brother attending the school;
3. Baptised Roman Catholic boys resident in the St. Ambrose Deanery of the
Shrewsbury Diocese or the Our Lady's Deanery of the Salford Diocese;
4. Other Baptised Roman Catholic boys
5. Other Boys who are designated ?looked after children?;
6. Baptised Christian boys who have a brother attending the school;
7. Other Baptised Christian boys whose application is supported by a letter
from a minister of Christian religion;
8. Other boys whose application is supported by a minister of religion;
9. Other boys.
Instead he was offered a place at our second choice school, another Grammar which by league table is superior, but which is not a faith school (important to us as practising Anglicans ) and requires a tram journey. The increase in interest is due to a rebuilding of the College. Clearly siblings receive priority, but in 2013 only if you are a Catholic. My younger son, who dearly wants to join his brother is in a queue behind Catholic boys that are not even living in the local education authority catchment (never mind have a sibling at the college)...some travel from 20 miles away. What recourse do we have?