Just 11% of parents win school entry appeals

Families fighting for places in popular London secondary schools have less than a one in eight chance of success at appeal.

Just 11.4 per cent of appeals for better schools succeeded this autumn, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, the figures did not cover church schools in many parts of the capital and so are likely to understate what the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations claims is a growing problem for parents.

Its spokeswoman Margaret Morrissey said: "What local authorities and school governors have tried to do is to make sure parents don't think it is worth appealing and to discourage them. It would almost seem to be not worth bothering but we would always say to parents, 'It's worth a try'.

"Appeals were brought in as a sop by the government to make you feel you've got a choice, when actually you've got very little choice."

The Evening Standard asked London's 32 boroughs to state how many appeals were lodged by parents this year over the places they were offered for children transferring from primary to secondary schools. Twenty-three authorities supplied data, which showed that 3,652 families appealed against the schools they were offered, of which 416 won their cases - giving a success rate of just 11.4 per cent.

Some town halls were unable to provide figures for schools that were not " community" - meaning council-controlled - comprehensives. These are likely to include some of London's most popular state schools, which can get 10 or more applications per place.

But in areas of high demand, even middle-ranking comprehensives are targeted by parents desperate to secure places there.

Community comprehensive school governors in Redbridge, for example, faced 191 appeals this autumn, although many would have been withdrawn before the hearings as parents gave up or accepted alternative offers. Of those that did reach the hearing stage, just 13 were successful - or 6.8 per cent of the original volume of complaints.

Parents had the best chance of success in Greenwich, where about one in four appeals was successful.

Last year, figures for England showed that 8.3 per cent of secondary school pupils and their families appealed. Figures for 2007 will be published next year. Ministers have ordered a review of the appeals process amid concerns it is being hijacked by families able to prepare better and pay for legal advice to support their cases.

AGAINST THE ODDS: APPEALS LODGED BY PARENTS AGAINST SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACES THIS YEAR