If they don’t change on appeal, keep an listen out for the kids that have been offered a place but are opting out due to private schools, These places aren’t always filled with the next on the waiting list.
My daughter’s class last year had space for 15 kids but 3 went private meaning a class of 12 in september, then one left to go to a different school!
11 in a class, that’s now risen to 14 in 7 months.
Tell the council you don’t own a car and it’s too far to walk. That might work.
Were in North Somerset and my son got his number one school today but we’ve jumped through all the hoops to make it happen, Church, School event’s, Sibling, Proximity, and a sponsored parachute jump to pay for the school playing field to be levelled. 😉