infant school appeal

[nevaehjaide]

Hi

My daughter has been refused a place at the school where she currently attends the F1 year. They advise there are no spaces in the F2 year due to infant class size prejudice. The school admission number for that year group is 75. The overall admission for the infant school is 225.

I have spoken to the school and. .the 75 student are split between 2.5 classes (2 classes of 30 and 1 class of 15. However today i got my appeal statement for the school which shows previous admission numbers-

It shows that the current number of children in year 1 is 79. This is 4 pupils more than they claim they can take. It also shows the current number of children on roll is 226, which is also more than they have stated they can take.

It then goes on to show the class size structure which is as follows

Class1 (F2) 15 pupils (this class also has F1 children attending in morning and afternoons which takes the number above 15 but it does not confirm how many.
Class2 (F2) 30 pupils
Class3 (F2) 30 pupils
Class4 (Y1) 30 pupils
Class5 (Y1) 30 pupils
Class6 (Y1) 30 pupils
Class6 (Y2) 12 Pupils
Class7 (Y2) 30 pupils
Class 8 (Y2) 30 Pupils

As there are over 30 pupils in class 6 and over 75 pupils in year 1 surely this will already mean that they can accommodate for extra pupils and also that there is already 'future infant class size prejudice'. This would mean that there is already an extra teacher and that my daughter attending would made no difference.

Does anyone have any idea how I can put this forward in the appeal?

The school they have offered my daughter is my catchment school but is terrible. It only scored satisfactory in the latest Ofsted report, compared with the school I am appealing for scored outstanding (this is where my daughter has already currently been attending for the past year).

The opening line of their Ofsted report is 'This is a satisfactory school. Most pupils that attend here come from white British backgrounds' (my daughter is mixed race and has very dark skin. I would hate for her to attend a school where she will feel isolated and different).

It also then goes on to say 'Attainment in English, Maths and Science has been significantly below average for the past 3 years'. My daughter is doing very well at her current school and her teachers have advised me she is quite advanced for her age. I feel that moving her to this terrible school would send her education and confidence backwards rather than forwards.

I cant bare the idea that my daughter may have to attend this school. \Is there ANY way possible of me winning this appeal?

all your comments will be very much appreciated! They have only given me 8 days to prepare for my appeal.

Thanks
Charlene

[admission]

Can you check the numbers that you have quoted above because according to that you have 90 (three classes of 30) in year 1, whereas you say there are 79 in year 1.
I suspect that it should be 19 and that Class 6 is 19 year1 and 12 year2. That in theory is 31 and therefore breaking the infant class size regs but there may be a reason why they have the one extra - it could be that there is a child with a statement that has joined in year 1.
This is an infant class size regs case on the basis of future prejudice, the five classes across year 1 and year2 all in theory should have 30, which is the maximum that they can legally have with some exceptions like I have quoted above.
As it is infant class size case the two parameters on which the panel can award a place are a mistake in the admission process which would have meant your daughter getting a place if it had been done correctly or an unreasonable (which in reality is a perverse) decision by the admission authority not to admit. I don't see from your post any evidence of that, so you have to be realistic that your chance of success is very low.
You are incorrect in assuming that the extra 4 in year 1 will make any difference, especially if the 1 above the limit for ICS is an SEN pupil as I suspect is the case. Also if they did happen to have an extra teacher in year 1 that does not mean that you can add more to reception year, they are year 1 teacher , not a reception year.
Your best arguement is that the reception class with 15 in can take more pupils, because they do not need to have the F1 children in there. There will be more than 15 F1 children, so they could be accomodated elsewhere. However it is a very weak arguement and will only succeed if the panel for some reason ignore the future prejudice for ICS regs being broken.

[prh47bridge]

I'm afraid I agree with Admission. There are strict rules on infant class size. The fact they may be over the admission number in some years in infants now does not justify going over the admission number again. In essence, when the additional pupils were admitted they would be "excepted children" which means they don't count towards the class size limit. In most cases they would only be excepted for one year but in some cases they can be excepted throughout the time they are at that school. Even if the children are no longer excepted and the school has had to employ an additional teacher that will only be a temporary measure. They will have to get back to normal as soon as possible. The appeal panel cannot put the school in a position where they have to keep on employing extra teachers for the sake of one or two children.

[nevaehjaide]

Oh yeah, sorry its supposed to say 19 not 30 for class 6