Ks2 appeal on grounds of bullying and emotional wellbeing

[Jrobin]

I am appealing for our local catchment school as my daughter has had continuous problems with friendships and bullying at her current school and we feel a fresh start would be the best way forward. She is in year 3 at her current school and it is a large primary school where it has took a lot of pushing to get them to support my daughter who is experiencing anxiety and school refusal. They are now beginning to put more support in but I feel it is too little too late and with is moving house last year this school is no longer local to us so it might me easier all round if she were to attend the closest school. I have a very strong doctors note mentioning the anxiety and bullying and her recommendation that my daughter should move school however I am having difficulty with getting the current school to recognise there is a bullying problem or any sort of problem other than my daughter struggling with friendships. Will this doctors note be enough for the appeal or do I need to get evidence of bullying/ school failures as I feel this will be difficult to obtain. Thanks for reading

[hoping2016]

I feel for you ...hope you get it sorted....sorry can't offer advice 're appeals

[LIZS]

As I understand it you need to appeal for a school , not against the current one. So look to identify interventions and strategies which may help her gain confidence, support and integrate her , particular interests the new school can offer and so on. If a school has a vacant place in the relevant year group and no waiting list you have to be offered it.

[Pud2]

You're right about the appeal LIZS. OP, presumably the new school doesn't have spaces hence the need to appeal? You will need to base your case on why your child needs to be at this new school in particular. Look to see if they've gone over numbers in other classes as you could use that in your argument. Why did they agree to take those children? What aspects of the new school relate to the GP's letter, ie, perhaps the new school has a therapy service or better pastoral care or it's smaller and more personal, for example.

[admission]

The appeal is for the new school, so you need to construct your appeal on that basis. You have moved, so one reason for the new school is that it is the closest to the new address. You have issues around bullying and non school attendance with the current school, so a potentially good reason for moving schools but what is it about the preferred school that means that the school is the correct one for your child. Any email exchanges with the current school will be of help with the doctor's letter in confirming your comments about the current school but in there own right they will probably not be strong enough. You need to show exactly why the preferred school is the right school. Look at after school clubs, pastoral care, ability to form new friendship groups etc.