Any tips for primary school appeals?

[smallmotherbigheart]

This is my first time doing this, and I want to do this right. My son didn't get into any of the preferred schools that we listed? Has anyone done an appeal before?

Last yr in my lea there were 158 infant class size appeals ( yep 158... We're the largest LEA!!) only 3 won!!!! I'm still gonna appeal though the social worker is attending with me so hoping this will help our appeal. The lea have said due to the extreme social reasons we could stand a good chance. That said if we don't win we still have a good school... Just it's a catholic school which in an ideal world isn't right for us.

Agree with tiggytape. The main reason for the deadline is that they are supposed to hold all appeals for the school with the same panel and not make any decisions until all the appeals have been heard. Having a deadline makes it easy to organise. As you have missed the deadline they have a bit longer to arrange your appeal and it may be after all the other appeals have been heard and decided. That's all they mean by being lower priority. It may weaken your chances a little if there have already been successful appeals but it doesn't rule you out completely.

If they have 2 classes covering all of infants (Reception, Y1 and Y2) it will be an ICS appeal. If they have a class for each year it won't be ICS.

I wouldn't use the Ofsted reports. They don't really count for anything. And you've got to be careful how you approach the maths issue. Be positive about the appeal school. Don't be negative about the allocated school. Does the appeal school run any extra-curricular activities you can point to as helping your daughter? That would strengthen your case.

A letter from the nursery would not break any rules. It will be up to the panel to decide how much weight to give it.

Mossity,
You might be the biggest LA but that does not seem that many appeals for infant class size appeals. Looking back through my notes of last years appeals I sat on panels for three primary schools that were infant class and there were over 100 appeals just across the three schools, all infant class size and the answer of how many were successful was a very round number!

Is that actually 158 schools that had ICS regs appeals, rather than total number of appeals I wonder?

I'm a little confused how to approach it if I can't make direct comparisons between the two schools. I thought I needed to show that my daughter will be disadvantaged by not going to our preferred school, surely by default that means that I need to show that the other school isn't good enough (putting it bluntly!)?

I was kind of counting on being able to quote the Ofsted report as it states the points I wanted to make perfectly.

You should avoid saying anything negative about the other school. The appeal panel will be independent from the appeal school but it is possible one of them may be connected to the allocated school - they may have a child or grandchild there, for example. If that is the case you might put their backs up if you say negative things about the allocated school. So you need to find another way of making the point.

Ohhh I'm not sure ... Admissions just said there were 158 appeals and 3 won so I'm not sure.... I wasn't gonna bother appealing now we have a school but admissions advised me too do so! I feel I've nothing to loose... I'm still off work on adoption leave so won't have to take any time off work etc..... My appeal is kinda different as you've read but thrown into the mix now is the allocated catholic school! This is 7 yrs of my daughters life and where she is gonna be questioning most so I need to know the school is on board. I don't see how they can be when recently the catholic church urged its secondary school pupils to sign a petition against gay marriage!!! I know this is primary school but I personally feel these views may not be outwardly shown but will be the beliefs of the majority of teachers/ parents.! It's a hard one as its a lovely little school. Will just see Wat happens. 3 weeks ago we didn't even have a school.

Also I'm about to send off appeal form... It doesn't ask for supporting stuff so will they request this at a later date???

Thanks for the advice prh & tiggytape, however, I have just phoned the school concerned and the infant class size rule applies - the PAN of 20 is the reception class and 10 pupils for year 1 are mixed with that so there are 30 in the class.
I guess this conclusively means that I can't appeal since I doubt an error has been made re admission.
We are still 6th on the waiting list as far as I know so I have little hope that we'll get in that way. I suppose we'll just have to make the best of the school we've been given though her nursery workers did agree with me this morning that it's not a great school :(

In what way is it 'not a good school' ? There are good things and bad things about my dc's school and it didn't have a great reputation when dd1 first went. But I felt that as long as she would be safe and happy there, had nice friends and learned to socialise well I could work on the more academic things if necessary.

4 years on I've not had any problems personally at all. In most schools it helps if you get involved and help improve the school and support your child by doing lots of stuff at home ( reading, maths etc).

The school is more popular nowadays and has more 'interested parents' sending their children there. Though whether that's because it has immeasurably improved, or more to do with pressure on school places meaning people have less choice I don't know! Can only be a good thing for the school as a whole though. May be contentious to say it but perhaps a bit less parental choice is just what the 'under performing' schools in the system need.

Have you been to visit the allocated school? And do you know anyone else who had been allocated it too who you could chat to and maybe reassure each other?

Well, my gut instinct when we visited it back in early autumn was that it was a bit disorganised and that the headteacher seemed a bit 'weak'. That combined with it's Ofsted report (it's gets 3's in most catergories including overall) and it's general reputation is why it was our 3rd choice.

I'm sure you're right that as long as she's happy and safe those are the most important things but there's just a nagging feeling that she won't thrive there as much as she would at our first choice school (which in contrast gets mostly 1's in the Ofsted report, has an excellent reputation and I got a really good feeling about when we visited) and after all, it's only natural to want the best for your child.

I only know of one other person with a child at the allocated school and they're someone who in fact is a neighbour but to be honest, and I know this may sound bad, I don't feel that I have much in common with them, we often hear the mother and her boyfriend fighting, they seem very unsettled to the point where I actually worry a little for the child's welfare and I'm not sure I would approach her for reassurance about the school.

I think the plan at the moment is to just try and stay on our preferred school's waiting list as long as possible in the hopes that at some point she may eventually get in - though at what point we decide the disruption outweighs the benefit I don't know.

Again thank you all for your advice.

From what people say on here you can always stay on the waiting list and move her later if you feel it's for the best. I understand this is often easier in year 3 as the class size rule relaxes?

As I said I've been happy where we are and it sounds like a similar school to be honest ( not so much the 'weak' head but definitely Ofsted 3 and 'interesting' intake !) so you never know you may find you don't need to worry.

As for wanting the best I suppose in some situations you can't always have the best and have to make the best of the situation you have got. Everyone cant go to the 'best' school. This will always be the case unless every school becomes equally 'good' ( which obviously will never happen - even if all schools magically achieved a 1 on their Ofsted people would find it necessary to differentiate between them and some would by word of mouth become 'the best').
Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

hiya, we've got a few reasons for appeal,
firstly, circumstances have changed since applying.
refused a place on distance, but since applying, now pregnant and new baby will be going to same site he has been refused on, (school he was refused, governs the sure start childrens centre on site) so i will be traelling there anyway.
2 allocated school is a church school, my beliefs have changed since applying, do not want him taught a religion, so i will not be allowing him to take part in any of the symbolic things. i want him to have a faith, prefered school is non denominational, teaches all faiths and cultures, teaching him respect for all faiths an cultures and is how i want him to be brought up and how i feel.

3 he has developed strongs bonds with staff since 18 months old, from childrens centre trhu to school nursery, i am in same sex relationship, no family support, no male role models apart from school, prefered school have had many previous same sex couples so any probs, they are fully experiened to deal with. allocated school have confirmed he will be possibly, the first, and only one from this fmaily background, plus, how can they teach that homosexualty is normal if it is a church school.

4 no disabled acces for partner, who has limted mobilty, prefered school you can use car park to the door of school.

5 i have a mental illness and he will need stability and support of his peers, teahers and friends, as his home life is unstable at the moment. dont think i have missed anything out, but all of the above are all circumstances which have arisen, since the initial application.

there are 3 things here that he will possibly be open to predujice or isolation, obviously i cannot presume the allocated school will be like this, but i need him to be stable and safe.

any advice please.
thanks

We too are a same sex couple and were appealing as our dd is adopted and birth family go to the school we got! We do have another school but it's catholic and I know there views on same sex couples!!!!!!

We are trying the unreasonable route as they expecteded dd to go to a school with birth family so there are real child protection issues!!

We had a good outcome: the school has offered us a place! I won't believe it until I see the written offer, for now the place has been offered over the phone. However, I am relieved and happy that the hard work and, most important, lots of expert advise from this forum paid off.
I am on a mission now! I want to help my friend who applied to the same school last year and did not get in. The son is currently attending Reception in another school and has applied for in-year admission, he is on the waiting list. I have huge doubts about the waiting list as I have reasons to believe it is not being kept according to the published Admission Arrangements. The school is a VA school so they decide the waiting list and, as far as I know, advise the LA when a place becomes available and should be reoffered. I do not think the LA has any input on this, they are just notified by the school who should be offered a place, but do not do any checks (am I right?). I have few questions that I would be grateful if you could help me clarify. I have looked in the School Admissions Code and the School Admission Appeals Code, but was unable to find answers:

1. is it correct that a place should be filled as soon as it becomes available during the year or can the school decide to wait until most convenient for them? Assuming the school offers it few weeks down the line, which waiting list should be considered, i.e. at the time the place becomes available or when the schools decides to reoffer? Example, a place becomes available on 10January (a child moves and his last day is on the 9 January), but school waits until 5February to reoffer. Should the first child on the waiting list on 10January or on 5 February that should be offered a place? Or when the school is made aware of a place becoming available (let's say the parents notify the school on 12December that he will leave on 10 January)?

2. what reasons could a school give not to reoffer a place as soon as it becomes available other than being over PAN?

3. can you appeal if you know that someone below you in the waiting list has been offered a place during the year and outside of the normal admission round? Is there a deadline for this? Example, a place is reoffered in February, but I do not find out until May. Can I appeal or can I go directly to the LGO? By when?

4. how do I know if a place has become available and it has been reoffered other than keep calling the school (which does not answer) or the LA? As far as I understand it, the school/LA only contacts the person that is (allegedly) first on the waiting list (as advised by the school), but doesn't let anybody else in the waiting list know. In this way a 'cheating' school can do what they want, offer the place to someone who is further down the list without anybody else (in the waiting list) knowing. Is there a way to force the school/LA to disclose the position of everybody on the waiting list when a place becomes available and notify that it has been offered? In this way, whoever is interested could call the school/LA, find out details about who was offered a place and question/appeal.

I am finding out the reasons why he was not accepted last year and will write another post as soon as I find out.

Thanks!!

We're first in our waiting list again but appeal form is in also

1. The place should be offered as soon as the vacancy arises. They can get away with a short delay provided it is offered to the person who was at the head of the waiting list at the time the vacancy arose.

2. None. If the school is below PAN it must offer a place to anyone who applies.

3. Yes you can appeal in this situation. There is no deadline for this. The LGO wouldn't generally look at the place until there has been an appeal.

4. No you cannot find out the position of everyone on the waiting list. That would involve the disclosure of confidential information. If this is an LA-controlled school the entire process should be handled by the LA with no involvement by the school. But if you want to check you will just have to keep calling the school or the LA.

hi - our appeal is for twins so think we are going to struggle.

we have several arguments about the girls and how they would benefit by going to our 1st choice school. however, based on the appeal documentation we don't feel very confident with this approach.

we are going to make a serious attempt at arguing that taking the girls would not prejudice the school. We have some insider information as I work at the school and my husband is a governor at the school we have been allocated. Part of our argument is dependent on how many other parents have applied (i.e. our information suggests the school could take another 5 children). We have asked the LA how many other appeals there are but they have refused to tell us.

Under the new act does anybody think that this is classed as a reasonable request? if so how can i get the LA to tell us?

Appreciate any help out there

Hi,
Was just after some advice please? My child has been rejected from our chosen school based on ICS but the class sizes for the year he is starting in (F1) are 3 classes of 25 pupils (the class rooms are big enough to hold 30 pupils) the argument the school is making is that Years 1 and 2 merge so 6 classes of 25 will be reduced to 5 classes of 30. Can they reject my child based on this as it currently is not breaching ICS and as in previous years pupils have left so currently none of the 6 year groups are running at 30 pupils per class. They have said that this will not be an issue until he reaches year 2 (in 2 yrs time) as their current F1 has had 7 pupils leave this year so based on them admitting 75 pupils next year and the year after this is when it will cause the issue.
Can they reject my child based on an assumption of future years? od can they take additional children this year with understanding they will except less next year IF no children leave?

Thanks

Yes, this is an infant class size regs case because of what is called future prejudice. When in year 1/2 they go to 5 classes of 30, the infant class sizes still have to be met. If a child was admitted above the 75 in reception then there would be 31 in one of the classes in year 1/2 and as such ICS would come into play.
When it comes to future prejudice it is not actually the number currently in the year group but the number it could be, which is 75. The school would have to admit in year 1/ 2 as and when pupils in those year groups come forward as they are below the PAN of 75.
Sorry but you will not win an appeal based on this. As it is ICS regs it either has to be a mistake made in the admission process or that the admission authority has been unreasonable in their decision not to admit - unreasonable is actually completely perverse in legal terms.

I've just posted this as a separate thread but I suspect should have put this here instead. Sorry - new to all this. Anyway, I'm in a nightmare situation and need as much help and advice as possible.

I sent off my admissions form for my son who was due to start school in reception at the school where my other children attend. Unfortunately the form was 'lost' in the post and because I had surgery last November I was out of action for a while and didn't check it had been received (it never occurred to me that it wouldn't). There is no doubt he would have got a place if the form had been received by admissions but it wasn't and I didn't even know I hadn't got a place at any school until a month ago when the school told me.

I have 3 children already at the same school which is 0.5 miles up the road. My 2nd son has a SEN statement due to autism and the school is brilliant in this respect. They have a child in most of the classes who have an element of SEN and are very well placed to deal with most disabilities.

My youngest son is on an IEP at school action plus level as he has suspected speech dyspraxia but he has now been allocated a place at a different school 1.5 miles away in the opposite direction to the other school which would just be impossible for me to do. He's now talking but still very babyish and his concentration skills are non existent. We're awaiting an appointment with a consultant but has been referred for physio, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

He has attended the pre-school at the school where the others go for the last year but they are now full too so it's not like he could even continue to go there in the hope that a place becomes available at the school.

I'm appealing but I very much doubt any of my grounds for appeal will hold much weight, ie the fact I did apply but it was lost (I have no proof), my son's dyspraxia and IEP, my son with autism would freak doing two school runs, lost earnings and having to pay for childcare whilst I'm dashing between the two. I'm self employed so time really is money. Not to mention the stress all this will be on a day to day basis and I'm already on meds because of depression. I'm at the end of my tether.

If anyone has been in a similar situation or can tell me what to expect from the process it really would be much appreciated.