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?

Thanks tiggytape- I asked for the distance in metres and no it isn't on a cliff! It is utterly ridiculous and they're making us make a subject access request under DPA to get our son's information!

But in several places they have applied the DPA exemption to even our own data. I'm a civil servant I understand FOI and DPA but I am frankly baffled that they are behaving in this way. I can only summise that they know it will take me too long to get the info out of them by appealing to information commissioner.

Thanks for the recommendation to send the info to the appeals clerk- which I will be doing.

My second part question though- is basically I have got the info to unravel the stage one appeal (I think) to show a mistake was made which meant we could have got a place off the waiting list (subject to them telling me where we are on the sodding list!!). Surely then the case becomes about who of the 3 appeals should get a place? But if the 3 they admitted because of the error are expected then so long as the 3 who have appealed are number 1,2,3 on the waiting list then do we all get a place? IYSWIM?!?

Sorry excepted pupils

Thanks very much for the response. The class size is 30. We are appealing for a place in the non- catholic place as they give preference to siblings . I realise it's a long shot but at the time, we felt we had no option but to accept the place in the catholic school, as otherwise we had no school.

Prh- appreciate your help with the PAN . Thank you

Thanks tiggytape. I am only appealing for a place for the younger one, using the background and arguing on
Facilities in this school and logistics of getting both children to school on time. With the offered school, she will be always late at least 15 mins but if she got this other school, it's a 5 min walk from the catholic school, so very convenient. But what I have read from comments here, my chances are very slim to nil. That's why I was hoping to use the earlier error to strengthen our case

Can anyone advise me on the following. We are returning from being abroad for a year and I want to appeal to get my 2 children year 1 and 3 back into their old school. The school have published maximum numbers of 28 pupils per class (one form entry) although they have just increased the current Reception class size (and all subsequent reception classes) to 30. Apparently the school could have increased each class up to Year 6 to 30 children but voted not to due to potential disruption I believe. What do you think my chances are of a successful appeal based on the needs of my children to return to their friends who they have kept in contact with and the positive contribution they will actually make. We were very involved and part of the community life of the school which is 200 meters from our house. My son (year 3) had a very difficult time settling into school abroad and to bring him back to yet another new school rather than him returning to his old school, I believe would be more emotionally damaging than the potential negative effect on the school or pupils to make the class size 29 rather than their published number of 28. Incidentally, my son was top of the class and extremely popular when we left so they should actually want him back. I've had many emails from parents to say how much their children want him back.

My younger daughter is currently in Year 1 going into Year 2, not Reception. The class size is at their published limit of 28 just like my son who is in Year 3, going into Year 4. So do you think she has an equally good chance of winning the appeal?

Thank you very much. This has really helped clarify.

Momzilla82

They cannot refuse information on these grounds. They must tell you the distance of the last place offered. They will be required to publish that information for next year's potential applicants to see. They should also tell you the distance for your child. There is no justification whatsoever for refusing to tell you your waiting list position. I agree with Tiggytape that you need to inform the appeal panel of the school's refusal to provide this information. It is a clear breach of the Appeals Code.

Regarding the additional places, I agree with the advice Tiggytape has given.

shiks23

Schools can set a PAN that is above or below the number indicated by the net capacity. In this case the school has chosen to go a little over the net capacity. In the circumstances this is a reasonable choice. If they actually set a PAN of 86 it would be an open invitation to an appeal panel to admit 4 additional pupils every year.

As Tiggytape says, the error with your older child won't help you. In order to win an infant class size appeal you need to show that your daughter has been deprived of a place at this school due to a mistake. So you need to find an error in the current admissions round.

Thanks prh. I am just coming to terms at the futility of my case. Would it help to argue simply that it's important my DD goes to same school as her sister for her own emotional development . They are very close, we have no close family, having moved from Kenya and also , if there have been no known reported problems of overcrowding reported by ofsted, then there would not be an issue in providing an additional place in the catholic school ( we have 2 appeals going).

Some of the mums from the school are offering to write statements supporting my son returning to the same class that he was in before we left to go abroad for the year. Is this a good idea and if so can you give guidelines of what they should write? Thanks a lot.

Thanks!

shiks23 - As this is an infant class size case you should only win if a mistake has been made. So emotional development shouldn't be an issue, although I would still put it forwards.

Don't give up hope completely. Occasionally information will emerge in the hearing that shows a mistake was made. And sometimes a sympathetic panel will bend the rules to admit a child when they shouldn't. But be realistic about your chances. It is a long shot.

Hi all,

I have moved to an area and my son due to join reception has been given a place at a school where the ofsted report is "needs improvement" the school is 0.7m. The local primary is oversubscribed and is 0.2 miles ( outstanding ofsted rating) however due to the house move my application was slightly late hence not getting a place at that school.

My eldest will be in year 5 as of Sept this year and he currently doesnt have a place at all. The LA advised he needs to be out of school to be offered a place.

Any advice on the youngest's appeal to get into the better primary school and how to get them both into the same school to avoid the logistical nightmare!

We are both working parents and cant do drops offs and pickups in 2 different directions.

Thanks.

Hi, our catchment area just changed and we didn't get any of our preferred schools but were offered the local rough school.
We have an appeal but I need advice and it seems phr47bridge is the one for me !
Ok our appeal so far is
We recently moved to a council setae the fammilies and children here don't take to kind to us as my husband not being English-we have dealt with a lot of antisocial behaviour and police involvement.
The thing is the children and fammilies that harass us go to the school which we have been allocated.
So I have doctors letters about the effects of bullying and self esteem for my son.
The next was my son would not know anyone in the school, so no friends positive relationships.
I have a letter from his teacher stating she thinks he learns best with an environment with friends and she's also wrote a little more about interventions he's had within the school regarding his education.
The last one is family impact and my anxiety issues and the severity of panic attacks that have increased since I found out about his chosen school ( I'm just that kind of person sorry)
I have been told at the appeal to speak of my sons welfare and my concerns at his chosen school but also all the positives of our preferred school.
I think my sons warfare should be paramount and when I think of his welfare in the chosen school I can't help but panic.
Is there anything I can add to my appeal?
Do you think I have some good points?

I'm very confused about this process I don't understand the terminology and things like exceptional circumstances?

Thanks

Sorry for spelling!

As always the big question is whether this is an infant class size appeal (assuming you are appealing for a place in Reception, Y1 or Y2).

Regardless of whether or not it is an ICS case your own anxiety issues and panic attacks are not relevant I'm afraid.

If it is not an infant class size case the bullying, etc. may persuade a panel especially if you can provide evidence to show your family is being targeted by people with children at this school. Even if it is an infant class size case an appeal panel may take the view that it is unreasonable to refuse to admit your child. So yes, you have some good points.

Without knowing exactly what the letter from the teacher states it is difficult to judge how much that will help you. In general friendship issues don't carry much weight in appeals unless there is expert evidence to show that the child has significantly more than normal need to stay with existing friends.

I would agree with the advice you have been given that you should also talk about what the preferred school can offer your son that is missing from the offered school.

Don't worry about the terminology. It isn't really important. If you need anything explaining feel free to ask.

"Exceptional circumstances" are situations that are very much out of the ordinary. So, for example, the child of a social worker being allocated to the same school as the children with whom their parent works may be regarded as an exceptional circumstance that justifies moving the child to a different school.

Thanks for your quick reply! Nice to see I'm
Not the only one up at this hour!
This is for year 7
I have complained against anti social behaviour and harassment but the evidence I have it from the person who dealt with my complaints from now to about 8 months ago.
I'm not sure what other evidence I can get to prove this ?

Oops posted too soon!
Your description is pretty much what the teacher put in the letter. And it wasn't easy to get this letter out if her either..

That sounds like decent evidence on the anti social behaviour and harassment.

An appeal panel will often think that the allocated school will be able to deal with any bullying. Evidence that your family is being targeted should help to show that this is a much bigger problem than normal bullying.