DD allocated a place at a school due to close, can I appeal?

[Jogonjill]

We have been allocated a place at our second-choice school, in west Wales. It was recently announced that this (tiny rural) school would be closing in July 2012. Our first-choice school is slightly bigger, with no closure threat, and our letter says that there were 14 applications for 12 places.

My dd was born March 2008, and so can start at any time after Christmas this year (the term is which she is 4). We weren't intending to start her, however, until she is about 4.5, in September 2012.

Therefore, if she started at the earliest opportunity, she would only be at the nearest school for two terms before it closes, and then a place will need to be found for her elsewhere. There is another small school nearer than our first-choice, also threatened with closure, and then the first-choice school is the next nearest.

But if she starts later, as we intend, the school she has allocated will have already closed.

Can anyone help me with the phrasing of an appeal letter? It seems obvious to me that she won't be going to the allocated school because of the timings, but I'm not sure of what the Council procedure is in such cases.

I hope I have explained it coherently enough for you to help me!

Dear xxx

Thank you for your letter of 00/00/0000 offering my daughter, [DD's name in full], born on 00 March 2008, a place at XXX school in January 2012.

I do not intend to send my daughter to school until September 2012. It is my understanding that XXX school is due to close in July 2012 and I should therefore be grateful to know to which school my daughter will be allocated in September 2012.

Yours sincerely

Would this count as an appeal though Bonsoir? As I only have until 6th May to appeal if necessary, I want to get it right.

What I really don't want to happen, is that we get an alternative allocation of the next-nearest school (threatened with closure although hasn't had an actual date yet) as it is very churchy and religious (Church in Wales school) and strict and forbidding, instead of the first-choice school which is lovely!

So I'd rather appeal for a place at our first-choice if I can...

I'm assuming your application was for a nursery place and not a reception place owing to your DD's date of birth. If it was for a nursery place, you will have to apply again for reception next year anyway so the reason for appeal is a bit irrelevant. Presumably when you apply next year for Sept 2012 entry you will have a greater chance of getting a place at a school that isn't closing because they will need to ensure they have capacity somewhere nearby. Where are the local council planning to transfer the pupils to?

Do you know anyone else who has been through the appeal process in your area Jogon?
Is 6th May final date for all evidence do you know?
I'm currently appealing for a grammar school place and we were given a date at the end of March. It turned out that by that date I needed to send a letter stating that I was appealing for *child at *this school, detailed evidence to follow shortly. I could then gather all the other evidence over time.
I'd start drafting a letter but phone your LEA on tuesday to clarify.

Was your application for a pre-school place? I guess so given that she's only just 3. If so, as mumtoone says you will have to apply for a Year R place next year anyway.

Is the system different in Wales for when children start school?

I don't know anyone personally who has appealed, but everyone I speak to about it says 'just appeal, anyone who appeals all get a place automatically' - I suspect this is not true though! However, the class sizes are so small that I guess they can always add more on to the admission for the year?

The letter just says 'you have the right to appeal against the decision, and in order to do this, you sgould write to me at the above address. Your letter should be received by no later than 6th March'. No mention of additional info or evidence.

Thanks for your help too Ingles2.

Wales is different, they can start in reception the term in which they turn 4. So she's only just 3 now!

Sorry, Mumtoone, I missed your message - Wales is different so this is for a reception place not nursery.

Ok, so your letter needs to outline
an introduction to your daughter, what she's like, skills, strengths (shes 3 but you know what I mean)
Then you need to explain why your 1st choice school is needed. You need to prove that this particular school suits her better than any other. So for example, does she have any SEN? eg, she;s having speech therapy and this school has a dept etc.
or she's very quiet / shy and this school has excellent pastoral support etc
Any reasons why this school supports her better than others. Perhaps she's sporty and they have great sports teams
Then say she has been offered which is unsuitable as it's due to close on
Supply any evidence you can from nursery / preschool.
HTH's

Thanks Ingles, that's really useful.

Pixie - it says my letter must be received by 6th May, then 'Your appeal will then be determined by an Independent Appeals Panel, which will be established in accordance with Sec 94 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998.' No mention of any further process after the initial letter. I wonder if this is another way in which Wales is different?

I don't understand why you need to appeal. The school to which your DD has been admitted will be closed by the time she attends. So you have no need to appeal - just to be reallocated a school.

Surely you need to establish what longer term provision is being made for the children allocated the closing school and then apply for a place for September 2012 when the time comes. Preschool isn't compulsory anyway. I also wonder if this a way of establishing potential interest in case there is a chance of reprieving the school earmarked for closure or running it as a preschool only.

I think she has to appeal atm Bonsoir, as until the school closes that is the school she has been allocated.
She needs to try and get her 1st choice now, as she may still not get the school she wants on closure of allocated school.
Of course she'll get 2 chances,... she could appeal this time and if she doesn't get the school, wait until closure and see which school is allocated before trying again.
I have to warn you Jogon, this appeal malarky is v. stressful.
You also need to look at the PAN(12) for the school and previous years PAN / admissions after appeal. If the school have admitted more than 12 in previous years you have a case for them admitting the same number again iyswim.

The fact that the allocated school is closing does not give you a strong case for appeal. The appeal panel will know that the LA must allocate you a place at another school when this school closes. It is not the panel's job to find a place for you. If your case is simply that the allocated school is closing and you want the panel to admit your child to your first choice school I would expect you to lose. Sorry.

In order to win you need to show why your first choice school is the right school for your daughter. You therefore need to look for things the first choice school has which are missing from the allocated school and which will be of particular benefit to your daughter.