Help advice on how to win an appeal Please

[TheHumanCatapult]

we will shortly be moving . Dd is in y4 both the 2 local schools are full .

School one my first preferance is 110m from my house
School 2 CofE school is 400m

Next school is over 1500m
One with space is 2 miles

I would rather she went to the nearest and aim to appeal on grounds that it is her nearest

Also that as I'm in a wheelchair full time it is realistically the only one I can self propel to
If we have bad weather I will struggle to get out wherlchairs and ice /snow do not mix .least at that school ds2 can help with pick up and drop of ,as is on way to his school if needs will make use of before and after clubs .

Also can use the clubs when ds3 has appointments so dd will not have to miss school as she does now as there's no after school care so if can not guarantee tO be back have to take her

Ds3 has Sn so he goes in a taxi .nearest school means I will be back in time for him
Also going to nearest school means she be able to take part in after school activities as she often misses out on activities due to ds3 or my disabilities

Any other advice please

I think that you have already made a reasonable case for yourself around your DS3 son having SN and being transported in a taxi, with the issues arising from needing to be home when he gets back and your own compelling circumstances for having a nearby school. Also do not under-estimate the need for your daughter to form local friendship groups, which is best served by the local school and the fact she had go to all the afterschool clubs.
With it being a yr4 appeal there is no issue over infant class size regs, so it is the prejudice to your D and yourself against the prejudice to the school. That prejudice is going to be mainly around the number of pupils in the class and in the year group.
Don't delay get the appeal in. I would also strongly advise that you go to the appeal in your wheelchair if at all possible, that can do you no harm in helping to convince the appeal panel of the strength of your case.

Thank you am waiting on definite date for move then will file .School told me there's already a waiting list .

Though feel bad if we jump over anyone waiting but it really is my only option

Erm never realised I would have to the appeal .Thought was all done in writing so Thank you

And yes I would be going in my chair since don't walk at all . There is 30 in each of the year 4 classes . And yes part of reason want her local is for her to be able to make friends and socialise to with them

You don't have to go to the appeal but I would usually advise doing so. And in your case I would strongly recommend attending in your wheelchair as Admission suggests.

It would also be worth finding out (if you don't know) if any KS2 classes have over 30 puils in them now (or have had recently)

If there have been classes with 31/32 in, then it gives less weight to any suggestion by the school that over 30 would cause a huge prejudice.

You can then raise that at the appeal if they claim they couldn't cope with more than 30 (I'm always of the view of not asking a question unless you are pretty sure what the answer is in such situations )

ty

No I don`t know , hmmw onder if theres anyway of finding out on ks2 class size
Admission and Bridge

I will attend the appeal and yes be in my chair .Which in some ways makes me feel guilty thaat Im hoping to make them feel guilty about it .But then my appeal is 90% based around the fact I am in a wheelchair and not like I cna leave it at home anyway

Ask the LA for any information you need. They are required to answer any reasonable questions you ask to help you prepare for your appeal.

You have a genuine reason for needing a place at that school, unlike some. Good luck

Don't feel guilty about going to the appeal in your chair. When you have done as many appeals as I have done you can get a bit cynical about some of the things that are said by both appealants and the admission authority. Saying you are in a wheel chair and then not turning up to the appeal would immediately give me some concern about needing additional evidence to substantiate that claim. Arriving in a wheel chair will dispel any lingering concerns. Yes some sympathy comes into it but as far as I am concerned you are demonstrating further practical evidence to back up your written evidence.
As far as class sizes are concerned, 30 is the normal number for a class. It would be useful and not at all unusual if there have been more than 30 in the junior classes. You could try looking at the website of the school and see what that says about class numbers. There is also something called the section 251 report which wil be somewhere on the LA website. This is actually a large finance report on the funding set for each individual school, but table 3a actually has the numbers in each year group for the previous January, which might be useful. I would warn you that LAs tend to bury this data even though it is legal requirement, so they are not always easy to find.
When you are going to appeal, the admission authorities case not to admit will give current numbers in the school,but what you are after is previous higher numbers.
It is also worth checking for the actual admission criteria for the school to see exactly what it says. There will definitely be a sibling criteria but it might only apply to younger siblings who have an older sibling in the school, not the other way round, You need to check the wording carefully. The other question is whether there is a social and medical criteria. Again need to read the wording carefully but in many, social criteria includes issues around parents and you should certainly qualify around that, given your mobility issues. I say this because you need to get on the waiting list but also in the right place in the waiting list and with a reasonable amount of luck that would be high up on the waiting list.

Ty for the help

I have read the critera first is looked after children
Then social and medical Does not clarify if parents or child but will argue that if not in local school no after school avtivties so she be socially excluded .
Then siblings and is younger siblings not older but not relevant as ds3 will never go
Then nearest school

So hoping number 2 swings it

Remember to make all the points you made in your first post. That post makes a good case.

Sorry, I have obviously not explained myself well enough as you have misunderstood. In terms of the school waiting list if there is a social admission clause then you should argue that because of your disability it is an impossibility for your child to go to any school other than the one that you can manage to get to, that is the nearest one. It is your social issues that would allow you to be considered on the waiting list under cat 2. The way that this category is administered your daughters social needs, such as after school activities would not be a strong enough to justify inclusion under this criteria.
However when it comes to an actual appeal, everything is appropriate and at that point your daughter's social needs are a key part of your appeal.

Thank you for all the advice Well looks like I may not need to appeal had another meeting with the head.He is talking it to the school board to go one over for dd ,as feels my case is so strong that they would be instructed to take her anyway .And that it be far simpler and easier all round to admit her

Flipping heck, a head teacher who realises what the probable outcome is going to be!
Unfortunately if it is a community school the head actually has no say in the decision, it is the local authority. If it is the LA they will almost for sure let it go to appeal because they will want the appeal panel to admit. If they admit they set a precedent that is then hard to stop, no matter how strong the case.

It's an Academy now ,Intessting you say
that as there is 18 properties being built so could be quite a few wanting places . But I'm ahead of the game as mines allocated ready the rest be out to bid in couPle mOnths