Y3 admissions - applying from overseas and may need to appeal?

[redflipflops]

Hello - any advice would be greatly appreciated

We are moving back to the UK at Christmas and need school places in Y1 and Y3. Several local schools have places in Y1 but Y3 is full (30 or 31 in my first and second preference). So will the LEA allow a Y3 class to go above 30 in order to place my children in the same school? (I understand the class size legislation is more relaxed for KS2?) or would they offer the Y3 place at another school further away?

Will I have to appeal to try and get the Y3 place? I really don't want siblings split up..... What are my chances? I am worried they will offer a place at the not so nice school 3.5 miles away and children will end up at different schools.

When I phone LEA they are very cagey and just say they can't process application until 6 weeks before place is required.

I would have thought that, if your DC2 gets a place in Y1 in a desirable school and that your DC1 gets a place in Y3 in a less desirable place, you take both places and use your wits/charm/persistence to work your DC1 up to the top of the waiting list in your DC1's school

There is a legal limit on class size in Y1 but there is no limit in Y3. However, the LA will want to stick to the same admission number so they are unlikely to admit your child if they are already full up, even if that would only take the class up to 31. If they do turn down your application for your older child you can appeal. It will generally be easier to win a Y3 appeal than an infant class size appeal for Y1 but there are no guarantees.

thanks for the replies.

In the wider area there are several schools with Y3 classes of 31 and 32. Did all those children get accepted through appeal?

Not necessarily. It depends on how the school is organised. For example, a primary school near me has two classes of 25 in each of the infant years (Reception, Y1 and Y2). They then have 3 classes covering Y3 & Y4 with 33 or 34 children in each. The same happens in Y5/6.

There are a number of other possibilities that could explain this. But yes, it is possible they were all admitted through appeals.