Appealing for school place in neighbouring LA

[Rubels]

We didn't get any offers from our list of preferences but did get an offer at an unsuitable school 2 miles away. Our daughter is adopted and has a few social issues due to bad start in life, loss of birth family,foster family. She struggles with new environments and change and finds it hard to trust adults. She has been attending nursery school where she has made slow but good progress especially since Easter. We put this school down as our 1st preference, even though it is in another LA (only a mile away though) as the staff have done a fantastic job helping our vulnerable little girl.
We plan to appeal the decision not to offer her a place- the head teacher is very supportive and has said she will write a supporting letter- but I just wonder how difficult it is to appeal to another LEA? Appeals are difficult enough as it is!!

We have missed out on new legislation by 1 year as from next year adopted child will have the same status as children in care meaning that we would get priority.

Appeals to a neighbouring LA have exactly the same chance as appeals to schools in your own LA.

If it is an infant class size case you are unlikely to win unless you can show that a mistake was made and your daughter should have been admitted. If it is not infant class size you can win based on the disadvantage to your daughter through not being admitted.

I'm afraid the appeal panel should ignore any supporting letter from the head teacher. Schools are not allowed to support appeals.

thank you prh47bridge.
It's a 60 place reception and I have been told by the HT that there are 18 on the waiting list. I have to wait until Tuesday to find out where we are on that list but I expect we are 18th as we are out of the area.
So it will be infant class size- although I do know that this school has accepted extra excepted children so it does have the means to admit an extra child without predjudicing other children,,,,well I think!!!!!!!

Our child has suffered loss from aged 4 days old and is a vulnerable, anxious,tinid individual. We are focusing on the new legislation and will be promoting the fact that just beacuse she is adopted doesn't mean her needs have diappeared.

I am afraid that with an admission number of 60, this is the maximum the school and Local authority can admit, unless a decision to made to put in a bulge class or something like that. An appeal can admit over the 60 but as this will be an infant class size regs appeal they can in theory only admit where there has been a mistake made and you should have been offered a place. Previous history of admitting over 60 as excepted pupils should have no influence on the appeal panel.
I think that the only logical appeal is on the basis of what the situation would be next year, but it should not really succeed. I think you do need to consider what your Plan B is, as the chances of success at appeal are low.