Primary appeal based on subjects?

[MDM]

Has anyone ever based an appeal on the subjects that the school offers? Eg I want my child to go to school X because it offers music, which I feel is very important, whereas school Y doesn't?

From threads that i have seen that is what people should be basing their appeal on, i.e. what the school that you want can offer your dc rather than what the school that has been offered cannot. But, be aware if it is an infant class appeal. There are lots of really knowledgeable people on this site who will tell you more so this post is also a bump

By "offering subjects" do you mean as extra-curricular activities? Because all schools offer all subjects otherwise. You may have plucked music as a random example, but all state primary schools must teach music, along with all the other foundation subjects.

Hello there, the school we have been offered has no music teacher or language teacher, but the one we want has both. Both of these subjects rank highly on the list of what I'd like from a school.

Forgive my ignorance (I know so little about this), but what does 'infant class size' mean?

Infant class size refers to the law that from reception to year 2 classes cannot go above 30 otherwise another qualified teacher has to be employed (which schools aren't likely to do). If the LEA made a mistake on admissions (which sometimes it does), then the school can admit an extra pupil without needing an extra teacher. Usually if the class size is a multiple of 15 then it will be an infant class size appeal. One of the experts will probably be along in a bit who can advise you further.

Infant Class Size refers to the legal limit (of 30) for the number of pupils per teacher. If more pupils are admitted (say following successful appeal) then an additional teacher must be employed in due course (there is a grace period of 1 year during which such children are described as 'excepted' from the count, but if no children leave then another must be employed for Y1, and no children can be admitted from the waiting list until the number per teacher falls to 29.

Appeals won't take that much notice of things you'd like in a school (else everyone could just say, I like that school because teacher A has some specific qualification).

You will need to focus why your DC needs (not wants) those features in a school. Can you demonstrate particular musical talent, or language ability? And does you preferred school have eg orchestra/band/choir that allocated school does not?

As others have said, whether or not it is an infant class size case depends on the way classes are organised in Reception, Y1 and Y2. Classes in these years must have no more than 30 children with a single teacher unless the additional children are "excepted". Usually an appeal will be infant class size if the admission number is 15, 30, 45, 60 or some other multiple of 15 but it does depend on the school's organisation. You will receive the LA's case before the appeal. That will say whether it is an infant class size case. If it is an infant class size appeal you should only win if you can show that a mistake has been made and your child should have been admitted.

If it is not infant class size you can win by showing that the appeal school meets your child's needs and hence your child would be disadvantaged if they don't go to this school. The subjects taught and the extra-curriculur activities on offer can be part of that. However, it must be about what your child needs, not what you want. Saying that you want a school with a dedicated music teacher is unlikely to win an appeal. You would have a stronger case if you can show that your child is musically talented and that the appeal school offers more musical activities than the offered school, for example.

Got it. What a minefield!

Surely music will be taught in all schools whether there is a separate music teacher or not??

It will, but some will have more musical activities than others. And not all primary schools teach a foreign language.