free school primary school appeal

[kittybloom]

My DS is currently without a place for Reception 2013. We applied for our four closest community schools. We are currently on the waiting lists for these schools.

Our first choice was a free school and my son would be in the founding year. It has a maximum size of 24 children. Does anyone know if I stand any chance of an infant size class appeal because there are less than 30 children or does this rule not apply to free schools?

Also, we are currently going through a whole range of tests for DD who is aged 15 months. She has gross motor delay although she is normal otherwise. She is a bit of medical mystery so we have been referred to a paediatric neurologist, appt next week. I really don't know how I'd cope if we weren't in a local school and I was trying to juggle that with a daughter with poor health who currently needs regular dr appts. Is this a ground of appeal at all and how does that fit in with the infant school size point. I should add, I never raised this as an exceptional circumstance in the application form, primarily because I did that last autumnn when DD's health issues had not been picked up to the same degree.

I would really welcome any tips or comments. TIA

The rules apply to free schools but with an admission number of 24 this will not be an infant class size appeal. You can therefore win if you can show that your daughter's need to attend this school outweighs the problems the school will face through having an additional pupil.

You can raise your daughter's medical needs at appeal. It will be a stronger case if you can get a letter from her specialist saying that she needs to attend this school. Without that the case would be significantly weaker.

You should also look at any other features of this school that would be of particular benefit to your daughter.

Thanks, that is really helpful.

Am I right I thinking therefore that as the class size is less than 30, I do not have to deal with the infant class size issue so it is an appeal on my particular circumstances only?

That is correct.

Prh47bridge, can I just clarify that you're saying that it would help the appeal for OP's DS to get into the school by raising OP's daughter's medical needs at an appeal and why she needs t attend that school (presumably in 3 years time?) I thought admission usually only took medical needs of child applying into account and not siblings or parents?

Sorry - I misread the OP and thought it only talked about one child, hence my comment about a letter from the specialist saying the OP's daughter needs to attend this school. Having read it again, the daughter's medical problems are not a strong reason for appeal. It may be worth throwing into the mix as an appeal panel may be sympathetic but a case also needs to be made as to why the OP's son would be disadvantaged if he does not attend this school.

Thanks