Appeal tips can anybody help

[sass2014]

Hi there can anyone help? We've missed out on our school of preferred choice as I didn't supply proof of address when we moved. Admissions confirmed that if we had supplied proof then we would have got a placement at our first choice of school. We are so upset of this oversight by us.

I did add my new address to my online application but was still in the process of completing the purchase of our new house and had planned on sending in the proof when we had completed. With the stress of the move we forgot that we had to send in proof and our application was treated under our old address even though our confirmation letter was sent to our new address. Please can anyone advise us what we can do?

What is the Published Admission Number for the school? Would this be an Infant Class Size appeal?

Are you on the waiting list? Do you know your place on the list?

Also, when did you move? What was the LEA deadline for amending applications without treating them as "late"?

The fact that the LEA have said that you would have got the place if you had provided the evidence suggests. That you moved early enough for the move not to be regarded as a late application, but have you confirmed that from (say) the information published by the LEA about how it deals with changes of address?

In any event, it is going to be very hard to escape the fact that it was your responsibility to provide evidence of your change of address.

Hi there
The published admissions number is 15 and we are number one on the list. Thanks for reply. :-)

Hi there. We moved on the 24 January. The deadline for my application was 15 January. 22 February was the final date for amendments. Thanks :-)

Hi, When filling in the application form it says within the application form to send proof of address. But once I hit the submit button, there was nothing to remind me. I went into my details online to check that it did show my new address and it did. I just didn't remember that I had to send in proof of address :-( (The reason I know it mentions proof of address in the application is because I screen captured my whole application! ) I'm so disappointed. :-(

Very difficult and you must be so frustrated however it is up to you to provide all supporting documents with the application. You would have had to do this originally. Obviously they can't just take your word for it that you have moved, particularly when it places you higher up the admissions ranking for a particular school.

What is the school like they have allocated you?
Also, it's a good sign that you are no. 1on the waiting list. You may get lucky and someone may decline their place.

Our allocated school is the other side of town, because of the mistake, School Admissions are choosing a new school closer to our house. We don't even know what school will be yet and they won't tell when we will know. Our first choice of school is an amazing school and adds to our disappointment that we could have got in.

With a PAN of 15, that suggests that classes in reception, Y1 and/ or Y2 are combined to create a class of 30 (usually this is done by combining Y1 and Y2). If that is the case, this will be an infant class size appeal and you will win only if you can show that some kind of error on the LEA's part deprived you of your place.

You might manage to persuade the panel that the LEA should have reminded you in some way to submit the evidence of change of address. However this is extremely unlikely - most panels (I think) would take the view that the online form had told you to provide the evidence and that is sufficient and it was up to you to submit the documents without further prompting.

You are more likely to get a place via the waiting list, but as you will appreciate there can be no guarantees.

It's so frustrating as we were moving my other half injured his back badly and he is still getting treatment for it to this day. We were unable to unpack and with one year old and a four year old child to look after it was a nightmare :(. He was prescribed really heavy painkillers and muscle relaxants and was spaced out for the first two months. With every thing els and including having the nauro virus it wouldn't of been a problem if we would had just one reminder from admissions to send in the proof :(

If the class size end up being under 30 what would be the best way to go about appealing.

Thanks for your replies :)

If the eventual class size is less than 30, it makes no difference to your appeal because ICS rules and appeals are about the PAN and capacity of the class, not the actual (forgive the expression) number of bums on seats. But the good news from your perspective if that someone declines their place while you are top of the waiting list, it will be offered to you.

In the circumstances you have to appeal and make the case that the form did have your new address on it and that the LA did not make any attempt to confirm you had moved or that you needed to confirm proof of purchase.
To be honest, even with the issues about partners problems etc, this is a weak case and you have to be realistic about the likelyhood of success at appeal, but you need to appeal for your own sanity of nothing else.

I have responded to your post on the "Any tips" thread and given the reference of an LGO decision that may be useful. In that case the LGO found against the LA because, although they had written to the parents to request confirmation of their address (the parents claimed they had not received these letters) the LA had not attempted to ring the parents. The LGO decided that, as proof of address determined whether or not the parents got a place at their preferred school, the LA's failure to ring was an error justifying a successful appeal.

Given this LGO decision I think your chances at appeal may be a little better than Admission suggests. Having said that, I suspect few appeal panels are aware of this LGO decision and, even if they are, they may feel that it doesn't apply in this case. But you should definitely go for it. Indeed, given the LGO decision, I would refer this one to the LGO if your appeal fails and see if they think their previous decision should be applicable in your case.

Well that is interesting, never seen that judgement before. I think it certainly increases my belief that you should appeal and that you need to quote this LGO judgement saying that as you were very specific on the application form about moving and gave them the new address. As per the LGO case the LA then should have made more attempt to contact you

Yes, that is interesting. OP's chances of persuading the panel that the LEA should have done more to prompt her to provide evidence of her change of address may be better than I at first thought.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread. It really is appreciated. prh47bridge - I've replied to your message on the "Any Tips" thread. Many thanks for your help. :-)