advice about appealing for a Y3 place in a DC's old school

[SophieBarringtonWard]

We are possibly moving overseas for a year for DH to do humanitarian work. This will entail giving up DC1's school place (currently in Y2), and missing the application deadline for DC2 Reception place.

The schools in the area are over subscribed but there is some movement - there have been 3 places in DC1's class during reception, and I would anticipate being very near the top of the list as we live very close to the school.

How would an appeal panel be likely to view an appeal for a Y3/4 place based on the social/emotional needs for a pupil to be back in their school with their friends etc after a period of upheaval? I know that junior classes are not limited in the same way as infants but presumably that doesn't mean that every appeal is won!

sorry, 3 places in DC1's class since Reception.

How would you reconcile his social / emotional need to be at school with his friends, with taking him out for a year? The "period of upheaval" is presumably voluntary on your part, however laudable?

Is that the way an appeal panel would approach it in your experience Floggingmolly?

I don't think anyone will be able to say 'it'll be fine'.

However, if this is a vocation for you, as a family, then it will work out. No amount of worrying before you do it will help, it'll all depend on spaces/waiting lists when you get back.

Could you cope with a different school, or go private on your return?

Kids are adaptable, and the experience of living abroad has pros and cons, as does staying put.

Good luck.

I would hope that most panels would want to take the emotion out of any decision here.
I think that it would not be good grounds for basing your case on social / emotional need and is pandering to hoping that the panel will be emotive about the situation. It is a straight forward case of wanting to return to the school they were at previously.
You have also not mentioned DS2 who will be in an infant class size situation from your posts - what is going to happen with him, because your chance of success there is even more limited than for DS1.
I would suggest that if you are leaving for a year then you have to accept that when you return you may well be looking for other schools for your children.

Very laudable but is DH putting his need to do good work ahead of his children's need for a stable education? I hope you work it all out and do have some if needed!

Would not be relevant to an appeal surely?

Explain to me what appeal grounds are then - I thought the point of an appeal was to show that either error was made or that there is more harm done to the child not attending this school place than done to the school in going over numbers - is that not right?

Hi Sophie, Might possibly have some advice - could I PM you?

Of course grassroots!

You are broadly correct as to the ways you can win an appeal. However, DC2's case would be an infant class size appeal assuming they have 30 per class. That can only be won if there has been a mistake which is very unlikely for an in year application. Turning to DC1, the problem you will have is convincing the appeal panel that there will be any significant prejudice to your child through having to go to a different school to the one he is at currently. I think most panels would be unconvinced unless you could produce expert evidence that your child would be significantly more adversely affected by a change of school than the average child

Your chances of getting a place at this school for DC2 via appeal are vanishingly small assuming it would be an infant class size case. You will be relying on a place coming up via the waiting list. Your chances of a successful appeal for DC1 are better but I would suggest you find ways of strengthening your case rather than relying on the social/emotional argument.

I just won a year 3 appeal and all thanks to prh47bridge your advice was very helpful.

Thanks everyone - I hadn't mentioned DC2 as I was aware that appealing would not work in their case. As we expect to be back shortly after the admissions deadline closes I am pinning my hopes on sufficient churn taking place between February and September that DC2 gets offered a place fairly early on in the year. It's highly likely that DC2 would be top of the waiting list - certainly they would be for this year Reception iyswim.

Argh! I love our school & are very happy here. Worrying about this is causing me a lot of anxiety. DH is totally blasé about the whole thing.

nocheeseinhouse DH's approach is EXACTLY the same as yours. There are lots of good schools in the borough - in fact it is one of the top performing boroughs educationally nationwide - there are 5 schools within walking distance, two of which currently have Y3 places at, and which we know other children at… It would just be nice to be back at our old school.