Can anyone help with a Catholic (voluntary) reception appeal?

[cherryblossom80]

Hi

i have lots of reasons for why have applied to school, am not keen on outing myself so a bit of a long shot, wondered if anyone is able to give me a few pointers if i pm them? Fell so overwhelmed by process and what outcome may be if end up unsuccessful

Are the class sizes 30 or a multiple of 30 and are they full?

Do you think you were put in the right admissions category?

Do you know why you didn't get a place? How well do you meet the over-subscription criteria?

class size is 30 - think i can argue i was in wrong category but also have other reasons to support application from the reasonableness argument - can I aim for a combination of the two?!

Are you a practicing Catholic ? is you are, do you know if any non Catholic children have been admitted ?

An unreasonable decision can be grounds for a successful appeal, even when Infant Class Size rules apply. But it means really perverse; things like child protection issues.

Being in the wrong category might also win an appeal - but only if your DC would have been awarded a place had the mistake not been made. So for example, if you were considered in 5th priority, but should have been in 4th, you still don't get a place if offers only went to part way through 3rd.

Yes, Catholic and active member of Parish. How can I find out if other non - Catholics have been admitted, do the school have a right to disclose this?

Sorry, being dumb, what is the pver-subscription criteria?

The over-subscription criteria is just another name for the entrance criteria: ie who gets priority when there are more applicants than places.

The letter explaining why you didn't get an offer should include information of which category your DC was placed in, and your distance from the school.

It should also tell you where the cut off was for offers (ie which category/distance for the last child admitted).

Hi - I havent received a letter, should i query with the school directly? (is this because its voluntary not LEA) thanks

From what you say this is likely to be an infant class size appeal. That means you can only win if the admission arrangements didn't comply with the Admissions Code, they were not administered correctly (e.g. your child was placed in the wrong category) or the decision to refuse admission is unreasonable (which, as meditrina says, means really perverse).

The letter the LA sent you offering you a place at another school should tell you why you didn't get a place at this school. If it doesn't their appeal case definitely will.

Feel free to PM me if you need further advice.

Thanks everyone for advice, i think that's the way forward meditrina as feel we have been placed in wrong category.

have pmed you prh47.
thanks everyone