Overfull class, shrinking to PAN = unfairness to those who have already appealed?

[GeorgiaP]

If a school is overfull by 1 pupil (1 more pupil than PAN) and a child leaves, so that the class size then equals the PAN, is a place offered to the child at the top of the waiting list?

I'm guessing not - the child at the top of the waiting list will only be offered a place if the class size shrinks to less than the PAN.

This would seem to make the in-year appeals process prejudiced against the children on the waiting list who have already appealed, because they can't appeal again.

However, anyone making a new application, can now appeal and make a strong claim that the school can cope with going back to having more pupils than the PAN, without prejudicing the existing pupils.

Am I mistaken? Is there something in the process that stops this?

Going over PAN does not create a new PAN. The school took the child in exceptional circumstances. A new appeal is done on its own merits.

I don't think it would make a difference in Infants where you basically have to show a mistake has been made to win an appeal.

In junior years, it is more weighing the benefit to the appealing child vs the impact on the school, in which case I think it is possible that sometimes an appeal could be granted when there are 30 in the class that wouldn't have been granted when there were 32. So I think you have a point OP, interested to see what the experts say. If they haven't already X posted!

Yes, I'm talking about junior, in-year applications/appeals, not infants.

If a school is popular there is always going to be someone who loses out. The fair access protocol is only used when there is no school place for a child in a sensible distance. It is only right that a child with no school place takes priority over a child who already has a school place locally.