Yr 3 appeal. What to focus on?

[RocknRollAlphabet]

Hi, looking for some advice please.

We moved house at the end of DS1s reception year and put him on the waiting list for the local primary school (3 form entry but popular). We have been travelling back to the original school for 2 years now (about 2 miles or so). I naively assumed there would be more movement in the local area but he has remained at no. 4 on the waiting list.

So, fast forward to now and DS2 has been offered a reception place at the local school. The old school is fine but I really want DS2 to have local friends, be able to walk to school etc. Plus we have a baby so it would mean travelling back to the old school for 10 more years or be in the same situation in 4 years time.....

So unfortunately we are potentially faced with 2 children at 2 different schools. No local family etc. Entirely a situation of our making but annoying nonetheless.

I will appeal as the Infant Class Regulations will not apply to Yr 3 and they may consider making an extra space especially if we are the only family in this situation.

What points would you focus on in the appeal? Just stick to the sibling aspect and logistics? Would you throw in no local family point? DH has to start work at 8am and there is no flexibility in this. We also only have 1 car and would struggle to afford a second. Would the council even care about this?

Also anyone know our chances? LA is Birmingham. Stats on website show 7.5% success rate, pretty poor odds but I feel we have a good argument.

Thank you for reading essay. Hope makes sense!

Just stick to the sibling aspect and logistics? Would you throw in no local family point? DH has to start work at 8am and there is no flexibility in this. We also only have 1 car and would struggle to afford a second. Would the council even care about this?

I don't think any of those things will make any consideration at appeal.

You need to look at things at the new school that they offer that your ds would benefit from. Eg an orchestra and he's learning an instrument.
Logistics etc are not considered.

In theory logistics, the sibling link, etc. don't carry much weight at appeal. As Witchend says, appeal panels are not supposed to take these things into consideration at all. However, some appeal panels are more open to these things than others so it wouldn't do any harm to include them, although I wouldn't spend much time on them.

I agree with Witchend that you need to look at things the local school offers your son that are missing from his current school and that you can show are particularly relevant to him.

It is worth trying to find out how if they are full in all year groups and if they are over PAN in any year groups. If they aren't full in all year groups the panel may consider that the school has room overall. Also if the Yr3 class is over by one a panel may consider that with tables seating two, there is space. Don't put this information in your written appeal but ask questions at the hearing to cover this. Explain that there is a danger of your child not being on time if they have to go to a different school to the younger one. This will impact on their learning and confidence and be disruptive to the class.

You may move up the waiting list once older child has a sibling link.

I think they expect you to use childminder or breakfast club etc rather than say that one of the kids will be late every day. That wouldn't be deemed acceptable. I think if you miss registration you are marked absent for the whole session.

Definitely worth looking to see whether sibling link will move you up the waiting list once the younger child starts. Some sibling links only work down age groups - so an older sibling can give priority to a younger one but not vice versa. Others work both ways.

It also seems counter-intuitive that the reasons that could be valid for the panel are possibly not particularly important for you - for you, it is the logistics that matter, but for the panel, the fact that your child plays the violin and the desired school has an orchestra whereas the current school doesn't (though trivial to you) is something they can give weight to.

Have they been able to keep to PAN all the way through KS1? What are the typical class sizes in KS2 at the moment, and over the last few years? If the school often y has 31 or 32 children per class in KS2, but the y2 classes are currently all 30, then you can argue that they have coped before with an extra child or two, and can do again. You then just need reasons that put your child ahead of other children who might want those extra couple of places - and it can be simple things like clubs, specific facilities etc.

Goodness. Great advice. Thanks all. Need to start drafting....

If anyone is reading, what is PAN? I can guess the meaning but what does it stand for?

Thank you again

Published Admission Number :-)

Thanks