Appeal Help!!! KS2

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Hi, can anyone tell me what I should be putting in my appeal submission about why the school we are appealing for should admit an extra one? - its a local village school (0.1 miles from our house) already at 31 in Year 2 (so Year 3 september which is what we are needing for DS) and into which we couldn't get a space at in Year 2 in Jan when we came back from overseas. We didn't appeal back in January as it was KS1 so we ended up putting DS into private where our DD was going (with the intention of reapplying for Year 3) - sadly the school we put them in is now closing anyway so both kids are having to move.

Our DD has been offered a place for Year 6 at this village school for September but our LEA are currently unable to offer DS anything and I'm guessing they don't see it as a priority since it's only June. There are literally no spaces for Year 3 september anywhere within 10 miles....many of the schools are already over PAN in this particular year group. I'm not panicking yet as there are the summer holidays to go but I just want to get a good shot at this appeal. The School has previously had a class of 34 when there was some mess up a few years ago and several appeals were won for Reception. This over PAN cohort left the school at the end of summer 2016. The school managed it (apparently there is one big classroom which they used for the entire duration of their time at the school) and actually thrived during the period this 'mega' class were there (SATs scores rocketed). Should I make a big deal of this on my submission even though I don't have all the actual detail (a lot of this information comes from other parents who have been at this school a while). I believe the current Year 2 class is the only one over PAN at the moment.

can I state in our appeal that our LEA are intending (as at last week) on going for a Fair Access direction ?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Were you by any chance overseas with the military or some other form if government service?

If the LA are considering a placement under Fair Access Protocol, then that is because they accept there are no available places within easy reach of your school. It is however not a certainty that they will nominate the school you want.
I would push for this to be completed before the admission appeal takes place as it will be easier all round and be certain of getting you a school place for September

This is pretty much exactly what happened to us.

We came back from overseas and dd1 went to high school but we couldn't get anywhere at all for dd2 in year four. She was out of school for three months before we got a place in our catchment school on appeal.

Ok Thanks. I will put this on my appeal form then.

Apparently the direction could take 6 weeks or more....that takes us over the time limit to appeal. Should i say on my submission then that we think the outcome of Fair Access should be completed before our appeal is heard?

I have sent you my appeal statement by PM.

There is no time limit for appealing. Any deadline the LA give is for administrative purposes only. They must hear your appeal even if you miss the deadline.

Having said that, going to appeal on the basis that they have not yet found a place for your son may help you. He will clearly be disadvantaged if the only alternative to this school on offer is no school at all.

Putting on your submission that the outcome of the FAP should be completed before the appeal is held is unlikely to result in the LA moving any quicker. The fact you are appealing may push them along as they know that you will have a stronger case if they haven't been able to come up with an offer before the hearing.

I hope this doesn't happen to you but unfortunately some LAs in this situation have turned up at appeal hearings falsely claiming an offer is about to be made and have convinced appeal panels to reject appeals on this basis. If the LA announces that they are making an offer in the hearing you should ask the panel to adjourn the hearing for 1 hour to allow the LA to put the offer in writing or, if they are unable to do so, proceed on the basis that there is no offer.

I haven't seen SavoyCabbage's statement so this is not a direct comment on what she has sent you. However, be careful about using other people's statements. Sometimes they haven't won for the reasons they think. Even if they have, your statement clearly needs to relate to your specific case.

Given what SavoyCabbage says about her case it is likely to have some relevance to you. Look at it critically. It could be something you can use exactly as it stands or with a little bit of tweaking, or it may be something you can use for ideas.

Absolutely. Although our 'stories' have a lot in common I think I won my appeal as it was my catchment school and dd had been out of school for three months. The admissions bloke said himself they didn't know where dd would go if the appeal was unsuccessful. And it would be a case of us applying to another full school and then appealing that.

All this advice and Cabbage's statement is brilliant thank you everyone. I am speaking again to the Fair Access officer tomorrow and will see where she has got to. She said she was writing an 'informal' letter to the nominated school (which is the village school nearest to our house) under the protocol and then after that would move to the formal direction. I will get the appeal in then as soon as possible. I think your situation was very similar to mine Cabbage.....we are on every waitlist for schools in our nearest town, our highest position is 3 but the LEA have already approached this school asking them if they could squeeze DS in and they have said no.....grrr. I am wondering whether this school might be a better option for Fair Access given than it is at PAN and not over?....I have to take the LEA's lead on that I guess. Thanks again