Home educators making school appeal

[tolsta]

Hello everbody,
We have always been home educating our son aged 8. After the lockdowns and moving counties a couple of times in the next year, we feel he is changing and not motivated or socializing enough. Luckily we have a state democratic school close to our house that follows the same principles the kid is used to. We went to see it and it is perfect as a transition to more formal education and most importantly, he loved it and is for the first time willing to try school!
The council has rejected our application for an overcrowded class but the headteacher said that the class had 1 extra kid and this kid just left. He also added not to say that he told us, don't know why. I have now requested to the school (according to the freedom of information act) a list of the number of pupils in that class for the last 5 years. I have also read that is better to focus the appeal on how the child will be prejudiced ‘more than any prejudice caused to the other pupils’ if not admitted to the school. What kind of evidence could I include in the appeal? I already asked the school for the list of pupils and the headteacher to support our appeal with a letter.
Any suggestion?
Thanks very much for your advice!

Can you not go on the wait list?

I thought appeals had to be made on social or emotional grounds.

If you didn't get in and the school is full can you look at other schools? Has the local council told you which ones have spaces?

How far down the waiting list are you? What was the entrancd criteria? Did you miss out on distance?

I don't think you can appeal on basis its the school you wanted and didn't get..

That's not the case baby
Grounds for appeal at KS2 can be any reason why the school you're appealing for is the only school that can meet the child's needs or can meet them best. It will need to be evidenced though.

@Babymamamama

I thought appeals had to be made on social or emotional grounds.

Proving discrimination is really the most effective route but nigh on impossible.

OP you just need to go on the waiting list, it won't take that long if you're in an area with a relatively transient population.

What is a state democratic school ?

The council told us they don't do waiting list as our application is treated as In-year applications, no waiting list :(

@Floralnomad

Here you can find info on what a democratic school is
alternativestoschool.com/articles/democratic-schools/

Normally is very expensive, we are lucky to live close to a state one

@GiantToadstool

If you didn't get in and the school is full can you look at other schools? Has the local council told you which ones have spaces?

How far down the waiting list are you? What was the entrancd criteria? Did you miss out on distance?

I don't think you can appeal on basis its the school you wanted and didn't get..

Hello! Thanks for your message. The reason we are considering that particular school is that it follows the same educational systems he is used to, no timetable, no uniform, no homework, no rewards or punishment. There is no other school around here or even remotely close similar. There is no waiting list as we are considered in year transferred. It is a very small village school, 15 kids per class, they tend to stay.

Are you in the UK?

They sound hideous 🤦‍♀️
If the school had an "extra" child who's just left, there hasn't actually been a place vacated.

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

That's not the case baby Grounds for appeal at KS2 can be any reason why the school you're appealing for is the only school that can meet the child's needs or can meet them best. It will need to be evidenced though.

Thanks for your message. What can of evidence do you think would be suitable?

You are in the UK?

Assuming your son is in Year 3 or above, this should be a normal prejudice appeal (assuming you are in England or Wales).

This means you have to persuade the panel that the prejudice to your son of not attending is greater than the prejudice to the school of taking another child.

Contrary to what PP have said, this doesn't have to be anything specific around social/emotional/discrimination; it can be anything that shows the prejudice. In reality, most successful appeals offer a combination of reasons, unless there is something hugely standout, which it doesn't seem there is here.

The fact the class had one over and a child has left doesn't mean there is a space just to hand out; it sounds like the class was one over PAN, for whatever reason (a previous won appeal, for example, or a child admitted late with an EHCP naming the school) and now a child has left which has taken them back to PAN. They don't have a "spare" space until they go back under PAN.

However, the fact (possibly) that the class has operated fine with 1 over PAN is useful, as it demonstrates that they can cope.

The head should not support the appeal though, so don't expect a letter. He may not object too much, but assuming it's not an academy, it's not up to him.

You need to evidence that the school can cope with one more, and that the detriment to your son of not being admitted to this school is greater than the detriment to the school of having to cope.

Do you mean like Summerhill? Don't know of any state schools in the UK like that. When was the last Ofsted inspection?

I can’t imagine many uk state schools like this?!

But your post reads to me…. I suddenly want my child to join mainstream school and I’m going to stamp my feet until I get a place even though there isn’t a place (although apparently the rather pathetic sounding head says there is)

There isn’t a timetable?

How on earth does that work?

It looks like the school is full!

What other local options are there? Have you got othsr village schools you could look at?

I thought the only democratic schools still open in the UK were in the private sector.

You need to demonstrate that the detriment (prejudice) to your DS is greater than that to all the rest of the pupils if they go/remain over numbers.

The head won't be allowed to write a supporting letter, and although you shouid be able to get numbers of pupils in each year group for the last 3 years or so (so you can demonstrate for example that they regularly cope without problems slightly over PAN (permitted admission number))

So you need to show why your son needs thus type of education. Not why you as a parent like is philosophy best, but why your DS needs to be there.

Does he have a passion for a particular subject or activity they they do there? Can you show evidence of his interest/achievement? This may well not need to be substantial, as it sounds as though the HT knows the school will not put u,a strong case against admission.

But one of caution, the HT might be overpromising (because he wants to be nice)

The council told us they don't do waiting list as our application is treated as In-year applications, no waiting list

I don't think this isn't entirely accurate, though this may depend on area. I had a home educated child who was put on a waiting list from an in-year application - however, I was told by the council person I spoke to that if she hadn't gotten a place by the end of the summer term (we applied in March), I might need to reapply as they usually clear their waiting lists at the end of the academic year. With it so close to the end, I could see them basically not adding anyone right now even if that's not entirely right to do.

So, alongside the great advice for on appeals, I might push on the no waiting list remark. Maybe ask when you could reapply when the waiting list will be possible as a back-up for the appeal.

@PatriciaHolm

Assuming your son is in Year 3 or above, this should be a normal prejudice appeal (assuming you are in England or Wales).

This means you have to persuade the panel that the prejudice to your son of not attending is greater than the prejudice to the school of taking another child.

Contrary to what PP have said, this doesn't have to be anything specific around social/emotional/discrimination; it can be anything that shows the prejudice. In reality, most successful appeals offer a combination of reasons, unless there is something hugely standout, which it doesn't seem there is here.

The fact the class had one over and a child has left doesn't mean there is a space just to hand out; it sounds like the class was one over PAN, for whatever reason (a previous won appeal, for example, or a child admitted late with an EHCP naming the school) and now a child has left which has taken them back to PAN. They don't have a "spare" space until they go back under PAN.

However, the fact (possibly) that the class has operated fine with 1 over PAN is useful, as it demonstrates that they can cope.

The head should not support the appeal though, so don't expect a letter. He may not object too much, but assuming it's not an academy, it's not up to him.

You need to evidence that the school can cope with one more, and that the detriment to your son of not being admitted to this school is greater than the detriment to the school of having to cope.

Thanks you Patricia. Yes, we are in the UK, Suffolk.

You are absolutely right in all you are saying. That class was overcrowded and is now back to PAN.
Why shouldn't the headteacher support the appeal? it is a very small school, not an Academy.
How can I ask the school for evidence that they can cope with one extra kid? which kind of document will that be? just a letter from them saying they did cope with 16?
And what kind of evidence can I have to prove the detriment of my son of not being admitted there?
Thanks very much

@BiBabbles

The council told us they don't do waiting list as our application is treated as In-year applications, no waiting list

I don't think this isn't entirely accurate, though this may depend on area. I had a home educated child who was put on a waiting list from an in-year application - however, I was told by the council person I spoke to that if she hadn't gotten a place by the end of the summer term (we applied in March), I might need to reapply as they usually clear their waiting lists at the end of the academic year. With it so close to the end, I could see them basically not adding anyone right now even if that's not entirely right to do.

So, alongside the great advice for on appeals, I might push on the no waiting list remark. Maybe ask when you could reapply when the waiting list will be possible as a back-up for the appeal.

Thanks very much, I will push the waiting list again on Monday and ask when I can reapply otherwise. Good advice.

@Scaredycat87

I can’t imagine many uk state schools like this?!

But your post reads to me…. I suddenly want my child to join mainstream school and I’m going to stamp my feet until I get a place even though there isn’t a place (although apparently the rather pathetic sounding head says there is)

Thanks for your comment. Yes, this type of school is quite unusual. Thanks for your interpretation. I wonder how could I sound different in my appeal so they don't get the same interpretation. There are many other state schools around with spaces available, but we want to join this specific school that has the same ethical values as us.

@JaninaDuszejko

Do you mean like Summerhill? Don't know of any state schools in the UK like that. When was the last Ofsted inspection?

Yes, it is like Summerhill but from the state. They have outstanding Ofsted results from 2012

@meditrina

I thought the only democratic schools still open in the UK were in the private sector.

You need to demonstrate that the detriment (prejudice) to your DS is greater than that to all the rest of the pupils if they go/remain over numbers.

The head won't be allowed to write a supporting letter, and although you shouid be able to get numbers of pupils in each year group for the last 3 years or so (so you can demonstrate for example that they regularly cope without problems slightly over PAN (permitted admission number))

So you need to show why your son needs thus type of education. Not why you as a parent like is philosophy best, but why your DS needs to be there.

Does he have a passion for a particular subject or activity they they do there? Can you show evidence of his interest/achievement? This may well not need to be substantial, as it sounds as though the HT knows the school will not put u,a strong case against admission.

But one of caution, the HT might be overpromising (because he wants to be nice)

Hello, yes, I thought the democratic schools in UK were just private too. We are really lucky to have moved close to one that is from the state. I don't know how to demonstrate that the detriment to m DyS is greater than that to all the rest of the pupils if they go/remain over numbers.

We consider that he would be more suitable for that type of education as it is the only way he has been learning up until now (child-led with no subjects or timetables) and he could blend in better than in mainstream education with subjects, uniforms, timetables, etc. But how can that be demonstrated?

Thanks