KS2 appeal hearing

[instantpotnoodle]

We have an appeal date for transfer into start of year 3 for our catchment school. We moved from outside the area last year (when child was in year 2) and couldn’t get a place so we reapplied for start of year 3 as class sizes can go over 30.

we expect the school’s case will just be to say they’re full, which they did when we got refused. Any insight into what questions we should be asking at the hearing? How strong does a schools case have to be or is it all entirely subjective depending on the panel? Thanks!

You need to look at what things this particular school can offer.

By catchment, do you mean just the local school or is it a fixed priority zone? Will this affect Secondary admissions in the future?
Did your child get any local school, or are they travel long distance currently? What about siblings?

In England however, just catchment school or just having siblings isn't usually enough to guarantee a school.

We’re in the priority area - so it’s both the local school and the one where we reside in the zone for.

its a feeder to the secondary but we’d get into the secondary based on our address anyway.

We’re at a school a couple of miles away on a busy route at the moment so logistically it’s a pain, means doesn’t have local friends, can’t walk or cycle, and we go in opposite direction to preschool for our younger child.

These are not reasons to win an appeal.

You need to say why the school offers what your DC needs from an educational standpoint. So music, SEND, sports etc . A school a couple of miles away is not a good enough reason to admitted because Dc does have a local school. Although it might be inconvenient for you, it’s not an argument that outweighs the efficient provision of education for the DC already in your preferred school. So unless you have a strong educational reason, I cannot see why the appeal panel would agree.

The only chink is if the school regularly has 31 or more in its ks2 classes. Where I was a governor, that was virtually never. LAC and Send named school would be exceptions. DC in a school 2 miles away would not have been admitted.