Appealling a primary school place NI

[Mags9010]

Hi, has anyone ever appealed a Primary one school place in Northern Ireland, if so what was the outcome and how long did it take to find out?

Very difficult to get replies on a NI topic. Have you posted in Craicnet too?

Once you have had the appeal hearing it is a week to 10 days for the decision to be communicated to you.

We still haven't heard a thing bar confirmation that we appealed. No never heard of that site will have a look thank you

Oh just realised thats a topic

I'm assuming your appeal is to the Education Authority? Have you contacted them to ask? Have you checked out their website to see if there's information there?

Appeals only closed on 9th May.

Not yet, we have the appeal in since the 2nd May was just wondering what the timeline would be.. Have two P1 open days in June for the 2nd choice school and the one we appealed. Don't want to confuse him going to both

I would have thought there would be some kind of timescale though? There usually is around schools admissions/appeals (whether they meet those is another matter entirely, but!)

Maybe the principal of the school at the centre of the appeal would be in a position to advise?

What general area is the school in? I know you obviously wanted your first preference or you wouldn't have applied to it, but how would you feel about him attending second choice?

There's an email address on here if you want to make a query about your appeal - and a phone number to contact.

https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions/admissions-appeals

Criteria was walking distance, it's across the road from the house, grandparents doing the general mon to friday drop off for us, the other school is a good school but over 2 miles away.

Back story is we were moving house during application, I put the current address on application at the time (old address), had put in application that we were moving to the new address, updated the EA when we moved, updated the school start of March well before decisions made. Unfortunately they only accepted the address at the time of the application closure which was the old one

Principle and the Board of Governors gave their full support of the appeal. I will just have to email them to find out the timescale for such things, was hoping someone here had some experience of it. We should have a strong case, but again who knows for sure.

An appeal can only succeed where the criteria has been wrongly applied or not applied at all and if it were applied correctly the child would have got a place. The Board of Governors can only allocate places following the criteria and using the information given on the application form.

Where are you on the waiting list?

21 got in normally 18 places and there was 24 applications, I believe we were number 24. We are actually the closest to the school for the applications for the year. And i'd updated the EA and the school of the move, well in advance, it was actually in the body of the application. However they went from address at time of the closing date 26th January.
The school told us if he was going into P2 up to P7 they could take him and once he starts a school I don't want to move him.

The Principal said she has room for him and the other applicants don't stand a catch of appeal due to being too far away. So really he is next on the list to get in. But can't see any dropping out, it's a small rural school

That's really unfortunate! If worst comes to worst, 2 miles isn't far to get to school. We were two miles from our children's primary and post-primary schools and our location is urban. Pity you didn't know to put the new address on the application. I can't see them budging on that unfortunately. They will have applied the criteria as per the application at the time it was submitted.

We had so many hiccups when purchasing and selling that I didn't want to tempt fate 😩 in hindsight I am kicking myself now! No, 2 miles isn't far at all and it is a really good school. I am just thinking of our aging parents who help with the childcare part. Easier to do drop off at the wee rural school. But hey ho!
I looked at the criteria again and it does mention date of application only when it relates to a sibiling at the school, not for the address part. So keeping hope.

You're so lucky to have parents to help with childcare! Ours lived too far away. We lived to tell the tale, somehow lol!

Fingers crossed, hope it works out for you.

What are the class sizes in NI? We have have 25 in P1 in Scotland

Just looked it up and they can have up to 30 kids in a class legally so surely everyone should have got a space?

It's a while since mine were in primary but at the time, the school had 3 P1 classes of 25-30. I think numbers in the school are even higher now. Depends on where the school is really.

So lucky, as one wage doesn't stretch far, so we both need to be out working. Childcare is super expensive. You just make do. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

It depends on the school size, so our first choice is a is a small rural school, they are allowed 125 children from P1 to P7, they have currently 117 and said they could take him if from P2 to P7 but not P1. Also their normal intake is 18, but they accepted 21 for the coming 24/25 intake. Really oversubscribed this year. The other school has 2x P1 classes of 24. Really first choice has the room for him if he was going into P2 but not P1. It doesn't make any sense!

But it’s not like they’d have to hire an extra teacher or anything? Seems odd

Oh been there, done that etc! We were paying for childcare for 18 years for one or more of our three at any one time. In their 20s now and still can't get the feckers off the payroll 😄

Very best wishes, sorry I couldn't help more.