Appeals - School is full?

[courderoy]

Apologies for a question that I’m sure as been asked a lot (I did search first).

I have an appeal hearing in a weeks time. The school have sent information about how they are full.

A lot of it seems to be that they don’t have facilities for the PAN, so they can’t take on any more (eg they are 8 toilets short, they don’t have enough gas taps in the labs for one between 2, some classrooms are only big enough for 26)

They also say that they have 4 pupils on roll under the fair access protocol - although they aren’t over PAN in any year according to the roll details. They have given the Fair access protocol as a reason that they can’t take on another child - but presumably this takes a school’s circumstances and Number on roll into account?

The pupil - teacher ratio is lower than national average and lower than all the other local schools, yet they say that more kids will be detrimental for teachers and cause stress.

There have only been 2 successful appeals in the last 6 years, I am not at all confident and very very stressed.

Does anyone have any experience/ advice around whether I could argue that if they don’t have facilities for the PAN one more wont make a big difference!

I have reasons for the appeal by the way.

Thank you!

I am unable to disclose this information on the thread. Plus every appeal is different
Maybe if you post what your appeal is about we could all offer advice ?

Sorry I meant to private message. I have an appeal soon where I am fighting looking at spaces and numbers and historic building formation. I thought your evidence may also be similar and was curious as to if I had done wrong by sending all my evidence when I first filed for an appeal x

I sending all your evidence in before the appeal is best as the appeal panel don’t have to consider new evidence presented on the day.
In their prejudice statement have they quoted room sizes to you, narrow corridors etc....
Are they using BB103 within their statement?
Have Ofsted made any negative comments on recent reports about the space within the school?

You absolutely have to submit evidence before the hearing that the admission authority and the panel members see before the hearing. The danger is that if you try and spring a surprise on the admission authority that the panel will either exclude your information (which they can do) but more likely call an adjournment to the appeal, so that all can have the opportunity to consider the evidence.
You also need to understand that such evidence, whilst in your case, may well have a bearing on all appellants case (the admission authority measured distances from the wrong place for instance). Again all such info needs to be raised during part 1 even if it is for instance you believe that the distance to your individual home has been measured incorrectly. Whilst that is clearly in your private case, it is my opinion, that you should at least ask the question of the panel chair as to whether it should be bought up in part 1 or part 2. If they then say part 2, there is then no possibility that the evidence cannot be submitted.

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So, the panel did decide on the other appeals and no one was successful. So that’s a positive for us, but still had no contact from the LA or the school. And still a huge breach on the schools admission code.
Discussing it now with local admissions office....

That is good in that you have not been disadvantaged. However, the other appellants may have been.