School Appeal Update - I did it, we won!!!!!

[NatM70]

I'm currently crying so many happy tears as I type this.

I've just received the email confirming WE HAVE WON the school appeal, and my child will be going to our preferred school.

To everyone who has supported me through this, the experts, other parents going through the same, thank you SO much.

I honestly don't know how I'd have got through these last few weeks without your guidance and support.

I really hope what I've learned from the whole process has helped to calm nerves of parents going through the same, and give some insight and clarification on how the appeals run (in my area anyway).

Thank you everyone.
Most of you have been a delight.
I've had a few say I had no chance - I did not listen, and I'm glad I didn't.

Don't give up, fight and fight and fight some more.
Don't stop fighting until you can't fight any more.

Good luck to you all, and thanks so much again.

@shinesparklesmile thanks so much 🥰

A year ago yesterday I won an appeal for my sons primary school place so can fully appreciate how you are feeling! All the stress worry and hardwork but oh so worth it!

@scotstarstrikestwo
So pleased you won yours!
I can't imagine having to do all this again 🙈
But yes, so worth it!

Am sat here in tears. We won. The school did not win their part 1 and all 4 admitted. It was like watching a house of cards come down and while I didn't expect it to end there I felt we'd have a good chance in round 2.
We asked questions around safety and attajnment in the years over pan and they had to say there were no issues. The classroom argument fell apart too.
I can't believe it's over.

Congratulations @beanhunter I’n so pleased for you!! So you didn’t even get to stage 2? At the end of the day what does it matter, as long as you know your child is going to the best school for them. Well done you!!

No. We were due to be the first round 2 and when we logged on it was just thr clerk who said thr schools case had not been upheld.

I think the things that helped were only 4 appealing and on national offers day they had had 7 over PAN offers made. Now back at Pan so all their arguments weakened.

That said i am utterly in shock.

@beanhunter amazing news! So happy for you.

@beanhunter it was ridiculous that you had to go to appeal at all. Well done!

Congratulations @NatM70 what a relief! mine is tomorrow and I feel sick at the thought of it x

@NatM70 can I be cheeky and ask how the schools case did not win? Im not hopeful after reading the info from our school and hoping for the same outcome although I know its very rare x

Hi @SadRach76
Thank you, it is!
I understand how stressful it is. But honestly, I had no need to be.
All of the worrying, stress, and anxiety were for the sake of it, because on the day, when you're fighting for your child, all of that disappears.
I suffer anxiety, and can have panic attacks, and I did most of it on my own (all the work leading up to the hearing and Stage One on my own, hubby joined me for Stage Two, but by that time I didn't need him as the nerves had gone).
The Panel were simply lovely, and instead of trying to weaken my case, they actually asked questions that strengthened and enhanced it.
We had a bit of a laugh, they were very interested in learning about my child as a real human, and wanted to know his strengths and likes.
As my written appeal was so comprehensive, it allowed time at the hearing to just go over the main points, and gave plenty of time for the Panel to ask all the questions they needed to, and I left there feeling they'd tried so hard to understand my child and his needs.
Good luck for tomorrow. The Panel usually do their best to help you and make you feel at ease, not hinder you, or they did in my case (and I've seen so many on this forum say they had similar experiences) xx

Aww well done I'm in a similar case I've done it all and hubby will be present at the appeal. Can I ask what questions were asked at the group stage as im struggling on what I think is acceptable to ask?
Well done again lovely x

@SadRach76

Not cheeky at all, I was such a pest to everyone who could advise in the lead up to the hearing, so I totally get it.

The school's case was upheld, the Panel deemed the school had demonstrated that to let in any more pupils would disadvantage them.
If it had not been upheld at Stage 1, everyone who'd appealed would have got in, and Stage 2 would not have gone ahead.
I think it is rare for a school to lose at Stage 1 though.
So Stage 2 went ahead, and therefore we had to prove our child would be more disadvantaged than the school by allowing them a place there.

Make sure you only make it about your child, no one else's - you're asking for only one more place.

Also, really look at the school's case and try to respectfully pick hold in it - the Panel will be listening to this and making notes, and in our case, they heard my questions and then asked the school some of their own.

Some questions I asked were -

1. Have the school gone over PAN in previous years, and if so, how have they coped?
2. Has being over PAN disadvantaged education? Ours are above PAN quite substantially in every year, and the attainment level is still above national average.
3. Has there been any accidents directly due to being over PAN (overcrowding?)?
4. Are classrooms 60sqm? These rooms can accommodate up to 30 pupils (ours averaged 25.8 per class)

Ask these questions, and any more you can think of at Stage 1, as you generally can't ask any questions about the school at Stage 2.

Do your research, look at the numbers, and all the information provided by school in their case, and try to pick as many holes as you can in it, as the aim here is to weaken their case, respectfully, as much as you can.
The Panel will be listening to you, and will take note of this.

Good luck! xx

Thank you so much so helpful and I've made a note ! the case from school states class sizes of 27 and they is 7 tutor groups , currently only 6 children on the waiting list! Crazy but.....
Thanks again xx

@SadRach76 good luck for tomorrow! Mine is on Tuesday and I am feeling so stressed today I could burst into tears (doesn’t help I’m going through a very stressful and busy time at work too). The person whose appeal succeeded because the school lost their case was @beanhunter so maybe they could help with why their school failed.
I think the school I am appealing for will not have that issue - there are 21 of us appealing 😬 and we’re around 30th on the waiting list after they have made some second round offers, so that’s not looking good either. sending you positive vibes for tomorrow! 🤞

Happy to share.

There were 4 appeals (surprised it wqs so low but not complaining right now!)

The schools PAN is 230. On national offers day they had made (in agreement with LA) 237 offers to accommodate all in catchment children. Following declines and second round they were back at 230. So point one was the panel asking how if they were willing tk offer 237 then they were saying to go above 230 now. The head made comments that they knew they would have declines but panel really pushed the case of what would have happened if all had accepted. They said they would have absorbed the children as they have done in every other year, including year 9 which is 22 over PAN.

There were then as @NatM70 said questions regarding safety and attainment. The school had tk answer there had been no incidents and attainment wqs no different in years over vs at PAN.

The final thing was classroom size. They have 33 classrooms under 55m2. But only teach 3/9 classes (the top sets) in groups of 30. And indeed have some much smaller classes in 6th form. So although it is a massive timetabling headache again it wasn't a strong argument.

I didn't expect their case to not be upheld. I did leave round 1 thinking we had a good chance in round 2 as there seemed some disbelief from the panel and the heads actual words of 'we want tk accommodate all catchment children, we know socially and academically it's best for them' was certainly in my favour and against what the LA had done refusing to update our address.

@SuperSue77 thanks for your message and good luck for Tuesday its awful isn't it. I feel ,well I have spent the last 2 months stressing and reading forums to gather as much info as I can.
Good luck x

@SadRach76 thanks!

Where you are on the waiting list had no bearing on the appeal at all.
I can't remember which expert told me, but I was told I could be in place number 50, and have a stronger case than who's at number one.
The Panel shouldn't know this information, but even if they do, they cannot tale this in to account.

@beanhunter Thanks for sharing, did you have the info regarding size of classrooms before the appeal or was it included in the schools case you receive? We have numbers for year groups and class sizes and number of classrooms but no sizes.
Regarding the stage 1 was it online or did you attend in person?
Ours is on Teams just wondering how long stage 1 lasted and how long it take them to reach a decision before going onto stage 2?
Thanks for your message and I bet your glad that's all over x

@NatM70 Can I ask what reason you were appealing? As we are not in catchment my child has attended the local primary since 3 and I'm appealing on friendship and mental health route however we have no evidence either to support as we have always dealt with his anxiety issues at home until now!
Thanks

The classroom sizes were in the schools case when we received it.

Ours was all on teams. I think stage 1 lasted just over an hour maybe. We were due back 45 mins later as the first of the stage 2s. They hadn't had chance to call us so when I logged on only the clerk was there who told us and I promptly burst into tears.

@beanhunter aww that's a lovely happy ending!
wow an hour I was expecting a lot less ours is at 9.30 and our individual one at 12.00so its a waiting game x

Stage 1 and 2 both in person.
I asked re size it classrooms, school didn't know.
Stage 1 lasted about 90 minutes as it was a group hearing with over 20 appellants.
Stage 2 was 30 minutes.
The Panel reached a decision on Stage 1 in a few minutes.

@SadRach76
Social - chronic bullying.
Medical - diagnosed anxiety and ocd, which CAMHS believe related to autism though he had no formal diagnosis as yet.
I do have a letter from our GP and a letter from school stating X school would be better suited to my child.
And a letter from CAMHS re their recommendations and the referrals.
Try and get at least one piece of evidence that school X is the only one for your child - Anyone can go in and say 'my child suffers with this and I think....' So anything from a professional bears a lot more weight.
Even then, as he's no formal diagnosis, we were on shaky ground, but luckily the Panel saw all the evidence I got together, and took my word on a few things - all of which are true, but I was certainly worried it wasn't enough as there were so many appealing, and I just didn't know if I'd got enough evidence.
Luckily it turns out I had. They assured me of this on the day.