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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Please help with secondary school appeal letter

9 replies

Mevy · 12/03/2024 06:37

Hi everyone i was wondering if anyone would mind helping with my appeal letter just point me in the right direction if what I covered in the letter is ok. Also where do i find the schools PAN number?
Another thing I have noticed on the gov website is it says school capacity it 620 and number of pupils is 529 which has been updated as of February 2024 will this be of any use if i mention this in an appeal?

OP posts:

MarchingFrogs · 12/03/2024 07:41

The PAN will be in the school's admissions policy on its website and in the information about the school in the composite prospectus published by the Local Authority where the school is situated (so, in the school admissions part of the LA's website).

Bluevelvetsofa · 12/03/2024 08:56

The number under PAN is relevant in terms of the year group. Year 7 might be at PAN, but other years under.

prh47bridge · 12/03/2024 11:34

The school must answer any reasonable question you ask to help you prepare for your appeal. If you can't find the information you want elsewhere, ask them.

If the figures you've found are correct and they are a long way under capacity, that can help. It undermines any arguments they make about overcrowding. Personally, I wouldn't use that in your written case. I would use it in the hearing when questioning the school's representative.

Your written case needs to show that your child will be disadvantaged if they aren't admitted to this school. Concentrate on your strongest arguments. Make it easy for the appeal panel to understand your case.

Original poster

Mevy · 12/03/2024 11:46

@prh47bridge the only major problem i do have is i get really nervous when talking in-front of people and I know for a fact that i will forget my points which is what i’m mainly worried about.
is it reasonable to ask the school about past appeals and how did they accommodate to those children?
Also i know the school has long waiting lists in each year so I was really surprised seeing this published about the numbers could it have been written in error?

my two main points of my letter will be that she loves to cook and bake and is always creating new projects to trst out in the kitchen at every opportunity she gets and this school alongside having it as a subject have 3 after school clubs per week where they get the opportunity to do this and i think it will help her interests progress.
My second point will be they do Arabic subject which my daughter takes after school sessions for over the past 2 years so it will benefit her a-lot if doing it as a subject in school and also have after school clubs for this too.
Are these points valid I'm so unsure.

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 12/03/2024 12:29

Make sure you have notes of the main points you want to make in the hearing. Refer to them as you are talking and stick to them. That should ensure that you don't forget any of the points you want to make.

Yes, both points you make are valid. They are the kind of things that appeal panels are looking for.

It is reasonable to ask if they've been over PAN previously. If they have, that weakens their arguments that they can't cope.

It is unlikely but not impossible that the numbers on the government website are wrong. Ask the school to confirm whether they are correct.

Original poster

Mevy · 12/03/2024 13:05

@prh47bridge thank you for your feedback. I really do appreciate the time taken out to reply by everyone @MarchingFrogs @MarchingFrogs thank you

OP posts:

zippetty · 12/03/2024 13:29

Mevy · 12/03/2024 06:37

Hi Mevy. Are you getting your 529 figure from the Compare Schools website? You're right that it was last updated in February 2024, but the update was the 2023 performance data (GCSE and A Level results), not school census data. School census data is collected in January each year, and published in June, so the 529 figure will be from Jan 2023.

Is it a new school that is growing from the bottom up? If so, it may have an additional cohort by now.

Original poster

Mevy · 12/03/2024 14:04

@zippetty yes i did. Yes it is a new school opened a few years ago

OP posts:

MarchingFrogs · 12/03/2024 16:02

So a capacity of 620 implies 124 PAN, if its an 11-16 school, presumably 4 tutor groups of 31?

The 529 sounds like there were already all 5 year groups in by that time, but some or all were undersubscribed.

Or, only 4 year groups (496), with one of them not only full, but with a bulge class. If the latter scenario, then there will be an argument re overcrowding at lesson changeover, in common areas etc, as an entry in September at PAN will take them to 'capacity plus an extra class'.

In which academic year did the school open?

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