Appeal school had 32 upheld appeals at stage 1?

[DreadingSeptember2024]

Can anyone advise please?

We’ve had the schools evidence through for group appeal stage 1.

In 2018, 32 appeals were upheld at stage 1. That suggests a big error by the school in some way?

is it also helpful for us, as it shows that the school have coped with effectively a bulge class 6 years ago?

Realistically it probably means the school didn't make a mistake as such, but deliberately didn't put in a case for Stage 1. This suggests that they were happy to put on a bulge, but the local authority wouldn't let them, so the school decided to not put up a case leaving the panel no choice but to admit all - I had a case a few years ago where the school literally said "there would be no prejudice to admitting all the appellants", so we had to let all the appellants in at stage 1. So the school got it's bulge anyway, and there are a number of reasons the school might have wanted that.

It does show the school coped with a bulge class, but deliberately putting things in place to operate with a whole extra class isn't quite the same as having to manage a few over in a full form. You would need to understand the number on role then too, to understand the impact - so it's worth mentioning but it's not a strong point, unless they are making a huge point about there being major space issues in corridors etc.

They also allowed 30 appeals the following year?

For the same reason. It makes financial sense to allow 30 appeals because it's a whole class. It doesn't make financial sense to allow 5 or 10.

So if the current year 11 has 7 forms and not 6 forms, and the current year 11 will leave before the new year 7 intake, is that a good stage 1 argument that the school has coped with a bulge class

No, because you don’t know there will be a bulge class. You go into the appeal only appealing for your own child, and do not take into account any other appeals that you may or may not know about.

They won’t create a bulge class for one child, so would be less relevant.

It may be relevant depending on their specific arguments E.g if they argue about corridor space between lessons, the canteen size etc. but if they’re case is based on classroom sizes it wouldn’t be relevant.

I wouldn’t count on it as a big factor in your appeal.

Some schools will take more than their PAN but instead of wanting to accept from the waiting list they only want the kids whose parents have bothered to appeal.

IME.

The situation described by @PatriciaHolm occurred at my son's secondary, which is part of a MAT. He's year 11 now.

The year group was enormous and the council wanted the additional children in their designated bulge class LEA schools, but parents were appealing for different schools. Following the uncontested appeals they ended up with bulge classes in the schools being appealed for, not the council's choice. Everyone, apart from the council, was happy with this. Future years have not had bulge classes.

Thank you. But this is a stage 1 group appeal, so we are aware of other appeals as those parents will be in the appeal with us.

we aren’t raising points specific to our child until stage 2 I had thought?

Anything only pertaining to your personal case should be reserved for your individual stage 2. Anything relating to the school's case not to take any extra pupil(s) into the year group - that is, points which the panel must take into account when considering its stage 1 decision, should be raised at the appropriate point in stage 1.