Appeal on medical and social grounds

[ByPerkySnail]

Hello all,

I’m currently preparing for a school in year admissions appeal for my son for year 9 (September entry) and would really value advice from anyone who has been through a similar situation or has knowledge of appeals based on medical and social grounds.

Here’s some background:

We are British expats relocating back to the UK after many years abroad due to the breakdown of my marriage and significant financial difficulties. My husband and Inare going through a separation so I will be returning as a single mother with my three children, moving into my parents’ home, where I will also be taking on the role of carer to my elderly father as my mother is no longer able to continue this responsibility due to her own deteriorating health.

My son has never lived or attended school in the UK — we moved abroad when he was only 15 months old. He is not streetwise, not familiar with public transport, is vulnerable, and experiences heightened anxiety about traveling alone.
He is currently attending a British school oversees, where he has been for the past 10 years. This school is high on academics and has excellent pastoral care. My son is a bright but shy and quiet boy.

The family upheaval has caused him increasing anxiety, restlessness, sleep issues, and low moods. This emotional stress is also triggering his longstanding asthma, which has been managed but now requires careful attention. He is currently being seen by a psychologist for assessment and coping strategies, and I have a referral letter as well as medical appointments with his asthma doctor coming up to gather further supporting documentation.

my eldest son has a conditional offer for 6th form entry at the same school and my youngest has been offered a place at the nearby primary school based on his SEN. This further supports the need to my other son to be granted a place at this school to help with family stability.

the sibling bond is very strong and during this difficult period has been an anchor of emotional support for my boys, especially my second son.

We are appealing for a place for my second child at a specific local secondary school because:

• It offers strong pastoral care, which is vital given his anxiety and emotional needs.
• It provides continuity of education, including subjects he is currently studying and wants to take at GCSE (such as Spanish and Design & Technology). In addition it closely follows similar ethos, academics and oppprtunities to his current school.
• being only 0.8mils away, It is in close proximity to home and the school that will be attended by his younger sibling, which helps with family logistics and support.
• The short distance would reduce his exposure to stressful travel, which could worsen his anxiety and asthma.
• As a single parent and carer, I would struggle to manage school runs if he were placed further away.
• Not attending this school risks worsening his anxiety and asthma symptoms.

I have letters of support from the school, including from the pastoral head and the head of lower senior school. I also have medical documentation including the psychologist referral and am awaiting further letters from medical professionals after upcoming appointments.

My questions are:

• What other types of evidence or documentation would strengthen my appeal?
• Does this sound like a strong enough case based on medical and social grounds?
• Any tips on presenting the appeal, especially addressing my son’s current emotional state and health concerns, independent travel or lack of prior UK schooling?

Thank you so much for any guidance or experiences you can share.

I haven't read the full thread, but I agree with @MargaretThursday that your son's academic ability is not relevant to the appeal. Looking at the points from your first post:

It offers strong pastoral care, which is vital given his anxiety and emotional needs.

That's a decent argument, especially if you can convince the panel that he will need this. Evidence from a medical professional on this point could help.

It provides continuity of education, including subjects he is currently studying and wants to take at GCSE (such as Spanish and Design & Technology). In addition it closely follows similar ethos, academics and oppprtunities to his current school.

As he is going into Y9, the availability of subjects for GCSE is relevant. If these subjects are not available at other schools that you might be offered when you return to the UK, this is a strong argument. Ethos, etc., are not as strong but still worth raising.

Being only 0.8mils away, It is in close proximity to home and the school that will be attended by his younger sibling, which helps with family logistics and support.

This is unlikely to carry much weight. I understand your argument about his unfamiliarity with the surroundings, etc., but the panel is likely to view this as a problem for you, rather than for him. By all means raise it, but don't spend too much time on it as it isn't your strongest argument.

The short distance would reduce his exposure to stressful travel, which could worsen his anxiety and asthma.

If you have medical evidence to support this, this is a better argument. By supporting evidence, I don't mean just letters saying he has anxiety and asthma. You need a medical professional to say that, in their professional opinion, your son needs to go to a nearby school for these reasons.

As a single parent and carer, I would struggle to manage school runs if he were placed further away.

This won't carry any weight at all. It is definitely a problem from you, not for your son.

Not attending this school risks worsening his anxiety and asthma symptoms.

If you have evidence from medical professionals supporting this, it will be a strong point for you. If you don't, the panel is unlikely to give it much weight.

What other types of evidence or documentation would strengthen my appeal?

I don't think you need anything else apart from the things you mention and the things I've mentioned above.

Does this sound like a strong enough case based on medical and social grounds?

Possibly, but it will depend on the strength of the school's case to refuse admission and may also depend on the appeal panel you get.

Any tips on presenting the appeal, especially addressing my son’s current emotional state and health concerns, independent travel or lack of prior UK schooling?

As this is an in-year appeal, the panel won't be under as much time pressure as for normal admission appeals. That gives you a bit more latitude in presenting your case. However, don't make it too long and concentrate on your strongest points. Try to look for weaknesses in the school's case and come up with questions for the school's representative that will highlight them. Be ready with a short summary of your case as, after you have presented your case and the panel and school have asked you questions, both the school and yourself will be asked to sum up. And try to relax - easier said than done, I know.

Our LA won’t let us apply for a place until we are back in the UK end of June

As that is only a few weeks away, it doesn't really matter but your LA is not following government guidance. See School applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England - GOV.UK and note that it says that an admission authority cannot require the applicant to have a home address in the UK before processing an application.

How do I find out their current PAN and cohort numbers? I can see them for 2023-24 online but not for the current year. Would this help my case if I can show that the school has admitted higher numbers in the other year groups which supports they could cope with an additional student?

These things normally form part of the school's case, but if you want to make sure you can just ask them. They are required to answer any reasonable question you ask to help you prepare for your appeal. And yes, if they have been over PAN before, that can help as it shows they can cope with an additional pupil in the year. However, if several years are over PAN that may hinder your appeal as the panel may think the school is already overfull.

EVIDENCE

I’ve put that in capital letters and wanted to re-emphasise it to you (and anyone else reading this. Thread). You can have all the arguments in the world, but without evidence, on letter-headed paper it means nothing. Get copies of medical reports, letters from school, examples of school work etc.

@Gundogday i agree re medical evidence but examples of school work are not relevant.

I won an appeal based on anxiety a few years ago. I am not sure what won it for us as I didn't get a letter explaining why we won.

As well as explaining our child's needs as a sibling of a disabled person (akin to young carer) we also did question school's position, which felt uncomfortable but needs must.

We were so close to max distance (8m from last offer) and asked where they measured from as if they measured from front door to front door we were just outside but from mid point of school or Google maps pin to front door we were within. They didn't seem to know where they measured from. I had a print out of the measured distance using Google maps pin going over our front door.

We also pointed out that they had 30 extra in one year group that they had taken on as a bulge class when a sister school had closed. We said we struggled to understand why 1 extra child was impossible when they had voluntarily taken on a bulge class only a year or two earlier which was 30 extra.

As I say I am not sure what won it, but we were one of only 2 appeals that succeeded.

Agreed. The panel will not be interested in examples of school work. They are not allowed to assess a pupil's ability, nor are they allowed to accept arguments that a pupil will be an asset to the school. Including examples of school work won't help and could hinder an appeal. Similarly, do not under any circumstances put a photo of the child in as evidence.

@prh47bridge thank you for your advice and guidance. It’s given me a lot more clarity.

I am really nervous and stressed about presenting my sons’s case but like you’ve said just need to try relax and present the facts as best as I can - and obviously backed up with the correct evidence (that many have pointed out).

"And yes, if they have been over PAN before, that can help as it shows they can cope with an additional pupil in the year."

Only if they went over PAN voluntarily. If they were forced over PAN (e.g. by an appeal or an in-year EHCP admission or a FAP admission) you can ask them how they coped. You can't assume that it didn't have a negative impact.

My experience as an admissions authority representative at appeals is that:

• A lot depends on the panel Chair. They are human and they have their motivations for doing the role. Some are educationalists who intuitively understand the pressure schools are under, others are lay members who are more inclined to be won over by a strong parent case. There are 3 panel members, but the Chair is influential in setting the tone.

• Evidence isn't always necessary - I've seen two cases won on the basis of circumstances that had no evidence at all except for the word of very articulate parents. They were probably telling the truth, but the same outcome could have been achieved with good amateur dramatics skills.

So I have a couple of weeks before the appeal date. I have managed to gather most of the supporting documentation and been working on presenting my son’s case. However, I am a little stuck on the following points, if @prh47bridge or anyone else can kindly help/guide me:

1. Questions for the school representative - what should I be asking here? I understand I need to find weaknesses in the school’s case but I know on the day, the nerves will get the better of me and I won’t be able to think on the spot. Ideally I’d like to have some questions prepared beforehand.
   FYI - the school’s reason for not admitting my son a place is due to being full and currently oversubscribed.
   I have requested them twice now for their PAN and current cohort numbers but they still haven’t replied. I also queried about their pastoral care and procedures.

2. Closing statement - how long should this roughly be? I am going to focus on the strongest argument (ie my sons mental & physical health and emotional well-being - backed up by medical professionals) but not sure if I need to repeat what has been presented (in shorter form) or should there be something else I need to add here?
   Also, is it worth uploading my closing statement to the appeal pack? I’m getting mixed advice whether it should be included or not. On other forums, some say it’s actually good for the panel to have it in front of them.

3. Lastly, what sort of questions are likely to be asked to me? Again, I want to be well prepared and have everything to hand.

Any other pointers or advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

1. You will get a copy of the school's written case before the hearing. When you have that, you can figure out what questions to ask (or post it on here for some guidance)
2. There are no rules. When I've presented cases, I have generally aimed for 1-2 minutes, but I've sometimes gone for something longer where that has been necessary to emphasise the strongest points. You shouldn't add anything to your case at this point. It should simply be a summary of what has gone before. Personally, I wouldn't upload your closing statement. I don't think there is any value in doing so. And you might want to change it in the hearing if, for example, something emerges unexpectedly that helps your case.
3. I gave up trying to predict questions a long time ago. I've come across some very surprising questions from appeal panels and, occasionally, from the admission authority's representative. However, what they should be doing is seeking clarification where necessary and testing the strength of your case.

Thanks @prh47bridge

But do they currently work in the school you are appealing for?

Hi @prh47bridge - so here is the school’s written case (summarised). Please could you offer some guidance.

Summary of School’s Appeal Case (Anonymised – Year 8 Admission)

Key Background:

• The school is a mixed academy within a London borough and has a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 280 for Years 7–11.
• The current Year 8 cohort has 286 students, already over capacity.
• The school is oversubscribed and uses set criteria to maintain a waiting list.

Application Details:

• The family’s in-year application was processed on 2nd June 2025.
• No place was offered because the year group is full.
• A request for social/medical priority was included but did not meet the threshold for this to apply.
• The child was placed on the waiting list based on distance from the school (1123.81m) and is currently ranked 57th.

School’s Grounds for Refusal

The school argues that admitting an additional pupil would prejudice efficient education and use of resources, based on the following:

1. Overcapacity • The total number of students exceeds the building’s assessed capacity. • Year 8 already exceeds the published admission limit.
2. Site Limitations • The school is made up of multiple small buildings and rooms, many not designed for modern class sizes. • Newer buildings were built specifically for sixth form use and are unsuitable for younger years.
3. Strain on Resources • Facilities (IT, science, PE, technology) are already overstretched. • Adding more students reduces access to resources — e.g., computer usage drops significantly when more students share the same equipment.
4. Health & Safety • Pupil movement across the scattered site is challenging, especially during emergencies like fire drills. • Larger numbers make supervision and evacuation harder to manage safely.
5. Curriculum Delivery • Larger year groups reduce flexibility in creating appropriate teaching groups and managing academic progress. • Already difficult to run small support groups for pupils with additional needs due to numbers exceeding the ideal.
6. Pastoral and Welfare Concerns • Year teams and support staff are already operating at full capacity. • Increasing numbers impacts the school’s ability to monitor wellbeing, attendance, behaviour, and parent contact effectively.
7. Safeguarding Capacity • Staff may not be able to meet statutory duties for vulnerable pupils if numbers continue to rise.
8. Increased Staff Workload • One additional pupil adds around 100 teaching hours per year (marking, homework, reports, meetings, etc.). • Funding for one pupil is not enough to offset this or to hire more staff.
9. Low Student Turnover • Very few students leave before Year 11, so adding a pupil now creates pressure long-term.

Conclusion:

• The school believes it has applied its admissions policy correctly.
• It maintains that admitting one more pupil would harm the quality of education and wellbeing of existing students and staff.
• It asks the Appeal Panel not to uphold the appeal.

@prh47bridge - FYI

Not that it probably makes much difference but the school notified me my son is 37 on the waiting list (I have this in an email). In their statement they’ve noted position 57.

Also - the grounds on my son not meeting the medical/social criteria would have been based on the original application and medical report. Since then I have collated professional medical letters from psychologists, asthma physician and school pastoral and heads.

If you’ve got more evidence, then you may need to ask the question whether you can re-appeal, although possibly you’ve missed the deadline now, and may have to wait until next year. Then you may be able to do an in-school transfer (if they have spaces).

Gosh that’s a very oversubscribed school if you’re that far down the WL even at 1.1km away. I’m guessing a school that is so oversubscribed is going to have a pretty good case on overcrowding. Especially as it’s already well over PAN. It sounds similar to Graveney near me which has, for example, teachers perching on windowsills because there is no space for a teacher’s desk. If it is Graveney I warn you it’s very hard to outweigh their overcrowding case.

As a panellist I would be quizzing you about this: there are no local schools that match my sons’s needs. To be blunt, I see a lot of appellants making points like this but they haven’t actually investigated the (say) GCSE or pastoral provision at alternative nearby schools, or whether those schools have space - they have clearly written these schools off because of lower academic or behavioural reputation. At this point it often becomes clear that the real reason for seeking this school is not GCSE options or asthma or anxiety etc but is in fact the better academic/behavioural reputation. Or ease of school runs. None of which work as a ground of appeal.

So my question would be, have you actually looked into other nearby schools? How do you know there is something specific that this school offers that the others don’t?

The letters you mention - I presume you have put them in as appeal evidence. Do they say this school is necessary?

They haven't had their appeal yet, so don't need to "re-appeal"!

If you meant ask for the exceptional circumstances to be reconsidered by the admissions authority, then that is usually only agreed to if there has been a substantive change in circumstances, not just additional evidence. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit their evidence with the original application rather than drip feed.

However, applicants can certainly add all the additional evidence to their appeal case for fresh consideration by the Appeals panel. Think of the Appeal as a second (and final) chance to have the exceptional circumstances considered.

Will your child thrive at that school?
It sounds like it's on the verge of chaos.

You could say that about all school appeal defences that are solid enough to withstand the appeals process. Otherwise, any parent would be able to get their child in, even with some of the extremely weak cases that are frequently lodged.

The waiting list position may be a typo or it may be that you have gone down the waiting list. This can happen if people living closer to the school or in a higher admission category apply for a place. Equally, if you now have enough evidence to convince the school your child should be given social/medical priority, you will move up the waiting list. Note that the appeal panel cannot change your position on the waiting list. That is a matter for the school, so you need to submit your evidence to them and ask them to review if your child now qualifies for priority.

Looking at the school's case, this is pretty standard. Contrary to what a previous poster says, it does not sound like this school is on the verge of chaos.

If you know they have more than 286 students in other years (or have been over 286 in any year in the recent past), I would highlight that as it suggests they can handle more pupils in this year. On the Health & Safety point, I would ask if there have been any accidents in the last 3 years that were attributed to overcrowding. The answer is almost certainly no. That apart, I wouldn't bother too much with the school's case. You aren't going to make any serious dents in the rest of their points, so you should concentrate on making your case as good as possible.

The distance isn’t an argument unfortunately. My autistic and highly anxious son currently take a train and a bus to school (he is 12).

True.

But the description of this school does not match the needs that are formulated for the child so why appeal for it?

It will also be a massive adjustment to come from an overseas international school for empatisk children (private?) to a state secondary as a teenager. A world of difference for most families but it the way it works if you relocate between countries. Tbh most state schools don't spend a lot of time afjusting children from overseas to life in Britain it's not their job.

In reality all state secondary schools will be able to accept most student. The differences between secondary state schools are usually minimal and they have other students with extra needs.

If you want more from a school and to have a bigger say you need to go private.

• expat children not empatisk.

I think those are the standard sort of responses that schools make.

The worrying part imo is the position on the waiting list, which seems huge for a Year 9 in a school which says it doesn’t have much pupil movement. Year 8 is already over PAN by 6 , and if one in ten of those people on the current waiting list for next years Year 9 thinks they have a good case for an appeal and has decided to make one , the school is going to fight back hard to make sure they don’t end up with a PAN plus 11 or more to cope with . I think only a very strong case will succeed, and I am not sure that the OPs case sounds strong enough.

I kind of agree.

I agree, but each parent makes their case in a bubble. Some of the cases I see are incredibly weak, which is a waste of everyone's time, and a waste of public money, but unfortunately they still do have the right to appeal.

Occasionally, parents with weak cases will get lucky, especially if appealing to a school that is not used to defending cases, or a school with a new building that it needs to fill.

If it helps, my daughter has anxiety, asthma, and ASD. When it came time for her to travel to school independently, we practiced almost daily for months. Eventually she got comfortable enough to make the trip solo. Part of the issue was that it’s very chaotic and busy when she has to travel so we worked our way up to that, initially practicing during non-peak times.

that is how we have added additional destinations as well, though thankfully it has gotten easier and most only take one trip with a parent now and then she is good to go on her own the next time.