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.

Sadly I don't think you have much recourse here.
You state that your child is 'highly vulnerable'. That seems to be a diagnosis that you have put on him. He isn't disabled. He has a common childhood condition and is going through a difficult time with his parents separating (as many children do) and a house move. Is he having any therapy for this?
Of course this is distressing for you as a parent to watch but I do doubt it will hold up in an official process.

Tbh OP I don't think you stand any chance at all. Asthma is very common and if anything wouldn't going to a school further away mean a bus rather than walking, so less likely to
exacerbate asthma?

Many many children are anxious about starting a new school amidst parental divorce.
Agree with a PP you seem to have decided your child is highly vulnerable without really strong evidence for this.
To me I'm afraid it reeks a bit of parent coming up with every reason they can think of why their child should get a place at the 'better' school.

None of us has seen OP's medical evidence. Those who say she has no chance are guessing. They are also ignoring the possibility that the appeal school offers subjects her son wants to study that may not be available at the allocated school, which is a significant point in her favour. I am not saying she will win, but she clearly has a chance.

@prh47bridge I don’t think that OP has an allocated school yet, is that an issue?

I would ask a bit more about how they organise their classes. 280 is a more unusual PAN as they are often multiples of 30. Potentially 280 is 10 forms of 28, meaning with 286 there are some forms of 18 and some of 29. You could potentially argue 29 is not an unreasonable number for a form, especially if many classes already have 29 in them.

Hey @ByPerkySnail I know it must seem tough – “why can’t they just admit my son, only one more person” – and I sympathise, but having been a secondary teacher I can also see the school’s PoV.

I didn’t even teach a pressurised subject in terms of equipment (like science – not enough Bunsen burners – or CS – not enough computers). But one year I had a top set with 33 students. I could sit 32 students in my classroom. So whenever I had that class, unless (and I would check in hope each day, awful tho that sounds) someone was off sick, I had to have a student (a different one each time, for fairness, so I had to keep switching the seating plan) sitting sideways on to a desk that already had two people sitting at it, sharing a text book (I only ever had enough for one between two) three ways. So not ideal.

If the school already has six extra students, that may mean that situation is in place in many classes already. You need genuinely compelling reasons to overturn the school’s view.

@BendingSpoons makes a good point tho – can you find out how the forms and teaching groups are organised? 280 is not a multiple of 30 so I wonder how they do it.

If the LA hasn't offered a place anywhere, it potentially helps as, rather than comparing with another school, the appeal panel should be comparing with OP's son not having a school at all. If there is no offered school because OP hasn't applied to the LA or to any other school, it could hinder her a little, especially if it feels to the panel like she is trying to bully them into admitting her son to this school by refusing to consider any alternatives.

The key thing is make sure that your medical evidence actually shows HOW his conditions make it harder for your son to travel.

If your son's asthma makes travel difficult how does it and why does it?
If your son's anxiety makes travel harder how does it and why does it?

Remember that he is going to school, so don't use anything general that might apply in school like he doesn't like crowds or being in crowds might aggravate his asthma because if he is ok with the large number of people in school, he's ok with a bus.

"One additional pupil adds around 100 teaching hours per year (marking, homework, reports, meetings, etc.)."

@ByPerkySnail did they include a rationale or reference for this estimate, e.g. a link to a research paper? (I don't doubt its a reasonable estimate, but I'd be interested to read about how it's worked out).

Of course, if they didn't include a reference, then there's a question you can ask.

Just wanted to share that I won the appeal. I’m so grateful for all the support on this forum, especially from @prh47bridge and the experts - thank you all for your advice and guidance and for helping me through such a stressful process.

Congratulations! That must be a great relief to you. Wishing you a happy new chapter in your family's life x

Ah happy for you!

Do you know what swung it, out of interest? Guess you may need to wait for the letter with reasons.

Wow, well done! (And thanks for updating).

Congratulations. That is good news. Glad I was able to help.

That's great thank you for letting us know