School appeals - help offered

emmmski

Thank you. I'm (very) slowly starting to get my head around this I think!!
Just a couple of questions- the data you stated I am entitled to :- do I request that from the school directly? As the lady I spoke to seemed very shocked that I was ringing asking to be told such things.
In regard to the numbers. Is it simply the yr one pupil to teacher ratio they look at? I ask because I know there are currently 4 spaces available in year having enquired for my eldest. Or does that make no difference as it's ks2?
In relation to the second point re distance of allocated school. I'm wondering if I messed up here. I didn't formally apply for the local school. Once we moved to the area I contacted admissions and asked about School places. They told me the only option was the one 7 miles away and as I thought I had no choice I then applied for places at that school. Does this cause a problem as I actually applied for the farther school albeit because I was instructed that was my only option?

Thank you again

Please excuse any spelling errors, not so easy from phone!!

TeamLowe

emmmski wrote: »

Just a couple of questions- the data you stated I am entitled to :- do I request that from the school directly? As the lady I spoke to seemed very shocked that I was ringing asking to be told such things.

The Admissions Authority has to submit its evidence before the appeal just like you do and does so on behalf of the school, usually they have a set statement that they get the headmaster to confirm is accurate- the actual school has little to do with the process so she may just never have been asked before
the clerk to the appeal panel will ensure that all sides get to see all evidence submitted in advance of the appeal. it used to be a prescribed number of working days but now it's up to the clerk to set it and stick to it - ours is 5 working days before the date of your appeal. so when you get your appointment through whoever sent it it will be that team sending you the information, usually democratic services as they're independent enough of the admissions team and good at clerking :cool:

In regard to the numbers. Is it simply the yr one pupil to teacher ratio they look at? I ask because I know there are currently 4 spaces available in year having enquired for my eldest. Or does that make no difference as it's ks2?

It's not so much that it's KS2 but that a) Appeal Panels are not supposed to make decision based on how they'd change the format of the school (so they can't say 'oh but move these two years to mixed age and there's space then') and b) if there's spaces available then they can not refuse to place a child there. so if 3 pupils showed up tomorrow, they would have to place them

In relation to the second point re distance of allocated school. I'm wondering if I messed up here. I didn't formally apply for the local school. Once we moved to the area I contacted admissions and asked about School places. They told me the only option was the one 7 miles away and as I thought I had no choice I then applied for places at that school. Does this cause a problem as I actually applied for the farther school albeit because I was instructed that was my only option?!!

The key part is what you told the admissions authority and what they told you - they have a duty to place your child at a school within a reasonable distance. They did not do this nor did they give correct information as they let you take 2 places so far away. Parents are not expected to know how these processes work

emmmski

Right, thank you, I've just been through all my previous correspondence with the admissions dept, All done via e-mail. And in the meantime the school have phoned back to confirm that since increasing the class from 30 to 31 they have not hired any additional teachers....... I'm going to sit and read through the admissions code fully tonight and hopefully start to put pen to paper. :eek:

poet123

Was the child that caused the increase to 31 accepted under the "excepted pupil" rule? It would seem so, as did you not say that the school hadn't lost an appeal recently? If that is the case, and as you say they have not taken on extra staff, if they took your child it would push them over that threshold and an additional teacher would be required. So, on those grounds I don't think you will win. They will fight hard.

The info re distances given by TeamLowe would seem your best bet. Stress that you were new to the area and you acted on the advice given as a layperson, and also that you have really tried to make it work but the travelling has taken its toll. Above all be very polite and courteous at the hearing.

fifihardy

Hi, i am trying to get my head round the appeals process. my youngest daughter didn't get into our preference school, my eldest daughter already attends the school (managed to get her in 2 years ago) we were living out of catchment but planning on moving which took longer than expected, we were still out of catchment and still hadn't exchanged contracts on the house when we had to apply for school places for my youngest, so our old out of catctment address was used. we were unsuccsesfull and she was allocated our second choice that was close to where we did live but is now 7 miles away from where we live now the school was over subscribed but the LA excepted 4 additional children to accomadate the catchment areas needs and also included 1 out of catchment with sibling. an extra teacher has been employed on a temporary contact so the school meets the infant class size no's. 1 child moved out of area before our appeal but they would not re allocate the space as they want the class to return to PAN. we went to appeal but were unsuccsesfull on the grounds that the teacher was temporary and the LA has only agrred to fund it for a mmaximum of 2 years or till no's drop back to PAN, basically they called it future class size prejudice.
On the first day back in sept i took my eldest to school and the head teacher stopped me and asked how we were, and i asked if anymore children had left ambers year, she replied no and said there is likely to be space for her in 2 years time...... we knew that there were plans to extend the school but the LA in the appeal hearing had said there wouldn't be space . i then contacted the ombudsman and she got all the relevant info from the LA and agreed the panel didn't have al the relevant facts and felt it shouldn't have been a class size appeal, we have now been granted a fresh appeal.

My long winded question really is, i know the LA will say that they did not know there would be space in the school in the future when they made there decision not to except her because it's still all at planning stage and that the class could still drop down to PAN before sept 15. Can they still say it's infant class size prejudice? ps this is the first time i have been on a forum

Anna210

hayleyjg wrote: »

I work for an local authority in the school admissions team and have many years experience of school appeals (both admissions and exclusions) so if anyone has any questions I would be happy to help.

Hi there, I'm sorry this is a lengthy plea for help:

I had applied to 6 preferred secondary schools for my son in 2013 to start year 7 from sept 2013. However he didn't get a place anywhere with the reasons being that we live too far away from these school. I had applied to all the local secondary schools, the closest was just 2 mins walk from my street and still the local authority had said we live away from the schools radius and it was already full mostly children who already have a sibling there. I went through the appeals process of all 6 schools and lost because my child does not suffer from any illness and the 3 closest schools were already full.

From the six applied schools 4 of them were regulated by the local authority and still my child did not get a place. The local authority had suggested my child goes to a school which is located in another area of which is over 4000 miles away, which i had to choose for my child as i had no other choice.

I absolutely don't like the area of this school and the ofsted report can not get any worse. The teaching here is very poor and my son gets bullied everyday by racist kids. The distance is too far for us so some days after dropping me off to the hospital (as i have a chronic illness and can not travel alone) my husband has to take our child to school and on those days he can't be on time, so our son gets an hour detention for being 5 mins late.

We can not allow him to travel to school on his own like the local authority had suggested during our appeals because this area where the schools situated is very bad with stabbings and racism, absolutely no way he can go alone. Especially since he has never travelled alone! he's too vulnerable and only 11 years old, he'd have to catch 2 buses and travel through an unsafe area.

My son is a very bright kid however he's very quiet and shy, he has been bullied previously at his primary school for his shyness. He has been to an outstanding primary school and here at this secondary school he's not performing his best. He's always crying when he's back and upset about the mean children and teachers.

There's nothing i can do I'm desperate for help, is there any way he can change from this school to a better one?

I have tried calling up independent schools but they say I have to go through appeals and as i have lost appeals i've lost all hopes too, and i have been told it's unlikely i'd win any considering i've still got the same reasons and circumstances.

At the appeals is there anything i can say or provide to help us get him to a better school?

Please help me out )':

FBaby

Have you put him on any of the waiting lists for the four other schools? Have you asked how far on the list he is? I would think that is your best bet and if he is on 4 waiting lists, the chances of a place becoming available must be quite high.

Lexiee

Hi, i know this is an old thread but I was after a bit of advice. We are appealing for our twins to be reconsidered for a reception place but struggling to find much info to include in my appeal case as in figures of past admissions and appeals also the over subscription criteria. As everywhere has been shut for Easter - should all this be online?

Also, I've found plans online to increase the PAN for three primary schools in our area. Our first choice is one of those schools and they want to increase the pan from 22 to 30 but it will be for NEXT sept as modifications will need to be made. Is this something that could help or hinder my appeal?

Finally, they vertically stream the classes after reception - could this help my argument at all??

TIA if anyone's out there!! 😄

Lexiee

Lexiee wrote: »

Hi, i know this is an old thread but I was after a bit of advice. We are appealing for our twins to be reconsidered for a reception place but struggling to find much info to include in my appeal case as in figures of past admissions and appeals also the over subscription criteria. As everywhere has been shut for Easter - should all this be online?

Also, I've found plans online to increase the PAN for three primary schools in our area. Our first choice is one of those schools and they want to increase the pan from 22 to 30 but it will be for NEXT sept as modifications will need to be made. Is this something that could help or hinder my appeal?

Finally, they vertically stream the classes after reception - could this help my argument at all??

TIA if anyone's out there!! 😄

Bumping in case anyone can help x

delain

The information should be on your local council's website I would think. If not try phoning the School Admissions team