Year 3 Appeal

[committed]

Hi. Some advice would be sincerely appreciated for a Year 3 appeal next week.

My sister-in-law moved during the summer to Redhill and her 5 and 7 year old children were allocated school places late. Her youngest managed to get into a local school just round the corner but her eldest was allocated a school 30 minutes drive away. It is a great school but causing nightmares in terms of the logistics. Mum has to leave the house with both girls at 7.30am to do the 30 minute drive to drop the eldest off in the early room at 8am. She then has to drive all the way back to drop off her 5 year old (no early drop-off facility here). The evening is just as stressful.

There are 29 primary and junior schools closer than the school her eldest is at and she is planning to appeal based on the logistics and the disruption to both kids. The school have taken the standard line of prejudice. There are two people ahead of them on the waiting list for Year 3, so even though it is a big school with 150 in each year, they are still potentially looking at a long wait before a place becomes available.

Other than the line she is planning to take in terms of the stress and inconvenience and disruption to all, is there anything more concrete that she should be looking at highlighting?

Any help would be extremely welcome. Thanks C.

[Etienne]

Dear Committed

She should check the list given here to see if anything else might fit her circumstances:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... -school#c2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also worth browsing section C as a whole.

Good luck to your SIL.

[committed]

Many thanks Etienne.

I think she was also going to suggest that the school, because of a number of appeals just after places were allocated in Spring, were originally up to 153 but then went back to 150 at the start of the year. She was hoping to suggest that because they were originally going to go to that level then there shouldn't be a problem going back there.... However section C suggests that all she would get is the school saying they were forced to go to that number against their wishes.

I will pass on all the details and hope that she can come up with a set of compelling reasons.

[Etienne]

However section C suggests that all she would get is the school saying they were forced to go to that number against their wishes

Indeed. And it's not an argument from the parent that an appeal panel is likely to accept.

Worth asking if the school has ever been above 150 - and, if so, is there any evidence of an adverse impact?

[committed]

Thanks again Etienne, you really are a star.

There is a group hearing followed by the individual appeals the following day. Is the right time to ask this at the group stage?

[ourmaminhavana]

I thought that if there was a sibling already there- I'm assuming that it's the same school- that the other child would go to the top of the waiting list? Good luck, it sounds a logistics nightmare.

[committed]

Hi Oumaminhavana.

Yes the appeal is for the same school and the two people on the list ahead of them also have siblings in the school. I think she is third on the list because her youngest was only allocated a place in August when they moved - and presumably others were on the waiting list before then. [Though I am not entirely sure how waiting lists are kept and what factors would cause another child to potentially leapfrog their way to the top of the list, other than sibling?]

My guess is that she will eventually get a place, but possibly not before she goes grey....

C.

[Etienne]

There is a group hearing followed by the individual appeals the following day. Is the right time to ask this at the group stage?

Immediately after the presentation of the school's case at the group hearing, questions will be invited, so this would be the right time to ask anything about the school case.

The individual hearing will focus entirely on the parental case.

presumably others were on the waiting list before then. [Though I am not entirely sure how waiting lists are kept and what factors would cause another child to potentially leapfrog their way to the top of the list, other than sibling?]

Length of time on the waiting list isn't counted - one's position on the list would drop immediately if someone else comes along with a higher claim according to the oversubscription rules.

If there are three children in catchment, with eligible* siblings at the school, then my guess is that distance from the school is being used as a tie-breaker.

*The definition of sibling needs checking in the admission rules - sometimes it has to be an older sibling.

Hope this helps.

[committed]

I just wanted to say a sincere thank you Etienne for all the help given for my SIL's appeal. She was successful and her DD starts tomorrow!

At the general hearing the school did not come out well and could not demonstrate general prejudice - which made life much easier at the individual hearings the following day.

The whole family is really delighted - so thank you again.

C

[Etienne]

What wonderful news!

Thanks so much for letting us know.

Congratulations to your SIL. Hope daughter will be very happy at her new school.