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Observe School Appeals advice
John said that "A lot of voluntary-aided and foundation schools operate a "first preference first" system and would not consider your application unless you put down their school as first preference. The new Code has made it mandatory that all LEAs operate an "equal preference" system. It does not matter which order you put your choices in, and you won't miss out because you put something as a third preference." Ranking only comes into play if the LEA is able to offer more than one preference.
John was aksed for his top 6 tips which are as follows:
1.Check that your application has been dealt with correctly
The School Admissions Code has introduced mandatory rules to ensure that admission criteria are clear, fair and objective. Check to see if the criteria used by the admission authority are lawful. You can do this by checking paragraphs 1.46, 1.65, 1.71 and 2.13 of the Code.
2. Provide supporting information in writing
Make sure that you provide any supporting information with your appeal. If you are claiming medical issues, submit a letter from your doctor or medical consultant. The letter will need to state that the school is the only one able to meet your child’s needs and must be based on a physical examination. A letter which starts by saying “I am informed that X is suffering from …..” would not be sufficient and will carry little weight with the Appeal Panel.
3. Prepare a statement for the Panel
Prepare a statement explaining why your child should be given a place at the school. Such reasons might include being the local school; its within walking distance; the ethos of the school; difficulty getting to and from the allocated school; friends attend the school; the school specialises in a subject in which your child has a particular ability. Such statements should normally be between two and four sides of A4.
4. Challenge the admission authority’s case
When you receive the admission authority’s case look through it and see if there are any issues which you can challenge. Many statements are based on templates which often include errors, e.g. the figures for the number of pupils in each year group do not add up to the number on roll. Don’t be afraid to challenge the information. Look at what Ofsted has said about the school in its last inspection. Look at the performance of the school.
5. Don’t be intimidated
You will attend a formal hearing which is structured. Be polite and respect the Panel. Do not interrupt the Panel members or the admission authority. Question the authority in a confident but respectful way. Do your research because knowledge breeds confidence and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
6. Class size appeals
The tips apply equally to infant class size appeals. However, for decisions communicated by the admission authority on or after 1 March, appeal panels will no longer be able to take account of fresh information which was not available when it made its decision. The only grounds on which an infant class can be successful is if the authority made a mistake or its decision was irrational based on the information supplied with the application.
