Choosing a school

Appeals made for places in Reception/Year 1/Year 2 (Key Stage 1) in Primary schools are the least likely to succeed. This is because there is a legal limit of 30 children per class for these years.

The only areas a panel can consider in this type of appeal are:

• Whether the admission of an additional child would breach class size limit
• Whether the admission arrangements comply with the mandatory requirements of the School Admissions Code and Part 3 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998
• Whether the admission arrangements were correctly and impartially applied in the case/s in question;
• Whether the decision to refuse admission was one, which a reasonable admission authority would make in the circumstance of the case.

It's important to think carefully about whether your reasons for appealing fit any of the statements above - if not, you may also need to think about looking at alternative schools (although you can of course still appeal).

When you first register your appeal, you'll be sent a form to give your reasons for appealing. Think carefully about your reasons - the panel can only uphold the appeal (you win!) if you can prove one of the statements above.

Reception/Key Stage One appeals: preparing for an appeal

If you think that the circumstances of the case are exceptional (that the Admission authority acted unreasonably), be as detailed as possible to show this - successful appeals tend to be the ones where there are specific reasons why it is important that your child has a place at that school above any other. In this respect, it might be worthwhile considering these questions;

• Why does my child need a place at THAT school?
• What might happen if my child doesn't get a place at that school?

Remember that the panel will be looking for very strong reasons if they are going to uphold your appeal. Things such as your child having attended the nursery at the school, or being in the catchment area for the school for example, would not be deemed as exceptional; there may be a number of children in a similar position and the Authority will have made it clear in their Primary Education in Coventry booklet, that these do not guarantee a place at a school.