Article: Admissions - appeals Article Body If your child has been refused a place at a school named on your common application form you have the right to refer your case to an independent appeal panel for consideration. If you do not wish to accept the school place you have been offered for your child, you should contact the Directorate for Children, Young People and Families Admissions Team within 10 working days to let them know that you want to make an appeal against the decision. They will send you a Notice of Appeal form, which you should complete and return to them, stating the grounds on which you're making the appeal. If you're appealing for a place in another local authority, you must complete one of their notice of appeal forms (see contacts details further down the page). You will be notified of the appeal date 14 days before it is due to take place and will receive written documentation summarising the reasons for refusing the admission at least seven days prior to the appeal. You are responsible for presenting your case, for deciding what you would like to say at the appeal hearing and what written documentation you want the panel to consider. You should submit your written documentation to the Admissions Team seven days prior to the appeal. The appeals panel Every parent has the right to attend the appeal to make their case to the panel. If you feel you need some support, you can bring a friend. If you prefer, they can represent you. All appeals are held in private. We wouldn't expect children to attend the appeal hearings as the appeal is an opportunity for you to put across your case on behalf of your child. The appeals panel consists of three independent members. Also attending will be a clerk to the panel, an officer from the local authority, and the headteacher. No panel member has any connection with the school for which the appeal is being heard. Following the appeal, the panel will let you know their decision as soon as possible and this decision is binding on the local authority and the parent. You won't be able to apply again for the same school in the same school year unless there has been a significant change in yours or the school's circumstances. How you can help You can help by supplying accurate information and completing all sections of the Notice of Appeal form. You should submit any letter, written reports, documentation or evidence relevant to your case. Forms and letters should be signed by a parent/guardian. Proof of guardianship may be required. You may be asked to provide proof that you have changed your address. Documents may include: a tenancy agreement a solicitor's letter confirming exchange of contract You may be asked to provide copies of at least two documents confirming that your child is registered at your address. Documents may include: child benefit book information relating to Working Tax Credit/Childcare Tax Credit letter from a local doctor hospital appointment letter letter from dentist child's bank statement medical card Legislation School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Education Act 2002 School Admissions Code of Practice School Admissions Appeals Code of Practice Application form references Notice of Appeal Form - Admission of Children to Secondary School Notice of Appeal Form - Admission of Children to Primary School If you need an appeals form for a school in another authority, please contact the appropriate authority directly. Key documents Admission to Primary School - Academic Year 2011-12 - Advice to Parents Admission to Junior School - Academic Year 2011-12 - Advice to Parents Admission to Secondary School - Academic Year 2011-12 - Advice to Parents Appeals Procedure for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools Appeals Procedure for Voluntary Aided Primary Schools Appeals Procedure for Secondary Community Schools - Information for Parents Appeals Procedure for St Michael's Catholic High School - Information for Parents Admission Arrangements for Community/Voluntary Aided Primary Schools 2011-12 Admission Arrangements for Community/Voluntary Aided Secondary Schools 2011-12 Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Secondary Schools 2010/11 Admission Arrangements for St Michael's Catholic amd CE High 2011-12 Co-ordinated Scheme for Admission to Primary School 2011-12 Co-ordinated Schemes - Admission Arrangements to Primary Schools 2010/11 Co-ordinated Scheme for Admission to Secondary School 2011-12 Co-ordinated Schemes - Admission Arrangements to Secondary Schools 2010/11 List of Barnsley schools and other establishments Websites Department for Education How to contact us Admissions Officer Directorate for Children, Young People and Families Postal address: PO Box 634, Barnsley S70 9GG Telephone: 01226 773689 / 773588 / 773677 / 773506 Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5.00pm and Fridays from 8.30am to 4.30pm Independent appeal process: 01226 773451 Fax: 01226 773682 Email: admissions@barnsley.gov.uk For queries relating to: Local authority Contact details Doncaster schools Admissions and Pupil Services The Directorate of Education and Culture PO Box 266, The Council House, College Road, Doncaster DN1 3AD Telephone: 01302 737204 / 737234 Kirklees schools School Admissions Oldgate House, 2 Oldgate, Huddersfield HD1 6QW Telephone:01484 225007 / 225008 / 225009 Rotherham schools Admissions and Appeals Section Education Culture and Leisure Services, Norfolk House, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1AS Telephone: 01709 822505 Sheffield schools Pupil Support Floor 3, Howden House, Union Street, Sheffield S1 2SH Telephone: 0114 2735766 Wakefield schools School Admissions City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Education, Libraries and Museums Department County Hall, Wakefield WF1 2QL Telephone: 01924 305616 / 305617 / 305618 / 305619 /305620 Frequently asked questions My child has been refused a school place because of infant class size legislation. What does this mean? An infant class is a class in which the majority of pupils will reach the age of 5, 6, or 7 during the school year. These classes are normally Reception, and Years 1 and 2, although it can affect a Year 3 class where mixed groups exist. The law states that subject to limited exceptions, no infant class with one qualified teacher may contain more than 30 pupils. If the authority were to admit more pupils, it would need to take 'qualifying measures'. What are qualifying measures? Qualifying measures are measures required to be taken in order to ensure compliance with the statutory limit on infant class sizes. This may include employing an additional qualified teacher, building an extra classroom or mixing year groups. Do I have to attend the appeal panel hearing? No, but you are strongly advised to attend. You are the best person to tell the panel why you want your child to go to the preferred school(s), as you know your situation and will be able to provide information and answer questions to help the panel make an informed decision.If you do not attend the appeal, or you are not represented by another person, the hearing will be held and dealt with in your absence using only the written documentation submitted. Who will be at the appeal hearing? The appeal panel (consisting of three members) The clerk to the appeal panel AND For community and voluntary controlled schools - an education officer from the LA, the headteacher or deputy headteacher or a senior teacher from the school For voluntary aided schools - representatives from the Governing Body and school The Code of Practice does not envisage children attending appeal hearings as the appeal is an opportunity for you to put across your case on behalf of your child. What sort of information should I provide? You are responsible for presenting your case, for deciding what you would like to say at the appeal hearing, and what written documentation you want the appeal panel to have. If your case is based on medical or social grounds you should provide written evidence from a doctor or other professional to support this. This evidence must relate to how the school can meet those specific needs. If your case is based on a house move you should provide evidence of confirmation of the completion of your house purchase, or a tenancy agreement, or any other relevant documentation If your case is based on religious beliefs, you should provide where appropriate, a certificate of baptism, a certificate of candidature and a letter of verification from the priest of the church that you attend. You should also put forward any letters, written reports or documentation or other evidence relevant to your case. You must not supply letters of support from your child's primary school. Written documentation should be submitted seven days prior to the appeal. What if my child has a statement of special educational need? If your child has a statement of special educational need your right of appeal is through an independent special educational needs tribunal, not a school admission appeal. Who can help me prepare for my appeal? In the first instance, please contact the clerk to the appeal panel who can help you with any queries or concerns you may have, but the clerk cannot prepare your case for you. The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) is an independent national education advice centre which provides information on the education system. ACE produce a booklet 'Appealing for a School', which provides advice on the appeals system and also gives advice on what to do if your appeal is unsuccessful. ACE can be contacted on freephone 0808 800 5793. Who are the appeal panel members? One member must have experience in education; be familiar with educational conditions in the Barnsley District; or be a parent of a registered pupil at a school. One member must be a lay person, ie someone without personal experience in the management of any school or the provision of education in any school (disregarding experience as a school governor or in any other voluntary capacity). The third member will be from either of the above two categories No panel member will have any connection with the school in question. What powers does the appeal panel have? The appeal panel can either refuse or allow your appeal, and the decision is binding upon the school and you. What are multiple appeals? Dependent upon the number of appeals for particular schools, the appeals process will take place over a number of sessions until all the appeals in that group have been heard. All parents will be invited as a group to the first session to hear the school's case at Stage 1. If the school does not prove that prejudice would arise for all the appellants, then all the appeals will be allowed. If the panel finds that the school has proven that prejudice would arise, the appeals process will move to stage 2 of the procedure. Stage 2 is 'in private'. No other parents will be present when you present your case to the panel. When will I know the appeal panel's decision? At your appeal, the clerk will inform you when to expect to receive the decision letter. This will be as soon as possible after the appeal hearing(s). If my appeal is unsuccessful, can I appeal again? Unless there have been significant changes in the circumstances of the parent(s) or the school, we are not required to reconsider our decision, and therefore parents do not have the right of another appeal. Can I complain? The appeal panel's decision is binding on all parties; there is no further right of appeal. If you think that the proper procedures have not been followed, you can ask the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) to investigate. The LGO would not criticise the decision of a panel which fairly took into account all the evidence presented by both the parents and the school, just because the parents disagreed with the decision reached. If the LGO found that procedures had not been carried out correctly and you have suffered an injustice, he may suggest that there should be a fresh appeal hearing with different appeal panel members.