Appeals

Infant (key stage 1 and foundation) appeals

By law, subject to certain limited exceptions, no infant class may contain more than 30 pupils. Infant classes are those in which the majority of pupils will reach the age of 5, 6 or 7 during the school year.

Admissions authorities can refuse to admit a child if to do so would require the school to take action such as employ an extra teacher or build an extra classroom to keep infant classes at 30 or less.

Parents can appeal in this situation, but the appeal panel can only uphold an appeal in limited circumstances.

The panel must dismiss the appeal where:

a) it finds that the admission arrangements complied with admissions law and were correctly and impartially applied, or

b) it finds that the admission arrangements did not comply with admissions law or were not correctly and impartially applied but that, if they had complied and had been correctly and impartially applied, the child would not have been offered a place

In the event of oversubscription and applications being refused, applicants have the right to an independent appeal, however these are subject to the infact class size criteria, please see the attached document below. 

As an Academy our appeals arrangements are handled directly by the school as part of The Flying High Partnership. All appeals received by the school are handled by an independent appeals clerk appointed by the Trust who will make all the necessary arrangements to ensure all appeals are compliant with statutory guidelines.

Applicants wishing to make an appeal should do so within 28 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision to refuse admission to the school. An appeals form should be completed in every case and submitted to The Flying High Partnership within the 28 days.

The form is available below or by contacting the school directly:

0115 913 2331

office@horsendale.notts.sch.uk

The Flying High Partnership

Admissions and Appeals

0115 989 1915

appeals@flyinghightrust.co.uk.

C/O Flying High Partnership, 2a Vickery Way, Chilwell Nottingham  NG9 6RY

Infant Class Size Criteria

We advise reading about different types of appeals before completing your appeal form, link here; https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/school-admissions/appeal-a-school-admission-decision/types-of-appeals. If your child is of infant school age (Reception, Year 1 or Year 2), then Infant Class Size Legislation may apply for your appeal. Be aware that you are less likely to be successful in an Infant Class Size appeal than a non-Infant Class Size appeal.

Infant classes must not contain more than 30 pupils with a single school teacher. When an infant class has already reached the legal limit of 30, appeal panels can only offer a place in very limited circumstances.

Infant class size The law limits the size of an infant class (a class in which the majority of children will reach the age of 5, 6 and 7 during the school year) to 30 pupils per school teacher. The class size legislation makes allowance for the entry of an additional child in certain limited circumstances. The School Admissions Code 2021 (section 2.16) sets out these exceptions. A child who falls into one of these categories will not automatically be admitted as an excepted child.