Infant class size appeals
By law, teachers of infant age pupils (reception to year 2) should be responsible for a maximum of 30 children. If the admission of another child would mean a 31st child in the class, the school would have to employ another teacher and/or create another teaching group - this is known as “taking qualifying measures”.
Infant class size legislation restricts the grounds on which an appeal can be allowed because, if it is proven that qualifying measures would be necessary, the balance of prejudice will be strongly towards the school.
The appeal panel consider whether the admission authority applied its admission arrangements correctly and whether the decision to refuse was unreasonable and will only uphold an appeal an offer another place if they find the admission arrangements were applied incorrectly and this disadvantaged your child, or the decision to refuse was ‘perverse’ in the circumstance.