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One in three Suffolk school appeals successful, outpacing national average

News

New data shows that Suffolk parents lodged 294 appeals over school placement decisions for the 2023-24 academic year, successfully appealing 1.6 times more often than the rest of the country.

The big picture: The Department for Education reports 56,684 school admissions appeals were lodged across England for 2023-24 places, a 7% increase from the previous year. The number of appeals in Suffolk remained steady, but the percentage of successful appeals was 1.6 times higher than the national average.

By the numbers:

  • 294 appeals were lodged in Suffolk for 2023-24, up slightly from 290 the year before

  • 230 of these appeals were heard by an appeals panel

  • 73 (32%) of the heard appeals in Suffolk were successful, compared to a national average of just 20%

Why it matters: The appeals process allows parents to challenge school placement decisions when they don't receive their first preference. Data shows that parents in Suffolk were 1.6 times more likely to be successful when appealing than parents in the rest of the country.

What they're saying: Pepe Di'Iasio, Association of Secondary and College Leaders general secretary said, "The number of appeals lodged by parents reflects pressure on places in oversubscribed schools which fluctuates because of things like new housing in popular catchment areas."

Between the lines: School leaders highlight several challenges:

  • Local authorities retain responsibility for ensuring sufficient school places but lack the necessary powers and resources

  • Place planning can appear haphazard due to fragmented decision-making

  • Demand is often driven by Ofsted ratings, leaving some schools undersubscribed and some oversubscribed

What's next: The government has committed to scrapping single-word Ofsted judgements and providing more support to schools where needed. However, introducing VAT to private schools could increase competition for the best-performing state schools.

The bottom line: While Suffolk parents see higher appeal success rates, the increase in appeals nationally points to ongoing challenges in school place allocation. How the VAT increase for independent schools will impact this in the future is yet to be seen.

Police reveal Billy McNicholl died from head injuries and a single stab wound in an 'isolated' attack

News

A post-mortem has revealed that William "Billy" McNicholl, 63, died from head injuries and a single stab wound at his Ipswich home. Police continue to appeal for witnesses as the murder investigation enters its second week.

The details: Officers discovered McNicholl's body at his home on Hawthorn Drive shortly before 18:00 on New Years Day:

  • Suffolk Constabulary's Major Investigation Team is leading the inquiry

  • A police cordon remains in place near the junction with Marigold Avenue

  • Investigators are particularly interested in any suspicious activity between 24 December and 1 January

William "Billy" McNicholl and his dog
William "Billy" McNicholl, 63, died from head injuries and a single stab wound at his Ipswich homeAmy Clarke

What they're saying: Detective Superintendent Mike Brown of the Joint Major Investigations Team said: “We continue to appeal for anyone with any information to come forward while the murder inquiry into the death of Billy continues.

“Billy’s family are being supported by specially trained officers through what is an extremely distressing time for them.

“A large number of officers and staff have already been involved in the investigation, with searches, house-to-house and CCTV enquiries taking place. Residents should expect to see a continued increased police presence over the coming days.

“We are exploring all and any lines of enquiry and currently believe this to be an isolated incident and I would urge anyone with any information, no matter how small you think it may be, to get in touch with police.”

How to help:

  • Contact police on 101 quoting reference 37/162/25

  • Submit information via the Major Incident Public Reporting Portal at mipp.police.uk/operation/363719P01-PO1

  • Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

  • Use Crimestoppers' online form at crimestoppers-uk.org

The bottom line: While police believe this is an isolated incident, they are conducting extensive searches, house-to-house inquiries and CCTV analysis. Residents should expect to see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days.

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