SHS Waiting List

[capers123]

Another thing that I was thinking about - when you're hearing an appeal have you ever come across someone that, from the info provided, is someone that regularly posts on this forum? If so, what would happen?

I've never noticed anyone from here at an appeal. Luckily I have an appaling memory - seriously. I also avoid in-depth discussions with anyone who I think may be appealing at one of the schools I'm sitting on the panel for this year, keeping only to what is already available on (for example) the appeals Q&A's.

If I did suss out that someone was known to me, be it before or during the appeal, then I'd immediately make a statement to that effect, and both the parents and the school side would have the option of halting the appeal & restarting them with a fresh panel; that would actually mean ALL the appeals for that school would have to be reheard, not just the one I mentioned.

That said, I have declared 'knowledge' of appellants before - it's a small county, so there's a high chance that, as a parent of children in the appeals age group, one or two will be known to me. On both occassions, everyone was happy to continue. One I would class as a friend, the other was just a parent at the primary school, whom I'd spoken to once. The friends appeal failed, as it was a weak case, the other, much stonger, succeeded.

Why was I happy to carry on hearing those appeals? Because we can only base our decision on the information presented to us, either on paper or verbally on the day. If I'd tried to start pushing for a particular outcome, then the other panel members, and the clerk, would have noticed, in the same way that they'd notice if any panel member was basing a decision on something that no one else know.

Now if I knew from here that - say - your child had been tutored for three years, and I managed to work out who you are (very unlikely anyway), but if asked you said 'no, we didn't have tutoring' I wouldn't be able to take into account the fact that you were lying. I might, of course, mutter something when going out of the door on the last day, once the decisions had all been made, recorded and were unchangeable...

Parents on here probably have a higher chance of winning an appeal, but that's thanks to Etienne & Sally-Anne over in the Appeals forum, with the extensive information to be gleaned from the Q&A's. Nothing can alter the core evidence you present, but there may be things that you didn't think of mentioning that you've found out about here.

So to sum up - I'm highly unlikely to be able to identify you, but even if I did it would make no difference to the outcome (either way).

[rollercoaster]

Well, CBS, how was your day? Hope you were able to get your case across and are feeling OK about it all.

[crazybutsmiling]

Rollercoaster, I feel really good about it. I got to say everything I wanted in a coherent manner!!
A few other things came up that I feel strengthened our case, but who knows if it was enough!
They were really nice, genuinely concerned, asked plenty of questions, school governor really nice, and all but said we would welcome another 8!!!
I guess if we don't win, I know I did all I could, and that others just had even stronger reasons, so deserve their place.
Good luck tomorrow. Are you in the morning or afternoon?
They said we'd here within 5 working days from tomorrow.
It does feel a relief not to keep going thru it in my head, and surprisingly I am not sitting here wishing I said more, as they drew many things out of me, things I may not have mentioned otherwise.

[capers123]

I've never noticed anyone from here at an appeal. Luckily I have an appaling memory - seriously.

To clarify, it's not that I can't remember seeing anyone from here at an appeal, but I can't remember what has been written here. Even if people PM me, I have to look at their previous mails to check what has been said before. So much of what is written in appeals documents are the same (as in 'my son/daughter has a great love of 'science/maths/english/performing arts/macrame' [delete whichever is not the schools specialist status], 'my son/daughter is a highly intelligent, self motivated, academic child', or 'my child will be a great asset to the school') that someone writing that here wouldn't stand out.

If any of those phrases sound straight out of your appeal, I'm not quoting your appeal - I've not got the appeals in front of me as I write - they're just examples that occur again and again. There's nothing wrong with writing those things, either.

If you had something truly outstanding, then I might recognise the circumstances, but the weighting I gave to it would be the same as I gave hearing it for the first time at the appeal. Sorry - no special favours for 11+ forum members .

Note that I do make copious notes when reading through the appeals, and also during the appeal meeting to aid my memory. I know the clerk makes official notes, but sometimes there are little inflections that I have noticed, or something which is of higher importance to me that I want to refer to once we're going through all the appeals at the end of the process. The notes & sketchings of the panel members are destroyed after the appeal, but anything we raise from them would go down on the clerks notes of deliberations on each case.

[capers123]

A few other things came up that I feel strengthened our case, but who knows if it was enough!
They were really nice, genuinely concerned, asked plenty of questions, school governor really nice, and all but said we would welcome another 8!!!
I guess if we don't win, I know I did all I could, and that others just had even stronger reasons, so deserve their place.
Good luck tomorrow. Are you in the morning or afternoon?
They said we'd here within 5 working days from tomorrow.
It does feel a relief not to keep going thru it in my head, and surprisingly I am not sitting here wishing I said more, as they drew many things out of me, things I may not have mentioned otherwise.

Sounds like a good, textbook appeal. On the whole, Gloucestershire panels are well trained, open-minded and totally independent from the school / LEA, so there aren't the horror stories you hear from other counties (60 appeals, none succeeded). I'm pleased that they drew things out that you didn't mention.

So SHS sent a governor to represent, did they? Was it a well spoken lady, head of governors? Many schools send the Admissions Officer or the Clerk to the Governors. Who is sent makes no difference to the panel nor the parents, as the school case is usually quite simple, and you've seen it in advance. In some places the Head Teacher presents. For Primary appeals, I have known the head attend to add gravitas to the case as an extra witness, but it doesn't always help their case!

[crazybutsmiling]

Capers, School sent governor who was possibly clerk of governors something like that, can't remember -nerves. something to do with admissions governor, admissions clerk was sharing responsibility, or something like that the governor told me when we were waiting to go in.

[crazybutsmiling]

capers yes a well spoken lady, i think head of governors. All these titles go over my head.

[rollercoaster]

Hey crazybutsmiling, it sounds like you had a very satisfying experience. I'm really pleased for you. I've been busy and relatively calm today but just starting to feel queasy - mind you, that could be my cooking! Our appeal is tomorrow afternoon - happily I'm really busy in the morning, so won't have time to think about it. I can't wait till I get to the stage I stop going over what I want to say in my head. I'm slowly going very slightly mad

[ofsoundmind]

Hi cbs,

So glad you felt it went so well. I think that makes a huge difference on how you will feel about the result. Like you say, you'll know you did your best whatever the outcome. It sounds good that they drew extra information out of you
Fingers crossed

[hopefulandstressed]

So, one day to go before decision time!
Good luck rollercoaster for tomorrow - can totally relate to the 'going slightly mad' feeling, but would change to 'lost the plot'!!! Hoping that normality will return once outcome out the way!!

Sense of relief once appeal is done is major - there is light at the end of the tunnel for us all Hoping that we could hear Friday? or is that very optimistic that 28 letters will get written and posted Wed/Thurs? It'll either be a great weekend, or a nightmare. Either way feel large amount of wine in the equation!