Allocations

[capers123]

... my understanding is that an appeal panel will look at all academic evidence, not just the test result. If you have good evidence of your DD's academic ability, it might win over the panel ahead of a qualifying score with weaker evidence.

Correct. It is harder to win a non-qualification appeal, but given a strong case, certainly possible. All I can say with certainity is that if you don't appeal, you have no chance of winning.

[stroudydad]

... my understanding is that an appeal panel will look at all academic evidence, not just the test result. If you have good evidence of your DD's academic ability, it might win over the panel ahead of a qualifying score with weaker evidence.

Correct. It is harder to win a non-qualification appeal, but given a strong case, certainly possible. All I can say with certainity is that if you don't appeal, you have no chance of winning.

Capers, could you clarify something please,
Am I correct in believing that you can appeal even if you have nothing to say regarding the test itself, ie. the test went fine and dc got a qualifying score but no place allocated.

[Jolem2000]

... my understanding is that an appeal panel will look at all academic evidence, not just the test result. If you have good evidence of your DD's academic ability, it might win over the panel ahead of a qualifying score with weaker evidence.

Correct. It is harder to win a non-qualification appeal, but given a strong case, certainly possible. All I can say with certainity is that if you don't appeal, you have no chance of winning.

Capers, could you clarify something please,
Am I correct in believing that you can appeal even if you have nothing to say regarding the test itself, ie. the test went fine and dc got a qualifying score but no place allocated.

Thanks Stroudydad, I would be very interested to hear Capers opinion on that as we are in that very position! Also my DS1 is already at the school so would that carry any weight at an appeal for DS2 or even better at reconsideration stage?

[capers123]

Am I correct in believing that you can appeal even if you have nothing to say regarding the test itself, ie. the test went fine and dc got a qualifying score but no place allocated.

Thanks Stroudydad, I would be very interested to hear Capers opinion on that as we are in that very position! Also my DS1 is already at the school so would that carry any weight at an appeal for DS2 or even better at reconsideration stage?

You can appeal if your child has not been offered a place at that school. That's it (assuming that you've not appealed before for that school in the same school year, unless there is a major new piece of evidence since the previous appeal).

What you choose to present to the panel is entirely down to you - look at the FAQ's in the Appeals forum.

You'll need to check each schools admission policy as to preference for siblings at the same school. If there is preference, for selective schools it's likely to be within the equal score, so your child would get a higher ranking than a child without the sibling at the same school. Schools can also use 'distance from school' as another tie breaker.

[Superflygirl]

To be honest I don't know if the appeals panel know exact scores - they will probably only know whether your DC's reached the qualifying score or not. I know of someone a couple of years ago who scored 198 for STR and was offered a place on appeal (parents did the appeal without DS knowing so as not to disappoint him even more). If your DC's heart is set on a school perhaps it would worth an appeal, you don't have anything to lose - except sleep

Appeals panel will know exact score. They will not have access to the exam paper, but invigilators records and the child's answer paper are likely to be available.

I am this parent.

Copies of his answer paper formed part of my appeal together with CAT scores and predicted SAT scores. I would say to anyone thinking of appealing that there is nothing to lose (apart from your mind)!! I followed my DS's dream (not my own) and am glad I did so as he loves it there. It may be a scary option but you will always wonder "what if?"

[Parismum]

Quick question - my DD has a place at HSFG and is on the waiting list for Pate's (5 places off an offer). If we accept HSFG and ask for reconsideration from Pates on the form, and a place comes up (unlikely, I know) do we then have a choice of schools, or does she automatically lose her HSFG place? She is in 2 minds which she would prefer and is leaning towards HSFG anyway, so I wanted to make sure we wouldn't jeopardise her HSFG place by asking for reconsideration.

[capers123]

If we accept HSFG and ask for reconsideration from Pates on the form, and a place comes up (unlikely, I know) do we then have a choice of schools, or does she automatically lose her HSFG place?

That's a really good question, to which I don't know the answer.

If it were an appeal which you won, then you have the option (although if you don't take the place you have won, you may well have deprived another child of a place at the school).

However, for 'reconsideration' I would have thought it would be the same as in the initial allocations and done automatically.

It might be worth you speaking to admissions at Shire Hall and asking the question - do let us know what they say.

[ofsoundmind]

If we accept HSFG and ask for reconsideration from Pates on the form, and a place comes up (unlikely, I know) do we then have a choice of schools, or does she automatically lose her HSFG place?

That's a really good question, to which I don't know the answer.

If it were an appeal which you won, then you have the option (although if you don't take the place you have won, you may well have deprived another child of a place at the school).

However, for 'reconsideration' I would have thought it would be the same as in the initial allocations and done automatically.

It might be worth you speaking to admissions at Shire Hall and asking the question - do let us know what they say.

I spoke to Shire Hall on Monday about a reconsideration matter. They told me that if you asked for reconsideration and were successful, you would automatically be given the new school place and lose the original place offered.
osm

[Parismum]

Thank you so much, capers123 and ofsoundmind, that's really helpful. HSFG it is, then - finally , decision made!