Support for people who have lost appeals

[Etienne]

I dont know how exactly but I feel the guidelines for the IAPs should be more stringent.

There is, of course, a huge danger in making the guidelines even more prescriptive. It's already happened with infant class size appeals, as the government wanted a cap on class size, and the result is it's extremely difficult to win such an appeal. It's heartbreaking for both parents and panel when even an outstandingly deserving case cannot be allowed because it doesn't meet the legal requirements.

A panel needs to be able to exercise discretion - but the consequence of giving panels such discretion will sometimes be inconsistency. If it was easy, you could get rid of the panels, feed all the information into a computer, and press a button ......

The strong cases usually stand out. The weak ones are usually self-evident. The ones in between, where the decision could go either way, are really problematic.

I would have thought the child with 110 cited above (11 marks below a qualifying score) must have had a very strong case to get past any panel.

[Etienne]

Likewise, I will continue to stay on the forum to help others in any way I can.

Thanks for that, Moving on.

I feel sure Sally-Anne wanted the tone of this thread ("Support for people who have lost appeals") to be positive.

[Rob Clark]

The problem with the Appeals system is that there are a infinite number of reasons why parents appeal, and the panel have to weight these up and come to a judgment as to the relative merits of, for example: a serious illness in the family, the death of a pet, a child who massively underperformed on the day, a child for whom English is a second language etc etc etc.

I’d be the first to concede that this is a thankless and often impossibly subjective task, but equally if the appeals system is to be a quasi-judicial process, there does need to be some accountability – the need to be seen to be fair is vitally important.

Our case last year was based on a chronic medical condition and the appeal panel did not really understand enough about it to assess its likely impact (as was patently clear from their failure to ask the obvious follow-up questions). Individual panellists have my sympathy, but the system as a whole would, IMHO, be highly unlikely to bear scrutiny in any other walk of life.

[Rob Clark]

In light of Etienne’s last post, perhaps I should add that DD is thriving at her local school, seems to be doing well academically and socially and indeed we, as a family, took the decision not to put her in for the 12+.

We remain slightly non-plussed at the appeal system, but have very few complaints about DD’s school, and she is very happy there.

[Looking for help]

Just wanted to add that I also linger on this forum to offer any advice I can and also to glean lots of information on older years and other topics etc, there is a huge wealth of information available, and it can be very interesting to see how others tackle similar issues with their families.
I also would like to say that my son is also doing very well at school, it's not necessarily my first choice school, but on the whole, he is pretty happy. Yes there is life after a failed appeal, not necessarily the one you may have envisaged, but it is not the end of the world

[moosh]

We too failed our appeal. However, I could not even have got to that stage without this forum. Felt so 'at sea' when we got the results and had to keep coming back to the forum just to get the strength to make the appeal. Needless to say I wont be taking it any further. Time to move on and get on with the next chapter (gulp). I do feel however that I have got to know my cyber buddies and have followed their appeals with interest and got support from them - especially you Tra12cy. It would be nice now to see how everyone is doing in their new schools because although this hurdle is finally gone I am quite sure there will be many more. I shall be staying on the forum but will be moving onto the other sections concerned with older children and I hope these areas continue to be supported and will grow.
After all what else am I going to do with myself, I am so used to being here now it will feel like I'm leaving home.

[Etienne]

Thanks for that post, moosh.

I was so sorry to hear of your disappointing news.

Appeals can be really hard.

[T12ACY]

Ah thanks moosh

We too are getting on with life and it would be nice to keep posting over on 'Everything Else' to find out how well our DC are getting on. Of course if we decide to go for 12+ we can support one another through that too!

[Rob Clark]

PS I am over it all, really

I truly am over it from the point of view of my DD’s schooling – she is at the local secondary modern has settled in well, is enjoying it and working hard, and has made a good crowd of new friends (none of her primary school girl friends have gone there).

But the fact that it seems to have worked out OK for us, does not change my (mostly unprintable) opinion of the appeal system

[Sally-Anne]

PS I am over it all, really

But the fact that it seems to have worked out OK for us, does not change my (mostly unprintable) opinion of the appeal system

So not over it at all really?

Sorry Rob - I couldn't resist it! It took me around 3 years to stop muttering dark thoughts and imprecations against the appeal system, even after DS1 had passed the 12+ and got in to a GS.

Even now I wish I could remember the names of the panel members so that, if I ever bumped in to them, I could say: "Hey, know what? You got it wrong." But then my adult self kicks in and thinks that perhaps I am a little old to say "Nah-nah-ni-nah-nah"?