Appeal paperwork

[panicattack!]

clearly I am losing the plot here of course you did! Best of luck with the waiting (am still thinking of while you are waiting!) Good luck

[Fluffy66]

whichwitch - think of you and your waiting - as i'm drinking my wine and eating my choccys of course Could i have the cheesecake without the cherries.... please

We've just had the paperwork for our second appeal arrive today. Included is a copy of the letter from Kent offering my DS his allocated school......little confused as to why this might be, is it usual?

[Etienne]

It's not unusual, especially when an LA appointed panel is involved.

Your LA are under an obligation to provide a school place, and they're confirming that they've done this. It's open to you to say why the school you're appealing for would better suit your son.

[Fluffy66]

Thanks Etienne

No problem to explain why we need the school we are appealing to just don't want to get into any discussion over the allocated school and i hope they don't either.

[T12ACY]

It is standard for Kent to provide the HT assessment referral document, a copy of the letters advising of the KT result and allocated school plus a form detailing the schools case. I didn't have any discussion, or was asked about the allocated school and referred to it as that (not naming it but we all knew what it was!). It is the LA way of ensuring the parent is not making up anything in order go sway the decision.... They are very thorough in their defence!

Not the same approach where the LA aren't invloved in appointing / arranging the hearing from what I understand x

[Etienne]

In the unlikely event that they start asking questions about the allocated school that you feel uncomfortable with, just steer the conversation away:
"We really haven't come here to criticise the allocated school - we're here to focus on school X, and why we think it would be the right school for our child."

[U400JB9]

We were never asked about the allocated school, however the HT appeal did surprisingly state that DD would not thrive at the allocated school. I had prepeared a brief answer, which was much more diplomatic that the real reason I was advised to say nothing bad about the allocated school as its scorned upon.......

[whichwitch]

We were asked about the allocated school, I was able to answer honestly that I thought it a very good school as daughter is there but not the best option for my son due to size etc. The panel seemed to be happy with my answer. Its really important not to slate the allocated school.

[Fluffy66]

We actually like all 4 school we put on our SCAF form otherwise we wouldn't have put them on. The GS's were the most local, one in either direction. The same for the Sec schools. We liked the feel, the ethos, headteacher etc BUT all except the GS named first are just not suitable for my DS's needs.

I'm quite clear now as to what to say if questioned (thanks to you all)

The only thing i may say, if really pushed, is that the allocated school has specialisms in art/drama and sport - these interests are way off the bottom end of the scale in my sons interest which are all more academic - maths, science, ICT. Also all the clubs are then sporty so they will be of absolutely no use to him and his need to be socially independant. At the moment we have to very much orchestrate his social life for it to be successful and the GS we really want has at least 4 clubs for his "special interests".

None of this came up at the first appeal so we will have to wait and see...................

[T12ACY]

We actually like all 4 school we put on our SCAF form otherwise we wouldn't have put them on. The GS's were the most local, one in either direction. The same for the Sec schools. We liked the feel, the ethos, headteacher etc BUT all except the GS named first are just not suitable for my DS's needs.

I was ridiculously naive and while all the schools I added to my SCAF were the ones we liked I felt it was a fill the spaces excercise that I should have done better in! One parent from DS's school wrote a single school and 'Home Education' in the remaining spaces.... DC didn't get her school of choice but was offered, by telephone, the most popular first choice locally by the LA even though the entrance test hadn't been taken and it wasn't even on the form! Begs the question what was the point in filling it in for some people?

Interesting you say only one school is suitable for DS's needs and yet you added others to the form you liked, not a critisism at all, just makes me feel less unusual because I did the same, in fact worse because we didn't look outside the box until after a failed appeal..... Funny how on reflection what we first liked doesn't actually meet the desired specialism and yet it didn't become immediately obvious.

Hope the next hearing goes well x