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appeals submissions

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:56 pm
by mother
We are in the process of appealing to a foundation school. Our intention of appeal was lodged with the clerk to the governors last week, with a note adding our full submission would follow. Have now received a letter saying the LEA are running their appeals for them, and our full submission will need to be back to the school by no later than 23rd March!! Is this right? Thought DFES guidelines said we had to confirm our intention to appeal at this stage and could provide rest at a later date.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:08 pm
by Guest
Hi,
What area are you in? so those who know your area can answer. :D

appeals submissions

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:52 pm
by mother
Anonymous wrote:Hi,
What area are you in? so those who know your area can answer. :D
Sorry - good old Kent.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:50 pm
by Etienne
Dear mother

You ought to fill in any form, but I think you need give only minimal information (name, address, etc.). Where it says Reasons for Appeal, you could write "Further details to follow as we have only been given a few days' notice".

I believe that it is wrong to ask you for a full submission at such short notice. The code of practice is quite clear:

Parents should also be informed that there is no statutory time limit for submitting information about their appeal, and that they may be able to submit information after lodging their appeal, but before the hearing. It then goes on to say: There should be no grounds for the admission authority to produce substantial new information at the appeal, although this should not be true of parents ….

It might be worth checking with whoever is organising your appeal to see if they have a view about this, but in practice, I’ve never heard of parents being denied the opportunity to submit additional information after lodging their appeal.

Regards

appeals submissions

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:12 pm
by mother
thanks etienne - you just backed up what I already thought. Thanks again

appeals submissions

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:21 pm
by mother
Help - what is the best way to deal with a submission that is not based on academic qualification ( child passed 11+ with a high score of 390) and still did not get any of our choices. School we are appealing for gives preference to children within a very tight catchment area and we are outside of it!! (Still in area - Kent - but outside their distance criteria). Help!!!!

Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:25 pm
by Sally-Anne
Hi mother

Take a look at Etienne's "Appeal Q&As" - link at top of the page - the section on appealing to an oversubscribed school. She covers almost everything you could need to know, and so much more eloquently than I can!

After you have read it, please come back for further advice if you need to.

Sally-Anne

appeals submissions

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:28 pm
by mother
Thanks - have finally put a submission together. Included academics incl. letter from head - brilliant, supporting evidence i.e school report, cats scores, reasons why we want a school in tonbridge (you've guessed it - it's the difficult one!!!) - our son is at school in tonbridge and we've been offered another grammar 40 miles away. Have stated why this particular school is important - what it offers that no other school can. What else can we do - whole thing seems like a real nightmare because this waiting list thing is a joke - you just don't know where you stand. If i sound like i'm going mad, it's probably because i am!! Help. Just feel like everything we have put on paper is not enough.

Re: appeals submissions

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:41 pm
by Tired Mum
mother wrote:Thanks - have finally put a submission together. Included academics incl. letter from head - brilliant, supporting evidence i.e school report, cats scores, reasons why we want a school in tonbridge (you've guessed it - it's the difficult one!!!) - our son is at school in tonbridge and we've been offered another grammar 40 miles away. Have stated why this particular school is important - what it offers that no other school can. What else can we do - whole thing seems like a real nightmare because this waiting list thing is a joke - you just don't know where you stand. If i sound like i'm going mad, it's probably because i am!! Help. Just feel like everything we have put on paper is not enough.
Hey Love.... I feel like that too. You are not alone- keep your chin up, take a deep breath and read through it all again. Have you covered everything? Re-read the appeal section and also somewhere today a lady did a great post which went into detail about what the appeals panel looked at.. Check that one out.

Honey, we (and quite a few others) are in this nightmare with you and we are all frightened and sick to our stomachs BUT all any of us can do is our very best for our children.

Keep checking here for support :) :) :)

Re: appeals submissions

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:52 pm
by jenny wren
also somewhere today a lady did a great post which went into detail about what the appeals panel looked at.. Check that one out.
Tired mum

where can I find this posting? I need to look at that :D

Many thanks
Jenny