Reserve Lists and Oversubscription Appeals

[Alex]

I spoke to a school in West Kent yesterday and they agreed with capers and told me that if you win the appeal you jump the whole waiting list and get a place straight away. So you obviously need a strong case but at least you dont then have to go on a waiting list.

An Independent Appeals Panel can only uphold your appeal (you get your school place) or dismiss your appeal (you don't get your school place). If it upholds your appeal then it does not matter how many people are on the waiting list, in you go. This is why it is always better to appeal rather than wait in hope for a place to come up on the waiting list.

Stocky is also correct to state that if the school is full when you appeal and you have not qualified then you would have to convince the panel both of your child's ability and that your reasons for wanting the place outweigh the prejudice to the school of taking an extra child in order for it to uphold your appeal.

[Stocky]

Thanks Alex. That's as I understood it.

[Spatel2]

Not sure if this is a silly question, but here goes...
If you're on the waiting list, does that mean you've not qualified? Therefore, you have to appeal on the basis of non-qualification as well as oversubscription?

Or does being on the waiting list (i.e. passing the first exam) mean that you've qualified and only have to appeal on the basis of oversubscription?

Cheers

[Stocky]

Unless its a school which ranks on score, in which case someone may have passed but not highly enough you can be on the reserve list. If you have plainly not qualified then you cannot be on the reserve list. If you have not qualified you have to argue academic ability and reasons for needing that school - if your appeal wins you bypass anyone on the reserve list.

[hermanmunster]

Not sure if this is a silly question, but here goes...
If you're on the waiting list, does that mean you've not qualified? Therefore, you have to appeal on the basis of non-qualification as well as oversubscription?

Or does being on the waiting list (i.e. passing the first exam) mean that you've qualified and only have to appeal on the basis of oversubscription?

Cheers

Depends on how the school select...

If the exam is a straight yes / no and the oversub is distance then the score / academic is irrelevant - however you would need to define why the child should be at that school -special interests etc.

If the selection is top scores only then you can be on the WL with a score that is not high enough to get in until the pass score drops a bit ie say 230 gets you in first allocations - after people decide to go elsewhere then the pass score may drop to 226 (and people are offered of the WL) ... if you have 224 you would have to appeal and give academic evidence to show why you should have got a higher score (and hence got in on first allocations