Appeal results tomorrow!

[binka]

Thanks Alex. Yes dd is dyslexic and to be honest that just seemed to make things worse. They were waving her dyslexia report under my nose saying that it says in there she's weak on verbal and as a grammar school as a very verbal method of teaching does this not concern me, how will she cope, etc.

I kept trying to srgue that she is coping at the minute, passed the 11plus, projected to do well on her SATs and that QEHS has "outstanding" for its SEN on Ofsted report, plus the support of a homework club 4 nights a week would benefit her. All these things were my srgument about why its the best school for her. The allocated school does not offer this support.

But they obviously don't feel someone who scraped in by the skin of their teeth should be there. And of course if we'd lived 0.3 of a mile closer there wouldn't have been any discussion on whether she could cope or not as she passed.

We won't be taking it any further. DD needs some stability knowing where she is heading after months of uncertainty. But my advice for anyone in the future thinking of appealing for QEHS is not to bother unless your kid scored very highly. I know you're not supposed to have to disclose your result in the hearing but of the people I know who appealed everyone was asked in a round about way to reveal the scores (and did so).

[Amber]

This makes me wonder about disability discrimination? Not as anyone who knows anything about appealing, but surely this isn't allowed?

[Atilla]

Keeping in mind that even if the appeal panel completely mishandled it, it might be in your child's best interest to move on just because they may find security in knowing what their secondary school is, from a closure standpoint, I would make a complaint just so that you can get confirmation about whether you were treated unfairly, and if you were, to help prevent anyone else from having this problem in the future.

I would agree that disability may come into it. Dyslexia in itself does not constitute a disability unless it is severe. It has to be bad enough to effect day to day living for the rest of your child's life. Intellect does not come into it (much in the way that someone with high functioning ASD does have every day life effected). But most dyslexics are considered to have special educational needs, not disability needs.

This all being said, if your child passed the test, then they do not have to prove that they are suitable. All you should have had to do was prove why this schools inconvenience at having another child was larger then the benefit your child was have at being at that specific school. Now, it could be that in the clerk notes, that in addition to them incorrectly questioning your child's abilities, that the real reason your child did not win the appeal was because you did not meet the why this specific school is best for your child above all others criteria. The only way to know is to see the notes.

If it says your child lost because they were not deemed suitable for a grammar, then you have grounds either way. If it says your child did not get in because of their dyslexia (as opposed to the quality of school work submitted), then IF it is bad enough to be considered a disability, it would be discrimination, otherwise it would just be an incorrect appeal decision which should be complained about in the normal way. Either way it would be wrong. My child won an appeal based on disability, but it had the same effect as if she won any other way, so I do not think it is overly important if it is discrimination or not in this case.

[binka]

that the real reason your child did not win the appeal was because you did not meet the why this specific school is best for your child above all others criteria. The only way to know is to see the notes

I'm sure they'll have been clever enough to say that the reasons we argued for this school over the allocated one weren't strong enough. They'll say that the allocated school should be able to deal with and support dyslexic kids, etc.

However they could also say that for the children whos appeals were upheld as they were so bright they could if they'd wanted to say that the allocated schools should be able to cope with and help very bright children. They chose not to.

It seems like they can do what they want and get away with it. I'm not going to ring the ombudsman to make a complaint. I doubt a complaint would be upheld which would just make me even crosser.

[Atilla]

binka, maybe not. It is an independent appeal panel, not a school supporting one. So it could be they are not bright enough to have covered it up because they were not bright enough to know they shouldn't have done it in the first place.
But I do understand your need to put a line under it and leave it.

I always say success is the best revenge. One day, when your child is grown up and successful, she will be able to say she did it by not going to QEHS. She will have done it by her own hard work and determination.

[Stocky]

I'm not surprised you need to draw a line under it, I felt physically drained last week and couldn't give it anymore. Just on your comment re bright kids - I was able to show successfully that DD would be disadvantaged if she didnt go to QEHS. DD needs top grades in certain subjects and the allocated school only has 1 person sitting one of those subjects at A level and only 2 people the other 2 - QEHS has over a 100 with a high percentage at the top grades she needs. Noone has got the top grades at the other school in years - so I was able to show that actually they wouldn't cope with her and wouldn't deliver what she needed, she would have no peer group either. The heads letter was extremely strong and the panel commended this. I also had 3 other strong reasons why DD needed QEHS and again that the allocated school wouldn't meet that need. The allocated school doesn't meet any one of DD's needs and I don't mean that it does a bit but not as good as QEHS, it simply doesn't meet them at all, whereas QEHS meets every single one. I had evidence coming out of my ears and really was able to show that they are a perfect match. I think that's what did it for us, we had a solid watertight case, we were challenged massively at appeal, it was gruelling, but looking back I can see that that actually strengthened not dented our case, as there were simply no holes. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and pm me if you want to rant or chat. I do believe in what will be will be and your DD will be happy and successful I am sure. Everyone I know who hasn't got into that school whether via distance or rejected appeal has looked back and said they can see now why they weren't meant to be x

[binka]

Any child is going to be disadvantaged going to a comp with a 65% GCSE pass rate as opposed to a Grammar with a 100% GCSE pass rate.

DD certainly won't do as well at the comp as she would have done at QEHS. There is also plenty of research which I quoted at the appeal that the children who benefit most from a Grammar school are the ones who scrape in. The really bright kids will do well anywhere. DD would have benefited from the way their science GCSEs are set up - their own website says that taking them over 3 years relieves the pressure, very beneficial for someone with dyslexia.

Now she has to go to a comp where when I mentioned about her dyslexia and my concerns they said she could always do BTECs rather than GCSEs if it was all a bit of a struggle. Great.

[ourmaminhavana]

Hi Binka,
I've been following your journey and I just want to say that I really feel for you and your DD. It sounds awful, but I honestly think that with your support she will do well.

[Stocky]

Have a look at the pass rate for high attainers at your school - 65% is the average for high, middle and low attainers. If its over 90% its delivering virtually as good as the grammars. Its hard with 18 appeals as there's always gonna be more disappointed than not and it must be an awful end to process for you x

[binka]

Stocky, I'm aware I probably sound bitter and I probably am. I am genuinely glad your dd got in. x