Appeal Success Rate

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Appeal Mum
Posts: 2049
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:29 pm
Location: Wirral

Post by Appeal Mum »

Not that it should make any difference what so ever, but was the school in question severely under subscribed?

This was the case at WGG and I'm guessing this was the reason for such a high number of appeal successes.

But with odds like that in Torbay Katie I think I will stick with Wirral if you don't mind.. :wink:

AM
Katie
Posts: 229
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:25 am

success rates

Post by Katie »

Hi,
Yes I'm thinking of joining you! In fact it was suggested to us at our appeal hearing that we might leave this area and move to another local authority if we didn't like the zero success rate for children's appeals being upheld for this school.
The school we were appealing against is very popular, however families are strongly put off appealing firstly at a private "review meeting" which the school offer to failed applicants afterthe places have all been allocated.
During our private review meeting with the school - we were told that any official appeal would not succeed becuase the only serious circumstances that the panel would accept as having affected a child's results - would be death of an immediate relative on the day of a test. We thought this incredulous - and in the absence of any sense from the LEA and through complete lack of knowledge about the "system", we felt we had no other option than to appeal.
Interestingly - 15 families attended these private review meetings and only five families appealed. Not surprising if you are told that you won't win appeal at the outset. The Ombudsman says this is all fine and dandy.
Appeal Mum
Posts: 2049
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:29 pm
Location: Wirral

Post by Appeal Mum »

It beggars belief!

I'm so sorry to hear that Katie, when we go as parents to an appeal the least we expect is a fair hearing as to our circumstances. If your getting no joy with the ombudsman, try your local papers.
You might not gain anything yourself but it sounds like your not gaining to much via the proper channels either.
Name and Shame them.

By the way the Wirral is a lovely place to live.. :wink:

AM
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: success rates

Post by capers123 »

Katie wrote:we were told that any official appeal would not succeed becuase the only serious circumstances that the panel would accept as having affected a child's results - would be death of an immediate relative on the day of a test.
Nah, I'm much more lenient than that. I'd accept 2 grandparents dying in the week before the exam. Or maybe both parents within 2 weeks (although who would be making the appeal).

We've had chronic illness of the child used, but pain from breaking your arm playing hockey 6 months before the exam probably won't sway us, whereas a really bad tooth abscess (complete with docs from the dentist - and I'd want to see the dated X-Ray!) might be a reasonable reason to me for just missing by a couple of points. Of course, you don't know if the appeal after you has an abscess and had stepped on a nail so had gangrene....
Capers
imogen

Post by imogen »

Dear Capers, I appreciate that there has to be a good reason for missing the mark but what if the candidate is not suitable for a grammar school but both parents have died on the day of the test? Or are you just presuming that because they just missed by a few points that they are suitable for a grammar school education?
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Post by capers123 »

imogen wrote:Dear Capers, I appreciate that there has to be a good reason for missing the mark but what if the candidate is not suitable for a grammar school but both parents have died on the day of the test? Or are you just presuming that because they just missed by a few points that they are suitable for a grammar school education?
We're not allowed to assess the academic ability of a child.

We have had cases where there is a really outstanding reason that the child performed worse than they could have in the exam, but even if they had performed to the best of their ability, they still wouldn't have passed the test. We don't allow appeals is such cases - it wouldn't be fair to the child, or to the rest of their class, or to the teachers.

Incidentally, my partner & I have been doing the rounds of the local schools as our eldest is in Y5. Fascinating. We'd be happy for her to attend any of the ones we've seen so far. She could be a high-flyer in one of the local comps (even the one thought of as a 'sink' school is great), or be a happy middle-achiever in one of the grammars - either our town or the next. It's good to be on the receiving end. Next year (2009 intake) I will not be on the appeals panel for any school, and am not currently for the schools we're looking at.
Capers
imogen

Post by imogen »

If you're not allowed to assess the academic ability of a child why did I have on my letter that my child was not suitable for a grammar school education even though her headteacher said she was and would be level 5s etc?
Katie
Posts: 229
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:25 am

assessing ability

Post by Katie »

Hi Imogen, Capers

We can't tell if our appeal panel jundegd our child's ability - because there was absolutely no reference in the notes to his actual ability. If a child has underperformed for the reasons presented (which our panel said were most unfortunate and understandable), and your appeal is based on underperformance - then should the panel be looking at the exam marks at all? Our problem was largley with the clerk - who had made his mind up seven years ago we think! In all of that time no child's appeal has been upheld while he ran this school's proceedings.We feel it inappropriate that he is their "regular guy" - many parents feel his position is wide open to speculation of bias. In recognition of the difficult position that panels are in - I have offered my services as a panel member! The fact remains that our whole appeal was fraught with poor practice, untruths, questionable behaviour and undeniable cronyism from start to finish. Praise the Lord that I haven't got to go through it all again. Good luck for 2009 Capers!
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

I think what the code of practice means is that a panel should not attempt its own assessment of a pupil (by judging the quality of work in exercise books, for example).

A panel must surely be able to take account of all the academic evidence presented to it, just as it will examine all the evidence of mitigating circumstances.

In an appeal against non-qualification, the obvious questions are:
Why did the pupil underperform (if that is what parents are claiming)?
What academic evidence is there that under normal circumstances the pupil could reasonably have been expected to qualify?

What concerns me about Katie's case (among other things!) is that if academic evidence was one of her main points, then I feel the clerk's notes should show that the panel seriously considered this.

I have known the ombudsman (London Office) often express concern when a panel faied to show any interest in the parents' key points.
Etienne
Katie
Posts: 229
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:25 am

Post by Katie »

nice one! :)
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