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Post appeal waiting lists help

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 12:10 pm
by Julie2014
Hi everyone

My daughter (failed test) was deemed suitable for grammar at appeal but was placed on the waiting list rather than allocated a place. The school year group is usually 165 children, however the appeal panel had deemed it would not cause significant predujudice and forced the school to accept an extra 15 children.
I am told that 16 children must leave the school (ie return to original intake number) before any child on the waiting list may be offered a place.
If the appeal panel stated it would not cause significant predujudice to have extra students, can the school be forced to offer places to those on waiting lists if just one child leaves?

Incidentally, children from 11miles away have been offered places - we live across the street (frustrating)

Any help appreciated
Thanks
Julie

Re: Post appeal waiting lists help

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 12:20 pm
by kenyancowgirl
I'm no expert but my understanding is that you have to view appeals and the waiting list as two separate entities. Your dd was deemed gs suitable and is on the waiting list. The school is already at PAN (ie full) but the appeals panel granted an extra 15 people through appeals (not your dd who is on waiting list) as the extra numbers did not prejudice the school. The waiting list is linked to PAN, not appeals. To gain a place now, you are waiting for the school to return to PAN (in this case 15 appeals and one from the original PAN). If only 3 of the 15 appeals decide to take the place up, you are then waiting for PAN to be restored by 3 appeals and 1 from the PAn - they two lists (appeal) and (waiting list) are not linked, I'm afraid.

It is exceptionally frustrating, I agree, particularly as you are so close physically. Did the people who live further away get offered one of the 15 places on appeal?

Re: Post appeal waiting lists help

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 12:54 pm
by Julie2014
Thankyou, yes that was essentially my understanding of it, but has this ever been challenged before? And did they win?
I understand that at least one person has declined their space, and daughter is first on the waiting list.....

Thanks

Re: Post appeal waiting lists help

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:01 pm
by salsa
Hi Julie2014,

I am sorry that your daughter did not get through. I can understand your frustration. You may ask why appeal if you are going to turn down the space? The issue is that often parents have to appeal to more than one place and do not know the outcome for several weeks sometimes. Also, the child may be on more than one waiting list. If the child wins an appeal and subsequently gets offered a space on a higher preference school, then the space obtained on appeal becomes "lost" as no other person can take it.

This is the way this system works at the moment, less than perfect, I know.