Over subscription appeal
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Woundupmother
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 2:31 pm
Re: Over subscription appeal
So are we saying the admissions procedure looks like it may go against the code but it's not in my best interest to pursue it?
What if I ask for numbers who got same mark or lower who have a place due to a sibling? Maybe there's no one and then it's immaterial. If there are some is that maladministration? Is that then worth mentioning?
I think after much deliberation and discussion with my daughter, headteacher and class teacher I HAVE decided to go for an appeal and the required form arrived in the post today. Her class teacher said he will support our decision and to let him know what I need from him. The headteacher also said she would support us if we decided to go down this route. The only thing is that I don't know what it is I need from them? Non grammar county too so I don't think they know either.
There were a handful of children who passed from my child's class. Although I can't know this for sure I suspect a couple of them are not working at as high a level as my daughter generally at school. If I'm correct would it be helpful if the teacher stated a higher level of work than other children who got a place indicating that my daughter had a bad day at 11+ and her mark was expected to be better (above cut off)?
I want to start building my case but don't really know where I should be starting? Is it just evidence of the levels she is working at?
Sorry about all the questions. I have read all the relevant appeal information but it seems like most people are from counties where grammar is the norm so school staff know what support they need to give.
What if I ask for numbers who got same mark or lower who have a place due to a sibling? Maybe there's no one and then it's immaterial. If there are some is that maladministration? Is that then worth mentioning?
I think after much deliberation and discussion with my daughter, headteacher and class teacher I HAVE decided to go for an appeal and the required form arrived in the post today. Her class teacher said he will support our decision and to let him know what I need from him. The headteacher also said she would support us if we decided to go down this route. The only thing is that I don't know what it is I need from them? Non grammar county too so I don't think they know either.
There were a handful of children who passed from my child's class. Although I can't know this for sure I suspect a couple of them are not working at as high a level as my daughter generally at school. If I'm correct would it be helpful if the teacher stated a higher level of work than other children who got a place indicating that my daughter had a bad day at 11+ and her mark was expected to be better (above cut off)?
I want to start building my case but don't really know where I should be starting? Is it just evidence of the levels she is working at?
Sorry about all the questions. I have read all the relevant appeal information but it seems like most people are from counties where grammar is the norm so school staff know what support they need to give.
Re: Over subscription appeal
Your appeal is a resource appeal rather than non qualification. In the case of non qualification, you need to make an appeal to show that the candidate can demonstrate that they are of the required academic standard in addition to the resource appeal. In your case you only need to demonstrate that the prejudice to your child not attending GS outweighs the prejudice to the school of accepting an additional student or that the selection process was not conducted in accordance with the admissions code.
Where a school has a catchment area and a pass mark, they would normally accept students outside the catchment area, where all of the places are not filled by students inside the catchment area, however, they need to determine some form of selection criteria to avoid going over PAN, I believe that it is normally done against a series of criteria such as those children in care, SEN, siblings, religious affiliation etc and finally distance. I think that in order to be successful, you would need to show somehow that since the school has a sibling rule, which the code specifically states cannot be used in conjunction with a mark ranking, then given the distance that you are from the school, you would reasonably expect to gain a place if a distance rule had been applied instead of a mark ranking.
Even if you demonstrate that the school did not follow the admission code, the panel have the discretion to determine whether the breach was a minor breach of the code and they will still weigh up whether your case outweighs the prejudice to the school. But it certainly makes your case stronger, so do not ignore it.
In terms of your strategy, you could ask how many students were accepted under the siblings rule, which would be a reasonable request, however, the school may respond that 4 students were siblings, however, 5 students were not accepted who had a higher score than your child, therefore there was no prejudice to your child
If you are close to the catchment area, a better strategy, in my opinion, would be to ask how many children who passed the 11+ were closer to the school than you or were a sibling/SEN/child in care, if this number is less than PAN you have a strong case to say that had the correct rule been applied, you child would have been accepted - therefore demonstrating prejudice to your child.
Is there any other reason why you feel that the school that you have been allocated is not suitable for your child (bullying, combined science etc, I am aware of a successful appeal where the allocated school was in a very rural area and the parents argued that their child would suffer from severe hay fever if sent to that school, whereas the GS was in town). You also may be able to show that the school has operated over PAN very frequently in the past (and the results were not impacted), therefore historically there is evidence that the school has resources to operate over PAN without prejudice to other students or the school
Where a school has a catchment area and a pass mark, they would normally accept students outside the catchment area, where all of the places are not filled by students inside the catchment area, however, they need to determine some form of selection criteria to avoid going over PAN, I believe that it is normally done against a series of criteria such as those children in care, SEN, siblings, religious affiliation etc and finally distance. I think that in order to be successful, you would need to show somehow that since the school has a sibling rule, which the code specifically states cannot be used in conjunction with a mark ranking, then given the distance that you are from the school, you would reasonably expect to gain a place if a distance rule had been applied instead of a mark ranking.
Even if you demonstrate that the school did not follow the admission code, the panel have the discretion to determine whether the breach was a minor breach of the code and they will still weigh up whether your case outweighs the prejudice to the school. But it certainly makes your case stronger, so do not ignore it.
In terms of your strategy, you could ask how many students were accepted under the siblings rule, which would be a reasonable request, however, the school may respond that 4 students were siblings, however, 5 students were not accepted who had a higher score than your child, therefore there was no prejudice to your child
If you are close to the catchment area, a better strategy, in my opinion, would be to ask how many children who passed the 11+ were closer to the school than you or were a sibling/SEN/child in care, if this number is less than PAN you have a strong case to say that had the correct rule been applied, you child would have been accepted - therefore demonstrating prejudice to your child.
Is there any other reason why you feel that the school that you have been allocated is not suitable for your child (bullying, combined science etc, I am aware of a successful appeal where the allocated school was in a very rural area and the parents argued that their child would suffer from severe hay fever if sent to that school, whereas the GS was in town). You also may be able to show that the school has operated over PAN very frequently in the past (and the results were not impacted), therefore historically there is evidence that the school has resources to operate over PAN without prejudice to other students or the school
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Woundupmother
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 2:31 pm
Re: Over subscription appeal
I thank you all for your replies. I don't know what I'd have done without you and I've got lots of ideas from this for going forward.
I am wondering about the next step.
I have all the relevant people agreeing to write me letters but in just over a week school will be shut for Easter. The forms need to be received in the post by the appeals office only 3 days after term starts again.
Is it acceptable to fill in the form with my brief reasons for appeal and add 'evidence to follow'? If so, how long would I then have to collect everything together? Would I have to send them 7-10 days before appeal date or something like that?
I am wondering about the next step.
I have all the relevant people agreeing to write me letters but in just over a week school will be shut for Easter. The forms need to be received in the post by the appeals office only 3 days after term starts again.
Is it acceptable to fill in the form with my brief reasons for appeal and add 'evidence to follow'? If so, how long would I then have to collect everything together? Would I have to send them 7-10 days before appeal date or something like that?
