Why would a panel ask these questions?

[BaileyLane]

Have just had our over-subscription appeal hearing and will post a full report a bit later, after it's late enough for a stiff drink.

The panel asked very few questions, only about 6 in total. Some I understand the reason for and would have expected e.g. they asked how he would cope at GS and if he was tutored.

But they also asked if DS had a best friend and when I said not really, the lady asked where the rest of the boys in his class where going. I listed the three main comprehensives near us and the lady asked again, but which one are the majority going to?

I just can not work out the relevance of this to our appeal! Can anyone shed any light?

Thank you in advance.

[Eccentric]

I feel for you. The appeals process is gruelling. I am used to going to court and I found one of my appeals worse than any hearing that I have ever attended.

In regards to the questions that you were asked. Remember that the panel are just people and sometimes they may ask questions that don't seem that relevant because they want to get a better picture of the circumstances. They may have been asking where the majority of children from your son's class are going because it is preferable for a child to go on to a school where they know other children. If the panel member was an ex teacher then he or she would be aware of the potential difficulties of transition to secondary school.

Don't despair yet, awkward questions don't mean that the panel won't award in your son's favour.

Good luck.

[Sally-Anne]

Panel members often ask what we call "filler questions"; they usually indicate that you have covered everything the panel needed to know, so all that's left to them are polite questions that will have little relevance to the outcome.

[BaileyLane]

Thanks for answering me - it's nice to know I'm not all alone on a Tuesday afternoon! I actually think I thought it would be more like going to court, with very incisive questions asked about the evidence I had submitted whereas they really didn't ask me anything like that. It was very odd in that respect, and I've left feeling I didn't to my poor DS much justice

[ash14]

Someone i know recently had their appeal at the Gloucester girls grammar school for non-qualification and over subscription and there were only asked 3 questions
How dd would cope with commute from their area everyday
she was asked why she sat the late test
And finally had they appealed for any other school

I would have assumed there would have been more questions on qualifications

[happyb]

We were told at our appeal by the panel head that if they had a sick child they would not send him to gramer school me and my husband looked shocked to which she replied well we are all parents

[theseneschal]

That's quite shocking happyb! Whether she thought it or not, but to say it out loud?!