Appeal for QE Barnet

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Troubled MUM

Appeal for QE Barnet

Post by Troubled MUM »

Hello everyone
I am going to submit an appeal for my son for a place at QE. I wonder if anyone has any experience with appeals at QE whether as a lay member or otherwise?? Does anyone know of someone who had a successful outcome to their appeal at QE and how they came about doing that??

I would appreciate anyone's help or previous experiences in appealing to selective grammar schools in general.
QE Dad

Post by QE Dad »

Hello troubled mum,

What are your grounds for appeal? I know of one other parent who was successful last year.

Good luck to you.

QED
Troubled MUM

Post by Troubled MUM »

Hi
My grounds for appeal are his excellent academic performance in school as recognised by his teachers. He actually came 6th out of 126 pupils in a maths competition in Barnet and was top of his class. Our first language at home is not English but his teacher expects him to get a level 5 in English.

In addition, he is and has always been a keen swimmer competing in open Galas and with the local club. I was probably in favour of QE because of its academic performance but he was extremely impressed by the swimming pool and that he will be able to represent the school in comptetions.
I still do not have his results yet but he was not near the top of the waiting list. He was in fact number 101. But I have heard that children in his same position on the waiting list have been accepted in previous years.

I am not sure whether the above would make sound grounds for appeal. I am afraid I can't offer letters from doctors saying he was sick or otherwise (although I could if I wanted to) because it would be dishonest.
Thanks
Essex Girl

response to troubled mum

Post by Essex Girl »

In reality, at any school appeal, the school will offer reasons for a child not to be admitted. These reasons will include "the year group is full", "the school does not have the classroom space", etc, etc. Basically it is the job of the admissions authority (which can be the school or local authority, depending on the type of school) to prove that your child's admission to the school would be detrimental to the education of those already there. These things can be gone into quite deeply. For example, it is a legal requirement that each child has classroom space measuring x (not sure what it is). It may be that your child's admission would mean that the legal requirement was not met because the classes are small, etc, etc.

Your job is to prove that the school you are appealing for is the "only school" that is right for your child or that the extrance exam was not administered correctly or that there is other weighty evidence why your child should be admitted.

Having said all this (and it is info you already probably know) the appeals upheld and not upheld can vary from year to year because the school admissions number goes up or down or other possible reasons.

We appealed for a place for our third child at the grammar school where two siblings were in attendance. We had put the school as first choice and our child "passed" within the set overall passmark for the exam. We were able to provide excellent references from primary teacher and evidence that child 3 was at least as able as children 1 and 2. We were also able to give many other exellent reasons why we wanted our child to be admitted to the school. The result of our appeal .... "not upheld".
In fact, out of 40+ appeals for 2005 entrance, only one was upheld (I am aware of this persons grounds for appeal and suffice it say, I feel the panel did the right thing but I am not able to say what the grounds were, as I don't want to give anyone's personal circumstances away).

However, in previous years we had known several children to successfully appeal to the school. In some cases, the child had not reached the pass mark and in no case that we know, did anybody have really good reason to appeal (some had not even put the school as a first choice). The reason for their admission, and the non admission of our youngest child was simply that the school increased its admission number for 2005 entry by 10 pupils, thus making appeals less likely to succeed. In years previous to that, there had obviously always been room for a few more.

My point here, is that the appeals system suggests that each case is looked at on its own merit but our experience is that this is not the case. We do not take issue with our child not being offered a place at that school in the first place or with the fact that our appeal was not upheld. We do, however, feel that the system badly let us down because if other children were admitted in previous years "with less good reason" then our child should have been admitted.

In conclusion, there is some luck of the draw, which will vary from year to year, when it comes to appeals but the more evidence you can get, the more chance you have.

ps. One member of the Appeals Panel at our appeal said out loud that it was one of the best appeals he had ever seen!!
Troubled Mum

Post by Troubled Mum »

Dear Essex Girl
Thank you for your reply. I am truly shocked to hear that with all the circumstances you have outlined, including having two older children in the same school, your appeal was still not upheld.

Your case is much stronger than mine and yet had such a disappointing outcome. It is unbelievable!!
Essex Girl

response to troubled mum

Post by Essex Girl »

Hi troubled mum,

Yes, it is a bit of a sad scenario. I have to admit that since it happened I have become somewhat anti grammar. Although we have two children in the grammar system our experience taught me that it is not "entirely" a fair system and, as you hopefully gathered from my post (I do have a terrible tendancy to rabbit on and on) I had believed that the appeal system looked at each and every individual case on its own merit but was not aware that this would differ from year to year.

I guess that appeal panels are only human (so I'm told!!) and if they have a huge number of appeals it must be difficult for them.

Interestingly, the child of an acquaintance of mine got into the school, on appeal, in 2004. The child is a really nice person and is bright but compared to our child is rather dull (yes I'm being offensive but I'm also being truthful). Simply put, there was enough room so they let the child in.

We are very happy with the school that child 3 is in now and I know I shouldn't harp on about it but I will never forgive the way the system worked against us and therefore could never vote for such a system if it came to to.

By the way, and was to waffle a bit more!! to rub salt into our wounds, the grammar school takes a whole school photo every few years, so that all children passing through the school are at least in one picture during their 5 or 7 years with the school. Autumn 2005 was the most recent whole school photo slot. Thus, we have a rather nice picture with our two eldest children in their school uniforms, along with the rest of the cohort and no child 3. We could, if we wanted to, put child 3 forward for a place in a later year group if and when it comes up (and they nearly always do) but our child is happy where they are. Thus we have a picture on the wall, a continual reminder of the good times and grammar school education of children 1 and 2 and a reminder to me (mum) of how child 3 was let down.

Good luck to you though. I hope its a good year for you!!
kkp
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:25 pm

Re: HERTS/BARNET Appeal for QE Barnet

Post by kkp »

Hi Troubled mum... I have seen your topic on QE appeal. I have twins one offerered a place to QE our first choice on March 1st and other twin didnt. today I have recieved the letter he is 96th on waiting list. I am planning to go for an appeal. But I dont know how to put the appeal in what grounds ect...If you have appealed in the past and have any points please help me . I am very upset as the twins are very upset. ,many thanks kkp
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: HERTS/BARNET Appeal for QE Barnet

Post by sherry_d »

KKP this thread is very old and it may be better if you could start a new thread so that your question doesnt get buried. Good luck with your appeal.
Impossible is Nothing.
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