King Edward VI, Aston. Appeal Date Thursday 12th June, 2008
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Hi there, many commiserations to you all. Keep posting, especially if you are feeling low, there are many, many of us on here who have been in your position and I hope it may provide some crumb of comfort to you - it certainly did for me and I was feeling pretty down! I do know how you're feeling and hope you will be able to come to terms with supporting Jack at Park Hall - you sound extremely supportive and he can't go wrong with that behind him. Alternatively have you considered the independent sector?It was a workable solution for us, but I appreciate that it is not available to all.
With best wishes,
Bougalou
With best wishes,
Bougalou
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Kegs Mom 3
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- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:55 pm
- Location: Birmingham
Although Park Hall is not the school you had wanted for Jack, it may not be as bad as you think.
We live not too far away from you, in Hodge Hill.
Several of DS's classmates, including his 'best friend', not fortunate enough to gain entry to KE, BVesey or the City Technology College, will also be heading to PHall in Sept. They are all decent boys/girls, hopefully Jack will be drawn to those similar to himself, and, as others have said, with your continued support, really thrive.
DS's best friends parents have also recently gone through an unsuccessful appeal for the CTC. They cannot afford private education, so now, we are all are working as hard as possible to 'sell' Park Hall to DS's best friend, nice location, new school, etc. It seems to be working!
Best of luck to all those who haven't got exactly what they wished for, it may not seem like it now, but things may just work out for the best.
Let us know how it goes with Jack, we will all be wondering!
We live not too far away from you, in Hodge Hill.
Several of DS's classmates, including his 'best friend', not fortunate enough to gain entry to KE, BVesey or the City Technology College, will also be heading to PHall in Sept. They are all decent boys/girls, hopefully Jack will be drawn to those similar to himself, and, as others have said, with your continued support, really thrive.
DS's best friends parents have also recently gone through an unsuccessful appeal for the CTC. They cannot afford private education, so now, we are all are working as hard as possible to 'sell' Park Hall to DS's best friend, nice location, new school, etc. It seems to be working!
Best of luck to all those who haven't got exactly what they wished for, it may not seem like it now, but things may just work out for the best.
Let us know how it goes with Jack, we will all be wondering!
I am afraid I do not know your area at all. It sounds from what others are saying as though you it should be possible to come out of Park Hall a few years from now with some respectable results. I don't know what your specific concerns about the school are, but please don't go too much on local "rumour". Any school can sound awful if all the incidents are relayed to you on the local gossip machine.
It may not seem relevant to you but I can think immediately of a couple of people I know of who went to sink comprehensives (and I mean schools with really really poor results - schools that are probably shut now) who got excellent a levels, went to Oxbridge, and are now in good jobs.
You can go on the waiting list for any school you want,and appeal. Have you done this? You may still have other options using this method. There must be other non-selectives within a reasonable distance of your home.
Now it may be completely out of order for me to say this, and you may just have a particular writing style that makes things sound worse than they are but ............... you sound particularly miserable about this whole school thing, both before and after the appeal. I think if I felt the way you have described yourself as feeling I would take myself along to the GP. Jack needs a happy Dad much more than the "right" school.
Good luck.
It may not seem relevant to you but I can think immediately of a couple of people I know of who went to sink comprehensives (and I mean schools with really really poor results - schools that are probably shut now) who got excellent a levels, went to Oxbridge, and are now in good jobs.
You can go on the waiting list for any school you want,and appeal. Have you done this? You may still have other options using this method. There must be other non-selectives within a reasonable distance of your home.
Now it may be completely out of order for me to say this, and you may just have a particular writing style that makes things sound worse than they are but ............... you sound particularly miserable about this whole school thing, both before and after the appeal. I think if I felt the way you have described yourself as feeling I would take myself along to the GP. Jack needs a happy Dad much more than the "right" school.
Good luck.
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laid back son worried mum
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Jacknicmeg
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:54 am
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laid back son worried mum
- Posts: 4083
- Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:18 am
Hi Scott,
does it matter whether the succe55ful appeal candidate scored higher or lower than Jack?
Please don't beat yourself up... they have circumstances different to yours and you wi11 never know. If you can't 'vent' to any one else you persona11y know, you can expre55 your frustration here.
But I'11 te11 you that many reading your posts wi11 not think any worse of you or Jack or Nicole that your appeal did not succeed. So why should you ??
A11 are rooting for you to find the strength to cope with the situation;
be kind to yourself first. Big Hug.
does it matter whether the succe55ful appeal candidate scored higher or lower than Jack?
Please don't beat yourself up... they have circumstances different to yours and you wi11 never know. If you can't 'vent' to any one else you persona11y know, you can expre55 your frustration here.
But I'11 te11 you that many reading your posts wi11 not think any worse of you or Jack or Nicole that your appeal did not succeed. So why should you ??
A11 are rooting for you to find the strength to cope with the situation;
be kind to yourself first. Big Hug.
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Jacknicmeg
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:54 am
I understand, I really do and are so sorry to vent my anger on here but from the letter received, which I've posted what other possible circumstances other than the child scoring higher could there be?
The letter clearly states that they cant admit anymore pupils - then they admit one on appeal, it cant be right surely? They then say that Jack can’t be admitted cause of his score well, if the other candidate scored lower then why not? What makes that child any different to Jack, he too may struggle, he too will make the admission procedure incompatible - I just need some closure other than the appeal was declined.
I'm sorry but maybe I’m paranoid but if you just could have been a fly on the wall, we done absolutely everything possible to assure a place - just all seems like a complete waste of time. Cant tell you how I feel this morning - i guess you can tell.
The letter clearly states that they cant admit anymore pupils - then they admit one on appeal, it cant be right surely? They then say that Jack can’t be admitted cause of his score well, if the other candidate scored lower then why not? What makes that child any different to Jack, he too may struggle, he too will make the admission procedure incompatible - I just need some closure other than the appeal was declined.
I'm sorry but maybe I’m paranoid but if you just could have been a fly on the wall, we done absolutely everything possible to assure a place - just all seems like a complete waste of time. Cant tell you how I feel this morning - i guess you can tell.
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laid back son worried mum
- Posts: 4083
- Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 1:18 am
Scott, it is not a complete waste of time because you,as Jack's Daddy, have done what is humanly po55ible with Jack's mummy to get the best for Jack.
It's an avenue you both had to explore and the fact that it did not succeed does not mean you are lousy parents...on the contrary...
It just shows how much you you want to make it right for Jack that you broke down in front of strangers( the panel). I have only seen my hubby cry twice and that was in circumstances relating to his closest and dearest.
The stre55 is even more unbearable because you feel you can't 'deliver' for Jack.
But you know in your heart that the scores are only one part of the appeal. You know and everyone knows you did do your utmost and a11 wish you we11. You can almost hear their fingers breaking with a11 the cro55ing they have been doing!!
You can vent a11 you like but channel your energies now towards the next steps. School is a big part of a child's life and rightly, you want the right one for Jack.
But family is definitely much more important and Jack has got the right one.
Your support and devotion wi11 outweigh a11 the negative things you see/find in any school. It might be a more tortuous path but you wi11 get there. You can't see it now, but there may be good things along the way......
It is sti11 raw as you have been at the bottom of the pit...the only way is UP...
LBSWM
It's an avenue you both had to explore and the fact that it did not succeed does not mean you are lousy parents...on the contrary...
It just shows how much you you want to make it right for Jack that you broke down in front of strangers( the panel). I have only seen my hubby cry twice and that was in circumstances relating to his closest and dearest.
The stre55 is even more unbearable because you feel you can't 'deliver' for Jack.
But you know in your heart that the scores are only one part of the appeal. You know and everyone knows you did do your utmost and a11 wish you we11. You can almost hear their fingers breaking with a11 the cro55ing they have been doing!!
You can vent a11 you like but channel your energies now towards the next steps. School is a big part of a child's life and rightly, you want the right one for Jack.
But family is definitely much more important and Jack has got the right one.
Your support and devotion wi11 outweigh a11 the negative things you see/find in any school. It might be a more tortuous path but you wi11 get there. You can't see it now, but there may be good things along the way......
It is sti11 raw as you have been at the bottom of the pit...the only way is UP...
LBSWM
The school has no option regarding an appeal. If the appeal panel allows an appeal, then the school HAS to admit the child despite not having the space. The panel will have decided that the prejudice to the school is less than the prejudice to that child. Appeals panels are independent from the school, and both parents and the school have to abide by the decisions we make.The letter clearly states that they cant admit anymore pupils - then they admit one on appeal, it cant be right surely?
Truth is that you'll never know the details of the appeal that won, any more than other parents who appealed will know the details of your appeal.They then say that Jack can’t be admitted cause of his score well, if the other candidate scored lower then why not? What makes that child any different to Jack, he too may struggle, he too will make the admission procedure incompatible - I just need some closure other than the appeal was declined.
Proving that your child is bright enough to be in that school is one part of the appeal, but the reasons they didn't do well in the exam is very important.
For instance... 3 children all appealing, all got equal scores in the exam, all with (improbably) the same birthday, no siblings at the school, etc.. In other words, all the same. Two were nervous on the day of the exam. The third was placed next to the school bully from their current school in the exam room, and the child's granny had died the night before. Reports from the primary schools are reasonable for the first two, but outstanding for the third (along with lots of CAT scores, got 5A's in all optional SATS in Y5 and a reading age of 15.5). The grammar school says it is full, and can't take any more pupils.
I'd look at these appeals and think: The first two - bright, but no exceptional reason they didn't pass the exam (or make the entrance mark if they had passed) - all children are nervous in the exam. The third child had exceptional reasons for not concentrating in the exam, and would very, very probably have passed the exam if these problems had not happened. I would then decided that even though the school was full, they would HAVE to take this third child. Their reasons were exceptional, and 'tough luck' to the school!
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