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Weepingwillow
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 3:30 pm

Post by Weepingwillow »

•1. Name of Local Authority:
Buckinghamshire

•2. What you were appealing against:
Non-qualification only

•3. Name of school you were appealing for:
N/A

•4. Was this an own-admission authority school:
N/A

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing:
February 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
At least 10 days

•7. Where was the appeal held?
Council offices

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time?
No

•8b. If not, how late was it in starting?
30 minutes (and that's when the nerves really start to kick in!)

•9. What sort of panel did you have?
A Local Authority panel

•10. Who was on the panel?
A school governor, ex headteacher, retired professional

•11. Was there a group hearing?
No

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.
Yes

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
No

•13b. If so, were you told that, because your case had already been reviewed, the only issue for the appeal panel was whether the review had been conducted properly?
N/A

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?
Lots of questions about the extenuating circumstances.
How long had headteacher been in place?
What books read?
Would volume of homework be a problem (don't know where this one came from)?
Could they see school books?


•15. What were the panel like?
Very kind, eager to put us at ease.

•16. As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?
No

•17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?
Yes

•18. Did you feel rushed?
No

•19. How long did the hearing last?
I honestly have no idea. Probably over 30 minutes but less than an hour.

•20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
No

•21. If you have the result, was your appeal successful?
YES :D

•22. How long did you have to wait for the decision?
2 weeks because half term got in the way and we were on holiday.

•23. Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
Not known

•24. Any other comments:
Generally, I felt that we very well prepared thanks to all the help and advice from the helpers on this site (aswell as a few hours of hard graft on our part).
My DH kicked off by presenting a one page, high level summary of our case and then I continued on with 3 pages of all the detail.
All academic evidence was backed up with at least one form of written evidence. We had letters from staff, strong school reports, high current SATs levels, academic certificates, anything which pointed to an above average child (particularly top 10-20%). We also had extenuating circumstances which everyone in the room appeared to agree upon but again we backed this up with official documentation and letters from independent professionals.
The panel were kind, sympathetic and made the whole process as pleasant as possible. (It wasn't exactly enjoyable but it could have been a lot worse).
The worst part is the agonising wait for the result where you go over and over the whole question and answer session in your head wondering what you should have said and what the panel were thinking :roll:
I hope this is of some help to someone. Good luck!
dejavu
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:01 pm
Location: bucks

Two successful 12+ appeals for SHF and AHS

Post by dejavu »

Successful 12+ Oversubscription Appeals For SHF and AHS
Hi there – I thought that it was about time that I summoned up the willpower to write of my experiences for my two successful 12+ oversubscription appeals, in the hope that it helps some of you in the future, although, I must apologise, it is a very long post.
Some background first:
DD who was late August born failed her 11+ appeal in 2008 with scores of 112 and 118, despite the IAP chair saying at the end of the appeal “you obviously have a very bright child, and we are well aware of her capabilities” (NOT recorded in the Clerk’s notes). When we got the Clerk’s notes back, all three said that her school work (spending 5 mins looking at it – and none of them being experts in primary school education) was not up to the standard expected for gs (despite DD being in top 25% for maths and English at a very high achieving primary, level 5s SATs etc, high reading age, school given Outstanding Ofsted report, very high ranking etc, etc, etc....) We all know the story (DD was one of the last appeals to be heard, and I know that the same appeal panel heard a case just before us on the same day whose DS got 120, and they failed as well).
Anyway, after that shock, we picked ourselves up and were in the fortunate position that we turned down our Bucks secondary school (which said their aim was to try and get as many students as possible at level 5 SATs by the end of year 8 in English, maths and science!). But although we are in Bucks catchment, we are also on the border of Bedfordshire. So for year 7 we managed to get DD into a Beds Middle School (from years 5 to 8), which is non-selective. As we knew she wanted to do the 12+, it was seen as a stop-gap – as she was streamed with other gs-level children in maths, science, and English and did exceptionally well, and the school was about the same size as her primary Bucks one – so it worked out really well, particularly as she was so young, and was extremely distraught about having to go to the Bucks alternative.
Anyway – she passed the 12+ no problem! Hurray! So we had applied for places at her two catchment grammar schools – Aylesbury High School and Sir Henry Floyd. We thought that we were in with a chance of being offered at least one place out of the two, but we weren’t offered any! The main problem was that although we are in catchment, we are right on the border, and in DD’s particular year both schools were oversubscribed (for those taking the 13+ there was not a problem – next door’s girl passed and easily got a place at AHS (DD’s preferred school)), but for our year, distance from the school was the primary problem – and we were right at the bottom of the criteria.
Hence, we had to appeal for both schools – in the hope that we could convince them of how disadvantaged our DD would be if she didn’t get offered a gs education. So, we applied for both, and the first part of our letter started as:

DD has been refused a place at our only two catchment grammar schools. I attach a letter from DD’s former primary head who feels strongly that a wrong decision was taken last year.
I will not take up your valuable time with all the details, as I realise that you will probably take the view that DD has now qualified. Suffice to say that last year’s selection appeal raised some serious issues that were considered not just by the ombudsman investigator but by the deputy ombudsman himself. My concern is that, but for what happened last year, DD would have been certain of a place at the school she so desperately wants to attend, and for which she now has to appeal because of oversubscription.
The appeal for SHF:
Sorry it has taken so long to post my appeal experiences – hope the info can help people.
1. Name of Local Authority: Bucks County Council.

2. What you were appealing against: Oversubscription following successful 12+ pass.

3. Name of school you were appealing for: Sir Henry Floyd, Aylesbury. This gs has performing arts and science specialist status.

4. Was this an own-admission authority school: No.

5. Date of appeal hearing: Stage 1 - 29 June 2009, Stage 2 – 3 July 2009.

6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers: A fortnight.

7. Where was the appeal held: Aylesbury County Hall.

8. Did your hearing start more or less on time: Yes.

9. What sort of Panel did you have: Independent Appeal Panel.

10. Who was on the panel: Chairman – Non Lay, another Non Lay and a Lay Member.

11. Was there a group hearing: Yes – Stage 1, which lasted about an hour and a half, as one parent went over the top, and wouldn’t stop jumping in at every opportunity, and really laboured the point. Then Stage 2 – individual hearing, which lasted about 25 minutes.

12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business: Yes.

13. Had your case already been considered by a Review panel: No.

14. What questions were asked about your case: The Chairman asked if we had attended Stage 1, and then said “Oh, of course, I remember you – you were sitting near the front” (I think it was because we were one of the few that asked the LEA/school a sensible question in a polite and measured tone). The Chairman said that I had made a very clear case in my letter, which had answered any questions she might have wanted to ask. The other Non Lay asked had we visited the school, and how would DD get there, and the Lay asked about her interest/music experiences (DD plays the trumpet).

15. What were the panel like: They were pleasant and patient. The Chair (the only female) was lovely and seemed really interested in what we had to say.

16. Was the LEA rep left alone with the panel: No.

17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had sufficient time to state your case: Yes

18. Did you feel rushed: Not at all.

19. How long did the hearing last: About 25 minutes.

20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision: No.

21. Was your appeal successful: Yes.

22. How long did you have to wait for your decision: Received in the post on the seventh day (7 July).

23. Success rates for appeals at this school: As it was a 12+ oversubscription appeal, not that many, as the places would have been filled in year 7. The school’s admission number was 150, although there were rumours that it might have to add another class, making 180 (in the past they had gone up to 165) – I don’t know the outcome, as we did not take up the place as we also won the appeal for our first choice (AHS).

24. Any other comments: Write a clear, concise letter to make it easier for the panel to understand your case – I found it helped to use headings (almost like bullet points), starting with the most important first. It certainly helped me when I wrote the letter, as it helped me organise my thoughts. Have as much hard evidence of why the school is the only one for your child and she will be prejudiced/disadvantaged if she doesn’t go there. We had a lot of evidence, and clearly marked it in appendices in the correct order, so after each heading we wrote in brackets (see Appendices 1a,1b,1c), for the next heading eg Science Status (see Appendices 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) etc.

After the intro to the letter I wrote: I believe there are a number of reasons why SHF would suit DD’s personality, abilities and needs.
Science Status (see Appendices 2a, 2b,2c,2d,2e) SHF has specialist science status. DD excels in maths and has a passion for science. She has always wanted to be a vet, and to realise these ambitions she would need to attain the very highest grades in sciences and maths. Appendices included letter from her Science Club teacher, marked SATS papers showing high levels for science and maths which DD had brought home from school (as current school would not provide up-to-date info about DD’s grades to support the appeal) – all the more remarkable as SATS are not age standardised and DD was late August born Gifted and talented for maths, article from local press when interviewed about her high achievements in dog showing (long time interest in animals) in which it said in print the “she has ambitions to be a vet”.
Performing Arts Status (see Appendices 3a,1a) SHF has specialist status in performing arts,- areas in which DD excels, as confirmed in letters from previous head (won the coveted drama cup) and from her trumpet teacher/ junior wind bandmaster at Aylesbury Music Centre.
Peers Support (see Appendix 4a) We live in a small village where DD attended the village school throughout all of her primary education. 35 were in her class and formed a very close bond, which they continue to have as they meet up weekly at the village youth club. 8 went on to gs – 5 attend AHS and 3 go to SHF, so they would all be on the long 15 mile school bus journey. Such longstanding friendships would be an enormous support to DD in helping her make the transition to a new school.
Logistics and Travel (see Appendices 5a,5b) If DD carried on in the Bedfordshire school system some 6 miles away, she would not be entitled to free Bucks transport (which would pick her up and drop her off virtually at our house), so I explained the logistics of having to get home from school – one mile walk to public transport bus stop, limited bus choice, the nearest which would drop her off 2 miles from home. It would also severely restrict my chances of re-employment, as I would have to pick her up. Provided map, bus time tables, and certificate showing my retraining.
Conclusion (see Appendix 6a) We hope we have provided enough evidence to show that SHF would be the right school for DD, where she would thrive with the support of her friends, and reach her full potential, particularly in subjects in which she already excels such as science, maths and drama. We went on to explain how she narrowly missed the 11+ and the Appeal Panel recommended that she took the 12+ (because of her young age). We had the full support of her primary head who was very disappointed that we did not win the appeal and who asked us to submit a letter from her at this hearing.
In our final summing up at the appeal we said that because although we are in catchment – we are right on the edge, so do not have a hope being accepted via the waiting list, and we were not prepared to put our DD through the stress of passing the 13+ and with even less of a chance of winning a place. We also mentioned that if her brother had gone to SHF and not Aylesbury Grammar (even though they would travel on the same school bus) we would not be in this position as she would have been granted a place under the sibling rule.

The appeal for Aylesbury High School (our first preference):
1. Name of Local Authority: Bucks CC
2. What were you appealing against: 12+ oversubscription appeal.
3. Name of school you were appealing for: Aylesbury High School which has specialist status in modern languages, has outstanding science results, superb sporting provision and excellent ICT facilities.
4. Was this an own-admission authority school: No.
5. Date of Appeal hearing: Stage 1 – 1 July, Stage 2 – 9 July (originally the 10 July, but brought forward by a day a couple of days before).
6. How many days in advance did you receive the case papers: About a fortnight before.
7. Where was the appeal held: Aylesbury County Hall.
8. Did your hearing start more or less on time: Yes.
9. What sort of panel did you have: IAP.
10. Who was on the panel: female Chair – chartered accountant with 2 children and governor of a South Bucks combined school for 14 years, female Lay member with 3 bucks children and governor of a combined school, and male Non Lay member with secondary education experience and Horrors or HORRORS – a substitute panel member who also sat on our SHF appeal!
11. Was there a group hearing: Yes – but because they had to replace the original panel member Bucks CC had a mix-up in Stage 1. Most of the appellants were told to turn up in the morning, but we were told to turn up in the afternoon (with about 6 others),so the poor panel had to sit through the same Stage 1 for the whole day, with AHS head sitting in for the first block (where I think there were lots) and the AGS Deputy head having to sit through the afternoon session.
12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business: Yes.
13. Had your case already been considered by a review panel: No.
14. What questions were you asked about your case: A few more than the one for SHF, although they seemed to ask some which I had already covered in my letter, as though they wanted to get my answers on record, so they weren’t too bad to answer. The same panel member asked his standard questions of did you visit the school and how would DD get there. What interests does DD have which are relevant to AHS? – went on to explain about as she wants to be a vet and had (documented) interest in animals and AHS has outstanding science results which would help her to realise her ambitions, and also about music – the Aylesbury Music Centre has very close links with AHS and is actually in the AHS grounds, so DD would be able to take full advantage of any extra-curricular activities.
15. What were the panel like: They were reasonably pleasant , but a bit stern and matter of fact - not as “warm” as the SHF one. They seemed a tougher panel altogether.
16. Was the representative of the LEA left alone with the IAP: No.
17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient timet o state your case: Yes.
18. Did you feel rushed: No.
19. How long did the hearing last: About 25 minutes.
20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision: No.
21. Was your appeal successful: Yes!
22. How long did you have to wait for the decision: I believe we were the last one to be heard, and we received the result on the 11 July (the hearing was on the 9 July).
23. Success rates for appeals at this school: As it was for a 12+ oversubscription appeal – not very high. The school’s admission number is 180 – I think only 4 or 5 won and quite a few would have appealed, as with SHF.
24. Any other comments: The same comments apply as for my SHF appeal mentioned above – clear, concise letter with headings, well –notated appendices to back up your case to make it easier for the panel to disseminate the info, and gear it to why AHS would suit your DC’s personality, abilities and needs.
A lot of what I put forward for our AHS appeal was similar to that for SHF, although there were some additions and change of emphasis to cater for this particular school.
The first and most important topic we wanted to address was that AHS is a single-gender school (whereas SHF is mixed).
Single-gender education (see Appendices 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 1a): We strongly believe in single-gender secondary school for our children which is why her brother goes to Aylesbury Grammar School next door to AHS. There is compelling evidence that girls achieve more in this environment, especially in certain areas of the curriculum.
DD excels in maths and has a passion for science, which are traditionally perceived as “boys subjects”. We agree with DD’s former science club “teacher” (see Appendix 2b) that in a girls-only school there would be less gender-stereotyping in such subjects. For DD to realise her ambition of being a vet she would need to attain the very highest grades in sciences and maths (higher even than medicine). AHS has outstanding results in these areas, and for its sixth form arranged 120 work shadowing professional placements including at veterinary practices and its year 12 students attended taster courses in medicine and veterinary sciences at Notts, Cambridge, Liverpool and London Medical/Veterinary schools.
During my spiel I mentioned that the Bucks school that DD was offered for year 7 – if she had gone to said that their main aim was to get as many pupils to SATs level 5 in Maths Science and English by the end of year 8! And “A” level sciences wasn’t even on the radar (it specialised in arts and graphics”. Whereas that the Beds upper school that DD would go to was a good school, and specialised in Maths and ICT, only one girl took “A” level physics, and she only managed a “C” pass.
We then included the same SHF Science Status data and evidence.
Cross-sibling link: Earlier I asked the LEA rep to explain why the Sibling link has priority, and that if DD had a sibling at the same school she would have priority (and would have been offered a place). She confirmed and explained eg convenience in being at the same school, transport etc. So I was able to point out that DD’s brother was at AGS next door, and for many years it was co-educational, and although in 1959 the girls moved next door, they still retain a link through a number of joint initiatives (hence the sibling rule would apply to DD).
Peer Support (see Appendix 3a): Similar evidence to SHF appeal, adding that five of her friends from the village attend AHS.
Logistics and travel (see Appendices 4a, 4b): Same evidence as for SHF.
Music Opportunities (see Appendix 5a): DD would be able to reap the benefits of AHS’s long association with the highly acclaimed Aylesbury Music Centre (AMC)..... evidence of DD’s AMC involvement, with the added advantage that because it is on site, DD would be able to take advantage of AHS’s after school activities before safely making her way to later AMC activities (as we live 15 miles away – this makes sense).
Other curriculum areas (see Appendices 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d): There are a number of other subjects in which DD shows great promise, and where the expertise and facilities provided by AHS would enable her to reach her full potential, in particular: French, art, sport, ICT and drama. In my spiel I mentioned that DD had shown a long term interest in learning French (French Club – confirmed in primary head’s letter), but at current school, although she is at the top of the class, she is mixed with some children who are only at SATs level 1, and the French teacher has not had her contract renewed!
Conclusion (see Appendix 7a): Similar to that of the SHF appeal, but stressed that DD was being disadvantaged by being a girl – if she had been a boy, then she would have got a place at the boy’s school next door, which her brother attends, and we wouldn’t be in the situation that we are now.

Hope you haven’t fallen asleep by now – if I can support anyone, please feel free to pm me.
Regards
Dejavu
many thanks
dejavu
wirral dad
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:27 pm

Post by wirral dad »

•1. Name of Local Authority:

Wirral

•2. What you were appealing against:
•c. both non-qualification and oversubscription? THere were 30 appeals and approx 11 places available. School sets 'limit' of 135 places but in practice accept 150 per year.
The governors accept that the appeals process is a necessary part of admissions process in order to 'right any wrongs' that may have occurred.

•3. Name of school you were appealing for:
Upton Hall

•4. Was this an own-admission authority school:
own-admission

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing:
22nd April 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
1 month

•7. Where was the appeal held?
At school - very relaxed environment.

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time?
Yes


•9. What sort of panel did you have?

A Local Authority panel acting at the request of a foundation or VA school.

•10. Who was on the panel?
2 retired teachers and 1 other (Did not know occupation)


•11. Was there a group hearing?
Yes

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
Yes

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
No

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?

I prepared written response to Governors' case and presented copy to members of panel (Seemed to go down well!!). I then read out statement and they took notes as I did so.

Very few questions afterwards.
Did my DD have extra tuition? (Answer no)
Then more of a general discussion as to why she missed out (2 points) but the chair herself pointed out that 1 more correctly answered question across either of two papers could have swung it for her.
To be honest - got the feeling that they thought my case was very strong anyhow.
Governors representative (my opponent?) even interjected to support my assertion that all other girls from DD'd current school would be attending Upton.

For me - I guess I feel that the important factors were:
Closeness to passmark.
Catholic background!
Unsuitability of allocated school.
Very strong headmaster support statement.
DD's strong musical ability.


Got letter advising sucess two days later.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

MEDWAY APPEAL

Post by tiredmum »

1. Name of Local Authority:
Medway

•2. What you were appealing against:

oversubscription only


•3. Name of school you were appealing for:
Girls Grammar Medway School!

•4. Was this an own-admission authority school:
foundation

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing:
End April 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
About 2 and a half weeks

•7. Where was the appeal held?
Local Hotel

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time?
Exactly on time

•9. What sort of panel did you have?

A foundation

•10. Who was on the panel?
Person in education chaired, 2 lay-people either side


•11. Was there a group hearing?
No

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.

It followed the above order

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
No

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?

Would we have trouble getting to allocated school?
Which school had we been allocated?
Did my dd take the neighbouring LEA test?
What did dd enjoy at school apart from the school specialisms.?
My dd has outside school activities - did i think she would cope with pressure of work as well as these activities
Why was this my dd’s first choice school over another grammar.
How many friends were going to allocated school.


•15. What were the panel like?

Panel were really nice and put me at ease. They were eager to make sure at the end that I had said all I wanted to say.

•16. As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?
I don’t know

•17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?
No – but asked if I needed to add anything

•18. Did you feel rushed?
Not at all

•19. How long did the hearing last?
25 min

•20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
I didn’t phone

•21. If you have the result, was your appeal successful?
YES!

•22. How long did you have to wait for the decision?
5 days

•23. Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
I know they often go over PAN and take pupils on appeal.

•a. on this occasion
About 30 appeals, about 10 successful


•24. Any other comments:
My appeal letter was basically 3 main points, with a short paragraph written about each.
• Choice – 1st choice school – took CAF but they didn’t want to see it.
• Education – my dd suits schools specialism’s
• Transport – Easy to get to etc.
Got lots of my ideas from Dejavu (appeal above).

Education and transport were supported by appendix. Education had letters from primary school- detailing her clubs and interest and also letters from out of school clubs detailing her talents. Transport had bus timetable, how this would help dd and me etc.

I gave a copy of my presentation statement to the clerk which he seemed to like.

The school said they could take some more children and I asked about class sizes in the past as I felt this could go even higher than the school suggested. I didn’t want to be too pushy here though as they had already said they were able to take some more pupils.

My presentation statement went into more detail concerning my appeal letter and added a few more points that indicated why I didn’t want allocated school – such as transport difficulties getting to allocated school. Didn’t criticise school just told facts as they related to my dd. I tried to present the statement to the panel rather than just reading it.

Even though mine was an over-subscription appeal one of the panel asked about my dd’s levels. They were interested in parental support with homework etc. and how my dd would cope organising herself and homework with her out of school clubs as well.

The panel were very supportive, they could tell I was nervous and helped me present my case by letting me know exactly what was going on and what they needed from me, i.e. at the end I forgot to sum up and they reminded me and gave me time to find it in my notes.
Beki
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 8:49 pm

Post by Beki »

We had our appeal this afternoon. It went as well as it could, i feel, although there were a few tricky questions that i feel could jeopardise our case.

We should hear by next friday they said, so i'll fill you in on the details then. There was one not-so-nice part, although not anything that others should worry about, as it was specific to our case :roll:
thomas boy
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 3:41 pm

non-qualification appeal

Post by thomas boy »

1. Name of Local Authority:
Lincolnshire

•2. What you were appealing against:
•a. non-qualification only?
•b. oversubscription only?
•c. both non-qualification and oversubscription?
non-qualification only

•3. Name of school you were appealing for:
(if a specific school was involved)


•4. Was this an own-admission authority school:
(e.g. foundation or voluntary aided)
Yes

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing:
Monday in Early May 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
6 days

•7. Where was the appeal held?
(e.g. council offices)
Local Education premises (though not at the school)

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time?
around 10 mins late - previous appeal over ran

•8b. If not, how late was it in starting?
10 mins

•9. What sort of panel did you have?
•a. A Local Authority panel?
•b. A foundation or VA school panel?
•c. Or a Local Authority panel acting at the request of a foundation or VA school?
independant to foundation school

•10. Who was on the panel?
(e.g. a retired teacher, a businessman, and school governor - no names, please.)
Dr ( don't know what of), Education background & lay chair

•11. Was there a group hearing?
(This is where stage 1 - the LA or school case - is presented to all the parents as a group)
no

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.
yes

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
(sometimes applies to non-qualification appeals)
no

•13b. If so, were you told that, because your case had already been reviewed, the only issue for the appeal panel was whether the review had been conducted properly?
n/a

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?
did child finish the papers?
IE did he rush through and make silly mistakes or take his time and not get enough answered?
What books are currently been read?
What about peer groups - where are they going?
Where does the child want to go & Why?
Had child done any extra work/was he tutored at all?
Expand on extenuating circumstances
How does child cope with younger siblings with regard to homework pressure?
plus some others I can't remember!


•15. What were the panel like?
(e.g. Were they friendly? polite? considerate?)
relaxed & friendly generally, although one of them seemed dis-interested. Considerate to our position

•16. As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?
no -entered and left with us.

•17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?

yes

•18. Did you feel rushed?
no

•19. How long did the hearing last?
(excluding the group hearing, if there was one)
around 40 minutes

•20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
(most authorities do not allow this, although some do)
no - will hear in writing

•21. If you have the result, was your appeal successful?
YES! :D

•22. How long did you have to wait for the decision?

were told it would be around a week, but letter arrived on 4th working day (Friday)

•23. Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
•a. on this occasion
not known at this time. Were 18 appeals but 3 withdrawn so far already.
Since discovered 13 were succesful - unknown if any more withdrew.


•b. in previous years
last year - think 38 appeals - 8 upheld

•24. Any other comments:

took into acount our special circumstances re presentation of appeal - and congratulated us on our efforts.



Frustratedmum
Posts: 186
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:42 am

Post by Frustratedmum »

•1. Name of Local Authority:
Medway

•2. What you were appealing against:
•a. non-qualification only?
•b. oversubscription only?
•c. both non-qualification and oversubscription?
Oversubscription only

•3. Name of school you were appealing for:
(if a specific school was involved)
Rainham Mark Grammar School

•4. Was this an own-admission authority school:
(e.g. foundation or voluntary aided)
Yes, Foundation

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing:
5th May 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
Approx 1 week, I had agreed to sign a waiver for the short notice, to allow us to be heard at the same time as all other appeals.

•7. Where was the appeal held?
(e.g. council offices)
Rainham Netball Centre

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time?
Yes

•8b. If not, how late was it in starting?

•9. What sort of panel did you have?
•a. A Local Authority panel?
•b. A foundation or VA school panel?
•c. Or a Local Authority panel acting at the request of a foundation or VA school?
b

•10. Who was on the panel?
(e.g. a retired teacher, a businessman, and school governor - no names, please.)
A doctor(with experience in education), 2 lay members and school governor


•11. Was there a group hearing?
(This is where stage 1 - the LA or school case - is presented to all the parents as a group)
No

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.
Yes

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
(sometimes applies to non-qualification appeals)
No

•13b. If so, were you told that, because your case had already been reviewed, the only issue for the appeal panel was whether the review had been conducted properly?

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?
I was asked about travel to the school for DS, whether or not we'd visited the school and whether the choice for this school had been made by DS or ourselves



•15. What were the panel like?
(e.g. Were they friendly? polite? considerate?)
They were very welcoming, friendly & made me feel completely at ease

•16. As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?
No

•17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?
Yes

•18. Did you feel rushed?
No

•19. How long did the hearing last?
(excluding the group hearing, if there was one)
Approx 20 minutes

•20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
(most authorities do not allow this, although some do)
I didn't ask as I was informed the answer would come in the form of a letter within 5 working days

•21. If you have the result, was your appeal successful?
Yes

•22. How long did you have to wait for the decision?
4 working days

•23. Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
•a. on this occasion
Not known

•b. in previous years
Not known

•24. Any other comments:
I would only say that I think I found it so much easier to force myself to leave my emotions outside the door, I was of course anxious & feeling desperate, but I forced myself to go in with a 'what will be, will be' attitude so as not to come across needy or aggressive in any way at all. I'd done all I could in terms of sending the panel the necessary points & therefore felt I was only there to re-tell my story as it were. All the time I was in there, therefore I found myself to be completely relaxed & even having a bit of a laugh with one panel member at one point!!!
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Post by T12ACY »

•1. Name of Local Authority: Kent County Council

•2. What you were appealing against: Both non-qualification and oversubscription, although on the day of the hearing it was announced the school was no longer full and there were 2 places available!!!

•3. Name of school you were appealing for: The Norton Knatchbull School - Ashford

•4. Was this an own-admission authority school: No

•5. Approx. date of appeal hearing: Early May 2010

•6. How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers? About 2 weeks, maybe just over.

•7. Where was the appeal held? Local sports stadium.

•8a. Did your hearing start more or less on time? Yes.

•8b. If not, how late was it in starting? N/A

•9. What sort of panel did you have? An Independent Appeal Panel arranged by LA.

•10. Who was on the panel? 2 Advisory members (1 was the chair) and 1 Lay, but they did not divulge what they did for a living????!!!

•11. Was there a group hearing? No

•12. Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.

Yes, exactly and was explained very well by the Chairman.

•13a. Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel? No.

•13b. If so, were you told that, because your case had already been reviewed, the only issue for the appeal panel was whether the review had been conducted properly? N/A

•14. What questions were you asked about your case?

 What preparation / practice had DS done, and had DS been tutored?
 How could I explain optional Y5 SAT optional actual test results being different to Teacher Assessments given at the same time and doesn’t this suggest a general underperformance in testing?
 Lots of questions about the extenuating circumstances I had put forward. (A very close friend of DS came in to the school on the morning of the Maths & English writing task with the news his father had died suddenly the day before, a parent DS had spent a lot of time with.)
o How old was DS when his own father died
o Was the whole class given any kind of bereavement counselling
o Was the bereavement therapy DS received immediately after the test, or later
o Was DS the only student to receive this session (other than his friend)
o How could I tell DS had been affected by this news (this was where I cried and couldn’t speak, so never got the opportunity to answer this)
 How was DS on the mornings of each test, and afterwards
 How would DS cope with being in the lower sets of GS compared to top 10% of allocated school?
 Questions about the relevance of attending same school as siblings, why was it important now after them being apart for 4 years?
 How could I explain a NVR result which was 1 point below the pass mark?


•15. What were the panel like? Chair and Lay member were very polite, and certainly made me feel at ease, but other Advisory member came across as abrupt and confrontational. He asked a very obviously upsetting question which made me cry, the chair looked quite shocked, intervened and said I didn’t need to answer because it really wasn’t necessary, and that we should move on. To be fair I often get told I can be perceived as abrupt and would say I don’t think I am, so am sure he didn’t intend to come across that way.

•16. As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time? No.

•17. Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)? Yes.

•18. Did you feel rushed? Not really. Although the chair did look like he was looking at a clock on the wall behind me at one stage, although when I got up to leave it wasn’t a clock at all. Whatever it was I did feel like I needed to get on with it.

•19. How long did the hearing last? About 35 minutes.

•20. Were you allowed to telephone for the decision? No.

•21. If you have the result, was your appeal successful? No

•22. How long did you have to wait for the decision? 7 working days.

•23. Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
•a. on this occasion

•b. in previous years


•24. Any other comments:

When people say that launching an appeal is very traumatic it is the absolute truth. This has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done and without the forum I would have submitted a 2 page letter without evidence, and I am sure lots of parents did this!!

Our appeal was as a result of very difficult personal circumstances, and an event on the second day of the Kent Test which was not reported in the Head Teacher Assessment Referral. That said the Head Teacher was very supportive and said I stood a better chance at parental appeal than she did by entering a paragraph in a box on a form. She was right, but I still failed!!! I was quite naïve having had 2 DC already pass their KT, and fully expected DS would pass so when he didn’t I was in total shock and he was simply distraught. To be honest the test paled in to insignificance at the time compared to what we were dealing with, until we got the results.

The outcome was that the panel did not feel DS was sufficiently upset by dealing with a death for it to have affected his scores. He needed 3 more correct answers in Maths and 1 in NVR. I did the best I could with what I had but it wasn’t enough.
frustrated
Posts: 299
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:28 am
Location: kent

Post by frustrated »

Name of Local Authority:
kent

What you were appealing against:
Oversubscription only

Name of school you were appealing for:
Simon Langton Boys School

Was this an own-admission authority school:
Foundation School

Approx. date of appeal hearing:
Early May 2010

How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?
About two weeks


Where was the appeal held?
Local University

Did your hearing start more or less on time?
Yes

What sort of panel did you have?
An independent panel arranged by the school

Who was on the panel?
2 Lay members and 3 non-lay, including a retired headteacher

Was there a group hearing?
No

Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?
•a. the case for the admission authority;
•b. questioning by the appellants and panel
•c. the case for the appellants;
•d. questioning by the admission authority and panel;
•e. summing up by the admission authority; and
•f. summing up by the appellants.
Yes

Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
No

What questions were you asked about your case?
Only one - how my son felt when he received the news that he hadn't got a grammar school place. I explained that he felt disappointed and disillusioned and is questioning why he bothered, also that he was disappointed in that he felt he was the only child at his school who didn't get the school he wanted.

What were the panel like?
Very nice, helped to put me at ease. I got bit upset at one point and one handed me a tissue and reassured me. They also let my friend take over with my written statement whilst I got myself together.

As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?
No

Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?
Yes

Did you feel rushed?
No

How long did the hearing last?
40 minutes!

Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
No, but the school arranged to contact me by phone once decisions had been made

If you have the result, was your appeal successful?
Yes

How long did you have to wait for the decision?
The next day by telephone, once the decisons had all been made although not had official decision letter yet

Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
•a. on this occasion 8 appeals upheld
•b. in previous years Normally between 6-8 successful appeals

Any other comments:
I found it quite a stressful experience, I argued the PAN against the statement from the school suggesting that the school could accomodate a further 6-8 boys. The headteacher was quite resistant and said that the school couldn't legally take anymore. I said that I understood the legal position that the school has, but that there is still room for about 8 more, to which he replied that it was actually 6, at which point the chair said that although the school itself cannot admit more, the appeal panel can. I was asked if I had anything to say about the admissions process, and I said that I felt that it was fair, although it was a shame that my son missed out, which is why I was here today. At this point I was invited to make my case. I then took over and highlighted the school's specialism of Maths and Science, relating both to my son's strengths and talents in these areas, strongly supported with evidence from his school also highlighting my son's involvment within his primary school. I highlighted the fact that this school has 3 separate sciences and also the opportunity to follow on in sixth form with the relevant qualifications required for entry to university in the future, providing continuation rather than having to go to college, which the allocated school doesn't offer. I told them a little about my son's attitude to learning and that he likes to be challenged otherwise he gets bored (again supported with evidence from school) and said that I didn't think he would be stretched and challenged enough at the allocated school in this respect, as I felt that they didn't have the same resources. I also covered the friend issue and why I liked the school's pastoral care policies. My 'speech' was much longer than I expected because I was extending a lot on what I was saying, but the panel were very patient. At the end, the chair asked how my son felt and I told them and then asked other panel members if they have any questions, which they didn't. The chair told me that it was very well presented and covered everything that they wanted to know, whether I wanted to add anything (I summarised very briefly my main points) and that I will be phoned the next day after all decisions were made with the result. The last hearing was at 10am the next day, and they were to make their decisions once the last case had been heard, on the same day of that case. I got the phone call at around 6.30pm the next day.
U400JB9
Posts: 778
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:29 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Feedback from all areas

Post by U400JB9 »

Sorry for the delay in posting my feed back.....been camping :oops:

Name of Local Authority:
Kent County Council

What you were appealing against:
both non qualification and oversubscription (Failed by 1 point)


Name of school you were appealing for:
Simon Langton Girls Grammar School ( Canterbury)


Was this an own-admission authority school:
No

Approx. date of appeal hearing:
Mid May

How many days in advance of the hearing did you receive the case papers?:
Just over 2 weeks beforehand

Where was the appeal held?
Council offices in Canterbury


Did your hearing start more or less on time?:
15 minutes early!! people before us weren`t in very long at all



What sort of panel did you have? :
an independant panel acting neither for the school or the LEA


Who was on the panel?:
three lay person ( all looked about retirement age)



Was there a group hearing?:
No


Did the appeal follow the recommended order of business?:
Yes


Had your case already been considered by a Review Panel?
No
(sometimes applies to non-qualification appeals)



What questions were you asked about your case? :

Why did I consider my child a Grammar school candidate,
why did I feel she didn`t perform well in the Kent test.
What evidence was there she could cope with Grammar school level of work ( all this was verbal as I forgot to take my evidence of work out of the car!!)
As our primary school went into special measures recently how did I feel this had affected my childs performance in the Kent test....the Ofsed report specifically stated the school had let down my child`s year and the HT appeal said their year had particularly been failed by the teacher in year 5 ( sickness, sudden resignation) so this, and the mention of a disruptive child who has since been excluded were explored.
Had we visited the school and did she like it.
Did she have any friends going to SLGGS



What were the panel like?:
They were lovely, did their best to put me at ease we not at all confrontational and made some lovely comments about how well DD had done DESPITE the failings of the school.


As far as you know, was the representative of the admission authority left alone with the panel at any point in time?:
She could have been in between appeals but I`m not sure she was

Were you asked at the end of the hearing whether you had had sufficient time to state your case (or words to that effect)?:
Yes I was, and was there anything I wanted to add

Did you feel rushed?:
Not at all

How long did the hearing last?:
40 minutes ( seemed like sooooo much longer)


Were you allowed to telephone for the decision?
No we were told the decision letters would go out Monday morning ( this was Thursday pm)
(most authorities do not allow this, although some do)

If you have the result, was your appeal successful? Yes

How long did you have to wait for the decision?:
Letter arrived wednesday am so that`s 6 days after our appeal, but 5 days (incl weekend) from when they said the decisions would be made.

Success rates for appeals at this school (if known):
don`t know this year.
in previous years 6 last year and 10 the previous year to that

. Any other comments:

The Ofsted report played a massive part in our appeal, although our appeal process started prior to the ofsted report.
Our HT was very supportive, she told them that DD was a very anxious child who was intimitaded by pushy boys ( SLGGS is a girls school) we had moved recently from a non selective area. That she didn`t perform well under pressure and her maths result was not expected.
DD is working to level 5 now and has made rapid progress under a teacher in year six who is consistent.
I also said that I went to a comprehensive and my brother went to a public school as this is what we chose to do as children and my parents supported this. I said I therefore wouldn`t be pushing my child to go to a school which would not suit her and possible be detrimental to her adult life just because I could. This statement was well recieved by the panel, one even said it was a nice thing to say.....I mainly said this as they asked me to summarise and I had nothing left to say...LOL

I think we were very lucky to have a pleasant panel as it seems others haven`t. I was advised by people who appealed last year to try to remain non confrontational and upbeat.....which I think I achieved.

Our HT was also very good and supportive, as was her form teacher

Also SLGGS is by far our closest school.

I`m sure I will edit to add more at some point
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