When do you appeal?

[happymummy]

Hi

I am like everyone else nervously awaiting the email on Monday. We are ooc for our first choice school (and in fact our second and third choice too!) and I am preparing myself for the fact that we may need to start an appeal process.

My questions are:

1) Am I correct in thinking that you can accept a school place at one school whilst appealing for another without jeopardising that acceptance?

2) Is there a need to get the appeal in quick - is it first come first
served? (we are applying to the Royal Latin School in Buckingham)

3) are there any tips for what might swing an appeal in our favour or is it just a case of registering your interest and getting on a waiting list.

4) How do they compile the waiting list? Is there special criteria or does it depend on how quick you are to appeal?

5) What kinds of grounds do people appeal on? We are trying to get DC into the nearest grammar however its not the nearest secondary school to our home. Can we appeal on grounds of proximity? Can we appeal on medical grounds? (our son has a severe nut allergy)

Sorry - loads of questions, getting a little nervous now and want to be prepared!

Thanks!

[Etienne]

1) Am I correct in thinking that you can accept a school place at one school whilst appealing for another without jeopardising that acceptance?

Yes. In the case of Bucks, I think you can tick a box that says "I accept provisionally" (unless things have changed).

2) Is there a need to get the appeal in quick - is it first come first
served? (we are applying to the Royal Latin School in Buckingham)

No, just meet the deadline for the main batch of appeals. (You will be told how many weeks you have to get your form in.) You can, in fact, appeal at any time, but you might well be at a disadvantage if you come after the main batch of appeals.

3) are there any tips for what might swing an appeal in our favour or is it just a case of registering your interest and getting on a waiting list.

No!

4) How do they compile the waiting list? Is there special criteria or does it depend on how quick you are to appeal?

Nothing to do with appeals - it's quite separate. The WL is drawn up based strictly on the oversubscription criteria. It can change from day to day, as people come off the list, while others ask to be added.

5) What kinds of grounds do people appeal on? We are trying to get DC into the nearest grammar however its not the nearest secondary school to our home. Can we appeal on grounds of proximity? Can we appeal on medical grounds? (our son has a severe nut allergy)

See the Q&As, section C. Medical reasons could be helpful, but you need show why this school would be the solution!

Hope this helps.

[Marylou]

HappyMum - I'm intrigued by your last point! Please feel free to PM if you prefer but I'm just wondering how this can be relevant - are you worried that your local school might not take sufficient precautions to prevent exposure to the allergen? (FWIW I know of one school where all nut products are banned because some pupils are severely allergic.)

Good luck, anyway!

[CHmum]

1) Am I correct in thinking that you can accept a school place at one school whilst appealing for another without jeopardising that acceptance?

Yes! You should definitely accept the place offered by the deadline given. If you don't it will be offered to someone else, and if you don't win your appeal for a GS place your DC won't have any school! I'm amazed how many schools don't inform parents what to do in the case of an appeal. My DCs school held a meeting, all yr 6 parents were invited to attend and we were given information on 11+ appeal procedure and school allocation appeal procedure. Maybe more schools should be encouraged to do this.

[happymummy]

Hi there, thank you so much for all your replies to my many questions!

The reason I don't know anything about appeals and accepting places is that I am in Milton Keynes who do not support 11 plus and we have done it all off our own backs so to speak. The primary school here do not have anything to do with 11 plus and don't help in any way, although I am sure they would write wonderful things about DS if I needed it for an appeal!

The reason I thought the nut allergy may be relevant is that our first choice school is only 15 mins drive away but our second choice is 45 mins away. I wondered if I could argue that if he needed to go to hospital then it would be better if it was locally rather than far away - on the other hand they may say it would be better for him to attend an MK school. Of course there are no GS's in MK which is why we have been through all this process!

Anyway thanks for all the advice, roll on Monday.....!

[happymummy]

Forgot this other question - Etienne, you said the WL is separate to the appeal so does this mean I would have to contact the school directly to be asked to be placed on the WL? and do I do this in addition to an appeal?

thanks so much for your help!

[Guest55]

There is a hospital in Aylesbury but not in Buckingham so I think that would carry more weight than where you live.

The school would call an ambulance if necessary -

Everything is explained on the letter you get to accept the place offered etc.

[Marylou]

Thanks for clearing that up, HM - I was puzzled but can understand your reasoning now. However, as Guest55 pointed out, if this were an argument then presumably it would be the distance to a hospital from the school, not from home, that would matter.

[happymummy]

You are probably right, perhaps I will not use that one. (Do the words 'clutching at straws' sound appropriate at this point!!)

Thanks for replying everyone, its so nice to be able to check these things out!

[Etienne]

It's a long shot but it might be worth contacting RLS and the grammar school(s) in Aylesbury, asking for a copy of their catering department's nut allergy policy - just to see what they come up with. Catering may have been contracted out, but the information - if it exists - should still be made available.