I am a keen user of the forum but this is my first post, I have found the forum to be wonderful and can not thank you all enough.
Like many parents I am considering an appeal to an Essex GS. We have been asked to submit a letter detailing our reasons for appeal. Is it best to submit just a letter outlining our reasons and then once this has been acknowledged follow up with the full details and supporting evidence before a hearing?

Also, can an appeal be refused based upon the reason/grounds for appeal or do they have to hear ALL appeals regardless?

I know that there are many considering appeals to various GS in Essex but I do feel we have some particularly personal circumstances to back up our case. Any advice or help would be welcome, thank you.

It doesn't matter - it's entirely up to you.

No, the appeal must be heard, and you must be invited to attend the hearing.

Do bear in mind the importance of academic evidence - which is not to say that your personal circumstances shouldn't be mentioned or wouldn't receive proper consideration.

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Etienne

Hello Etienne, thank you so much for a prompt reply, so helpful. We do have really strong academic evidence too and also great support from the school head and teachers. They feel we must appeal and are very happy to offer anything they can to aid our appeal academically. We were so devastated for our DS, his face said it all, no words required, its been tough all round. Its reassuring being able to use the forum for help, advice and support too.

I have been deliberating as to how to progress so will compile a letter to register the appeal, I might be back for more advice as time goes on. Thank you once again.

We appealed to two essex grammars two years ago. We just gave both schools a bullet point list of our grounds for appeal and then took our time putting together our evidence. Once we had everything we sent it to the relevant place (Essex Admissions for one and the Clerk to the Independent Appeal Panel for the other). At that time we were advised that, if they received it at least 14 days before the hearing date, it would definitely be looked at. I don't know whether this has changed as there is a new appeals code and I would not want to compromise anyone's chances by giving the wrong advice. What I can say is that the evidence is very important so it is worth taking your time and getting it to be as could as you possibly can.

Many thanks for your help, Dutchy. Always good to hear from you.

I suspect the deadline for evidence will be more or less the same.

Our guidance with regard to late evidence and the new Code can be found here:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a7

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Etienne

Hi Ettiene, regarding the timimg for submission of evidence - we have recieved an appeal form today and on it the clerk requests that the form to be returned to her no later than 20th April together with any doccuments in support of our case. I, like you suggested, have read through the code of appeal and it states that you can submit evidence up to fourteen days before the hearing. The clerk has added the line 'should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me'. however, there is no telelphone number, only the school address!

If it is CRGS then the clerk is the same as it has been for many years. This person is very helpful and if you write to her you you will get a reply almost by return but within a few days. I suspect that this is a part-time temporal role building up the actual appeals and therefore there isn't a specific phone number. Do write if you want clarification. We put on our form that our evidence would be provided at least 14 days before the hearing date.

The new Code doesn't actually say 'up to fourteen days before the hearing'. It says: 'No later than 10 school days before the hearing, the admission authority must provide appellants with written notification of the date of and arrangements for the hearing. The notification must include a deadline for the submission of any further evidence that was not sent with the initial appeal [my emphasis]'.

The 20th April is for your initial appeal submission.

I think the deadline for any further evidence will be much later - and probably something like a fortnight before the hearing!

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Etienne

Etienne, thank you so much for clarification, your advice is very much appreciated. Dutchy, thank you also for your information. I will bear that in mind and hope that is presently the case for the school we are appealing to.

Its wonderful to get so much support and I thank you for adding these comments to my original post. We are having a hard time with all the stress since the 1st March, added to this our personal circumstances (I feel like my head is no longer attached to my body)
We have submitted our request to appeal so will just have to wait for the process to commence.
Good luck to anyone else appealing and thank you once again for your help.