Year 9 in year appeals

[tigger2]

Hello...its me again !!! We are now looking at an in year application for a place in September for Year 9. KCC have advised us that we can apply at any time and then appeal. All schools are over PAN (no surprises there!) but admissions at each school that we have phoned confirmed that often dc's leave at the end of the summer term to take up scholarships etc. We don't want to leave it any later than we have to but it makes sense to wait and see if anybody leaves . My questions are .....If the school know for certain that there are dc' s leaving at the end of the summer term would they be obliged to confirm this to an appeals panel if asked to do so? Also ,what is the time limit for an appeal to be heard once your request to appeal has been received? I used to have this info close to hand and now cannot find it anywhere.

As always, thank you !
Tigger

[Etienne]

Greetings, veteran!

The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006

Regulation 8.—(1) The following are prescribed as the grounds on which the name of a pupil of compulsory school age shall be deleted from the admission register—
.......
(b) ........ that he [the pupil] has been registered as a pupil at another school

I think the current school would want confirmation of the transfer before removing the pupil from the register. Otherwise there's no certainty. (I've heard of cases where parents have changed their minds, and the pupil has therefore continued on the school roll.)

At appeal you could mention what you've been told about the likelihood of some movement (although it would only be anecdotal).

You could legitimately ask whether the school has been informed of any pupils expected to leave the relevant year group and - if so - how many?

what is the time limit for an appeal to be heard once your request to appeal has been received?

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a23" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tigger2]

Many thanks Etienne-that is really helpful info. Better get myself organised again then !

Tigger

[tigger2]

Think this is one for Etienne and Sally-Anne......sorry I emailed the schools that we want to appeal to regarding their current numbers for that year group (yes,it is plural...so no stress there!!!) and the non selective school replied with additional advice saying that any in year appeals can only be submitted with the reasons for wanting the school and no information about the childs academic record can be taken into account. Anyone ignoring this will find that the appeals clerk will redact this information before it is given to the appeals panel !! I have assumed that this is absolutely,definitely wrong and even had a quick trawl through the q and a's to make sure that I had not missed anything but I just need to check before I fire off an email !

I thank you !!
Tigger

[Etienne]

I emailed the schools that we want to appeal to regarding their current numbers for that year group (yes,it is plural...so no stress there!!!) and the non selective school replied with additional advice saying that any in year appeals can only be submitted with the reasons for wanting the school

Hi, tigger - technically they're right. What you're appealing against is the refusal to give you a place, and - if selection is not an issue - you do this by giving reasons why you want or need a place:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... -school#c2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- not by anticipating or challenging the school's case:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You are of course entitled to ask for information about the school to help you prepare to question their case - but that's a different matter.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c26" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and no information about the childs academic record can be taken into account.

Broadly speaking, this is true if you weren't refused because of non-qualification:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c21" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(see second asterisk)

However, if your son has a particular aptitude for a subject that the school is noted for, then it would be entirely legitimate for you to submit relevant academic evidence.

Anyone ignoring this will find that the appeals clerk will redact this information before it is given to the appeals panel !!

That is presumptuous - it is ultimately for the panel to decide what is and isn't relevant.

Unfortunately this was made much clearer in the previous Code: "The appeal panel must ensure that the papers that have been issued to the parties are complete and comprehensive; it is for the panel only to consider what material may be relevant and what weight to give it."
The fact that this statement doesn't actually appear in the current slimmed-down Code doesn't invalidate the point. The clerk is entitled to advise the panel about what might be relevant, but I wouldn't accept that the clerk can censor the parental case!

[tigger2]

Many thanks for this Etienne, I have very good reasons why I think that this school may be a good fit and one of these is an aptitude which ties in very nicely with something extra the school offers . I do object to being told that my work can be censored before it reaches the panel but perhaps the clerk will not be too offended by my statement and decide that it will be allowed!

Tigger

[Etienne]

I have very good reasons why I think that this school may be a good fit and one of these is an aptitude which ties in very nicely with something extra the school offers .

Good!
Best to refer to evidence of 'aptitude', rather than evidence of 'academic ability' - but I think you're on safe ground anyway. They might try to argue that "it is for the panel only to consider what material may be relevant" isn't in the current Code - but equally you could point out that there's nothing in the Code that entitles the clerk to take such decisions - or to tamper with the parental submission!

A pity that we no longer have an Appeals Code that is comprehensive as well as authoritative. If it really had to be made less complicated for parents to understand, there were other ways of achieving this rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.