St Michael's (Barnet) - appeal jeopardised if do nothing?

[aifos]

My d sat SM exam. It is her first choice school. Due to some children having seen papers before, only Non Verbal and maths to be considered for admission. My daughter not keen to resit exams and I am also unsure of the whole situaion. If I do nothing (ie do not send complaint letter to school), would that fact jeopardise a future appeal in March if we felt that it was required? I would be very grateful for any advice since I do not have any experience on appeals.

[Etienne]

Dear aifos

Don't worry, you are under no obligation to send in a complaint now. If you want to raise the issue of the admission arrangements for the first time at an appeal, you are entitled to do so.

Regards

[aifos]

Thank you very much for that. It is very difficult to know what is the right thing to do in such a strange situation.

[Guest]

Hi there

I am in the same boat as you with regards to Saint Ms and I was wondering about your decision not to complain to the school at the moment. Is it because your daughter doesn't want to resit and therefore you feel there is no point in complaining or because you feel that complaining now would be detrimental to your daughters chances?

I am only asking because I have written a letter myself and am now wondering if I have done the right thing!

[Containing Nuts]

I haven't complained to the school yet either. This is because a) I just haven't had time and b) because I am taking my time to think about the issues and what result I would want from my complaint.

Not all parents want a re-sit.

[Guest]

Much like the original selection process the school will decide on what form the modified procedure will take. What parent’s really want is a place or they would not have bothered. Looking for an advantage from this situation is difficult given that the school will not want to do it again. If they don’t and mark only the NVR and Maths and given what has gone on how can they be any more confident of those papers then if you don’t gain a place is your hand strengthened at appeal. The situation could be that everyone failing to gain a place will appeal and they may be able to apply a nuclear option in that to give all appealing students places would place the education of the majority in danger. I don’t know whether that would be sufficient to disallow what would be mass appeals.
It could be long-winded and a final decision may not come until the start of the actual school year and what would you do about the alternative place you have been offered.

[Containing Nuts]

I would imagine that not all girls who don't gain a place will have grounds for appeal. If the school can show that the girl wouldn't have got a place had the original 4 marks stood then on what grounds would the girl appeal?

I imagine the only girls who would have grounds for appeal would be those who can show that the original 4 results would have got them into the school. I imagine this will be very few girls. I'm sure the majority who would get in on the 4 results will be almost the same list as those who get in on the maths and NVR.

Just my thoughts anyway.

[WP]

I imagine the only girls who would have grounds for appeal would be those who can show that the original 4 results would have got them into the school. I imagine this will be very few girls. I'm sure the majority who would get in on the 4 results will be almost the same list as those who get in on the maths and NVR.

There could be quite a few girls in this category, including 20-odd girls from the unnameable school, plus others whose English is stronger than their maths.