stevew61 wrote:
A lot of Fs for failed there.
I think appeals are kind of there to help people who might want to appeal against the outcome.
Yes, sure, a lot of failings, but I can understand that some staffs at the grammar schools are a bit 'enerved' by parents who try to do all they can so that their offspring gets a place despite not having reach the proper pass mark.
quotation from this article:
http://www.suttoncoldfield-people.co.uk ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The facts are Mrs K's son was 48th on the waiting list and no substantive grounds were put forward which could support an appeal.
Successful appeals are based on reasons why a candidate did not achieve a better score in the tests.
I know it is extremeley hard for some parents to accept that their children failed at their 11+. I really wish I won't be in this situation in a few months !
One of my friend was in tears for many days after that happened to her own daughter... and she did appeal at a comprenhensive school where her DD didn't get a place as they were not in the catchment area. But she didn't 'fight 'against' KE foundation! And by the way, her appeal failed, which shows how difficult it is to win an appeal... Her DD is now at KEHS and thriving there
The case here at BV has been on front pages on the local newspapers at Sutton... By coincidence, I had a chat with the editor of one of them (who has a DC at my DS' primary)... I was surprised to have to explain to him the rule of admissions in Birmingham schools where there is no pass marks as they exist in some other counties, where people fill in their LEA form after the grammar scores have partly been issued (for example Gloucesterchire. I am not an expert; sorry for my difficulty to expres the process there adequately).
He was thinking that several children had missed their place at BV despite having reached the pass mark
So I really felt there has been a LOT of misleading information in the press (generated by this desperate mother?) against the school and I really do feel it is unfair...
Etienne wrote: there may be genuine extenuating circumstances that lead to an underperformance.
The issue, however, is not to do with the merits or otherwise of the parental case, or what she was appealing against - the issue here is the parent's right to a fair hearing.
Thank you for your explanations, Etienne!
I understand more clearly the ombudsman report and the reproaches made to the school.