Hello,

I am trying to understand the Appeals process so hopefully someone can explain a bit further.

Last year some of the King Edwards schools made offers over PAN eg Aston in 2017 offered additional 20 places over 120 - is that because the school knew that they would have rejections in the first two weeks after offers day? What if they hadn't had those rejections, would the school have withdrawn the additional places offered to keep to PAN?

Also, why would schools make offers over PAN so early, when there is a chance of small places being contested during Appeals process?

Thank you.
atmyage

Historically all of the KE grammars used to make offers over PAN, typically about 20%. The rationale being that a significant proportion of pupils would reject the place in favour of offers from KEHS/KES independent schools. The heads didn't like offering at exactly on the PAN number because often pupils on the waiting list would reject and offer from the waiting list stick with their original 2nd or 3rd choice (which often was another grammar school).

Then along came a proportion of Pupil Premium place (at a sightly lower) pass level which muddied the waters, so the heads were told to make offers only at PAN levels - but again they were hit with many offers from the waiting list being rejected (for the reasons above and also because they came through late after pupils had already been on a familiarisation day with their 2nd or 3rd choice. So many heads have now reverted back to offering over PAN because they felt it was unacceptable to miss out on good candidates from the waiting list.

Thanks KenR for your reply.

I suppose I am trying to understand if the schools have ever been in a situation where they have offered more places than the PAN and then been stuck as not enough people have rejected - what would do they in this situation.


atmyage.

They would be obliged to accommodate all the offers that they made.

Thanks mitasol.

Oh ok. So, in theory, they could have, at the start of year 7 over the PAN on their roll call?

Is this referenced somewhere in the Schools Admissions Code or any other document?

atmyage

I very much doubt that they would be in the position of over offering to the degree that they would be over PAN in early September, if they did happen to be then they would take them. Independent schools offer to a much greater number over the number they know they will ultimately take as they know many will go elsewhere - I think there was one year where a school got it wrong and ended up with an extra form

Wilson's grammar in Sutton got caught with this last year I believe. They over-offered (as they usually do - the bursary offers at Whitgift/Trinity are very generous), but still ended up over PAN so year 7 class sizes are 32 not 30 I understand.