Selection Review Advice
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:13 am
Hi
Thought you might be interested in seeing the below extract that I received this year from the Bucks CC Admissions Manager.
I am "in the business" and have regular contact with Bucks on admissions issues.
I have been seeking clarification from Bucks Legal Department and Admissions Team on the manner in which "fair, consistent and objective" is interpreted post review i.e. at the Independent appeal should the SRP be lost.
The best I have been able to get out of the Admissions Manager is set out below
"There are occasions where IAPs do find that the review was not demonstrated to be ‘fair consistent and objective’ (perhaps due to an anomaly on the clerks notes) and then go on to look at the whole case, and it is expected that the panel will do this only when there is sufficient reason."
This clarified what I thought which was advice was being given to Bucks IAPs that a parent had to show that a mistake had occurred if they were to show that the FCO test had not been complied with.
This is a very narrow interpretation of the wording in the Code and is different from other counties such as Kent where much more discretion is left to the Panel.
I also discovered on an FOI request that an average consideration of an SRP case is 6 minutes i.e. they read the papers and make a decision on average in 6 minutes.
Think carefully about going down the SRP route because at Bucks CC, if you lose you may considerably weaken your chances of winning on appeal which in my view is a process you have far more chance of influencing positively
Thought you might be interested in seeing the below extract that I received this year from the Bucks CC Admissions Manager.
I am "in the business" and have regular contact with Bucks on admissions issues.
I have been seeking clarification from Bucks Legal Department and Admissions Team on the manner in which "fair, consistent and objective" is interpreted post review i.e. at the Independent appeal should the SRP be lost.
The best I have been able to get out of the Admissions Manager is set out below
"There are occasions where IAPs do find that the review was not demonstrated to be ‘fair consistent and objective’ (perhaps due to an anomaly on the clerks notes) and then go on to look at the whole case, and it is expected that the panel will do this only when there is sufficient reason."
This clarified what I thought which was advice was being given to Bucks IAPs that a parent had to show that a mistake had occurred if they were to show that the FCO test had not been complied with.
This is a very narrow interpretation of the wording in the Code and is different from other counties such as Kent where much more discretion is left to the Panel.
I also discovered on an FOI request that an average consideration of an SRP case is 6 minutes i.e. they read the papers and make a decision on average in 6 minutes.
Think carefully about going down the SRP route because at Bucks CC, if you lose you may considerably weaken your chances of winning on appeal which in my view is a process you have far more chance of influencing positively