Sparklies' 0.04 mile heartbreak

[anotherdad]

It’s funny how entrenched people’s opinions can be in the age of the internet when it’s a fairly simple job to check the accuracy of what they’re saying. A friend of mine has a September born child and was adamant that her daughter was at a disadvantage from score standardisation. I explained how it really works and sent her web links but she still persisted with the complaint that her daughter lost marks and that younger children gained marks. So much so that she used it in her (unsuccessful) review submission. Some people just simply don’t want to believe what they don’t want to hear.

[sparklies]

It's very true. Much like all the "fake news" that goes around. If people hear something that fits their internal narrative, they'll almost be afraid of digging any deeper in case it turns out they were wrong. It's like they would rather be wrong and not know, than find out they are wrong!

DD is September born, so the standardisation issue came up quite early. It makes sense once you look into it. Something that important, you'd think people would.. but no.

[MkSky]

This is a great forum and whilst I have been reading the posts for quite some time, I never registered, until now. So Hello everyone.

Sparklies, I completely sympathise with you as I am in a similar situation, and are very frustrated at the moment. Missed out on RLS by 0.049 miles (78 metres!). I will be appealing, mainly on educational grounds, but wondered whether I should include in my case that we missed out by such a small margin? Will you be making a reference in your case to the 0.04 distance? Any thoughts? Thanks.

[Etienne]

..... So Hello everyone

Welcome to our (usually!) friendly forum.

Will you be making a reference in your case to the 0.04 distance? Any thoughts?

Please don't - not as part of your written case. As far as the panel are concerned, the issue is whether the admission arrangements have been correctly applied. There are no marks for near-misses!

They'll have your distance in front of them anyway, but when talking to the panel you could mention it in passing, with a cross between a smile and a pained expression (if such a thing is possible!). With luck you might get a bit of sympathy - but it's not a valid appeal argument.

If you need any advice, please start your own thread on the Appeals Forum, and we'll try and help.

[Amber]

a cross between a smile and a pained expression (if such a thing is possible!)

It is. Our Prime Minister has it off to a fine art.

Sorry, as you were.

[sparklies]

This is a great forum and whilst I have been reading the posts for quite some time, I never registered, until now. So Hello everyone.

Sparklies, I completely sympathise with you as I am in a similar situation, and are very frustrated at the moment. Missed out on RLS by 0.049 miles (78 metres!). I will be appealing, mainly on educational grounds, but wondered whether I should include in my case that we missed out by such a small margin? Will you be making a reference in your case to the 0.04 distance? Any thoughts? Thanks.

Ohhh, how frustrating for you too! I know somebody has to be at the cut off, and there are probably a few others who are painfully close to it too, but it is still rubbish when it turns out to be you. I did "joke" to people that wouldn't it be just typical if this happened? People told me not to be so daft, thought I was being paranoid it was even a possibility. Well, I don't like being right for this one!

I believe Etienne is right, I think it doesn't look good to include it as a reason even though it's maddening that despite being that close, our cases have to be treated the same as people twice as far out. It's so black and white and has to be I guess. If DD had been born a few weeks earlier, she'd have got in last year easily. It's just hard not to feel a little resentful that families we see every day at school who live on the next road over don't have to justify anything to anyone just through a quirk of housing choice. It'd be a lot easier to take emotionally if we were a few miles out! And even more so for our children, who will be reminded constantly with all the class chatter over the next few months if we don't get in through the CI list.

As they should be able to see how close we are, I'd hope as they're only human they would, even unconsciously, maybe take it into account a bit out of pity if it's a borderline case.

Good luck! I really hope you get some waiting list movement too - ideally neither of us will have to go through the full appeal process!

[Etienne]

a cross between a smile and a pained expression (if such a thing is possible!)

It is. Our Prime Minister has it off to a fine art.

Sorry, as you were.

Yes, that would do!
So long as it is fleeting and not a sustained spasm, as in risus sardonicus !

[MkSky]

Please don't - not as part of your written case. As far as the panel are concerned, the issue is whether the admission arrangements have been correctly applied. There are no marks for near-misses!

They'll have your distance in front of them anyway, but when talking to the panel you could mention it in passing, with a cross between a smile and a pained expression (if such a thing is possible!). With luck you might get a bit of sympathy - but it's not a valid appeal argument.

If you need any advice, please start your own thread on the Appeals Forum, and we'll try and help.

[/quote]


Thank you all for the advice. I will not put anything in the written case about the distance and will see if I have the opportunity to say something at the hearing....

I am still hoping, like Sparklies, that I will not have to go to appeal in the end and there will be some movement on the waiting list, but who knows?

Yes, please, I do need some advice on the evidence and the reasons for wanting a specific school. I have read the whole Appeals thread and the Q&A part, but still have some questions. Not sure where is best to post my questions; could you please provide link? Thanks

[Guest55]

MkSky - just start a new thread in Appeals with a suitable title.

[sparklies]

I'm intending to get the appeal in sooner rather than later, or at least a placeholder with "evidence to follow". It was somewhat disheartening to see that last year only 13% of appeals succeeded in this situation, and 57 went to appeal. I'm just hoping that most of the 87% who failed just said things like "because I like the school" and not much else, but I can't imagine they'd all be like that.

I've put together a first draft listing the main points I've uncovered so far. I'd rather not share it publicly, but I would be ever so grateful if experienced volunteers could take a look over it for me via PM?

Also anything on the whole "prejudice balance" topic would be very welcome - it looks to me like Chesham has not admitted over PAN for some time now?

Thank you!

PS - Bucks CC told me today that they *write* to you on April 10th, and post it first class with the outcome. So at least I don't have to be holding my breath over emails (edit - I misread what they wrote, it seems they do email you with a waiting list place if they can't offer you on April 10th.. nightmare!) It does also seem that latecomers to the area, and those who applied after January will be included in these allocations. I realise the information may not be available, but does anyone have a vague idea of the likely numbers for these late entries?