Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

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distraught
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:35 am

Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by distraught »

I know there is an appeals section but have searched it and there is virtually nothing about Essex on it.

Does anyone know whether it is worth even attempting to appeal to KEGS or CRGS. It would appear that once every two or three years one appeal gets through KEGS but what about CRGS? We have been told that the whole system is just geared to ensuring no appeals are succesful because it would undermine the whole CSSE thing.

We are desperate can anyone help?
Chelmsford mum
Posts: 2113
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by Chelmsford mum »

Poor you distraught - your user name makes me feel sad for you. :( Essex is not renowned as being the most likely to uphold appeals but they do sometimes.In fact I am sure someone posted last year who got in on appeal to CRGS and I know there have been one or two and the Chelmsford schools.
You have to try if you feel it's right - go up to the appeals section if you haven't already.
Also there is so much posting of scores at the moment that I would start another thread called more specifically - Have you ever won an appeal in Essex, here in the Essex section. It might catch the right people's eyes .I am just off out but I will also do some searches as I am sure there was someone who appealed to CRGS and won (anyone else remember?)

Best of luck - don't give up :D
sohappymum
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:55 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by sohappymum »

dutchy005 won appeal for CRGS last summer.Remember though there are lots on waiting lists reading these threads and it can be very frustrating! CRGS also take 4 pupils in yr9. Good luck with your research

Sohappymum
dutchy005
Posts: 117
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:11 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by dutchy005 »

We lost an appeal at KEGS and my understanding that no-one was successful last year (2010) or the year before but that there have been successes in the past.

We won at CRGS but this was the first time an appeal had succeeded in the memory of all concerned and for at least 12 years.

So did we have a good case? Yes, but not one that was that exceptional: which is the unfainess of it all. There are so many variables and the biggest of these is the panel. We also believe the schools' POs had an impact.

I will send you a PM.

The whole system is deeply flawed, our DS is coming in the middle at CRGS which is quite something since he was about 20 on the waiting list. Some may say that this also demonstrates that the appeals system works in that if an appeal is to succeed there should be no doubt that the DC should have gained an automatic place and therefore such DCs should go on to be well away from the bottom once they get there.

I don't know. I do know how you are feeling. All I can say is that it is a long and lonely road, from allocation day to appeal success took longer than the period from exam to allocation day. Also, I do think that in Essex there is an element of competition in it all. The panels may be willing to grant 1 or maybe 2 appeals but they want to be fairly sure that the schools will mop this up via the waiting list. Therefore it could come down to who has the best case on the day.

Is it worth it? Yes, but I would say that because we won. We lost at KEGS though and went to CRGS knowing no-one had ever won but decided to do it because our DS was worth the fight.

On the way we upset other people, we live in a village south of Colchester which made the Southend schools just about manageable and made a late application to WHSB, our son went straight to the top of their waiting list (he would have very very comfortably got a place had it been on our CAF) and had been allocated a place by late March. Other people also did this and some on the WHSB waiting list went down not up. Also someone on the CRGS waiting list just missed out because of our appeal although two more boys that I know of were subsequently admitted at the last minute.

Very very very good wishes. If there is anything at all I can do to help I will. My heart goes out to you.
Last edited by dutchy005 on Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
XCRGSMUM
Posts: 46
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:46 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by XCRGSMUM »

Well done upon wining an appeal to CRGS, yours is the only success I have ever heard of to CRGS.

My middle son, for whom we lost an appeal, with an older brother already at CRGS, won one of the 4 new places created in yr 9 and did very well at the school. (Having created mayhem in a supposedly good comp for 2 years) Indeed his A level results were even better than those of his younger brother who started at the school in yr 7 at the same time as middle son.

I believe there are many boys who are very capable and who would benefit from the education on offer at CRGS (and indeed KEGS) who each year loose out simply because there are not enough selective places in north and mid-Essex. The current system fails to provide for the special needs of many academically able youngsters! Some of those youngsters, especially bright lads, never fulfil their potential and a few end up in bad places.

Time to climb down off my soap box now :lol:
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by moved »

I know of two other successful appeals. One to KEGS and one to SHSB. Both had very solid cases with a great deal of evidence.
Minesatea
Posts: 1234
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:08 am

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by Minesatea »

I realise it doesn't offically count as an appeal but I know of a boy winning a place at CRGS a couple of years ago after a remark.

I do not know however the reason for this being requested / agreed.
dutchy005
Posts: 117
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:11 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by dutchy005 »

When we realised something had gone wrong last year we decided to appeal. To appeal to KEGS you complete a form issued by Essex CC but to appeal to CRGS you had to contact the school. So a couple of days after allocation day my husband contacted CRGS. The first thing they said was that they would remark our DS' papers. They explained that it was very unlikely but not unheard of for errors in marking to be found!

Anyway they asked KEGS for the papers as that is where our DS sat the exam and, after a couple of days, send us a report on how he had done on each paper. They did not find any errors but this did corroborate the issue our son had reported with his poor performance on English following a disturbance in the exam room.

I suspect that the boy mentioned above had his papers remarked in the same way.
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by moved »

I'm making this thread into a sticky, that will hopefully build into a useful thread as future/past parents post information.

The cases that I know of involved a violent family break up immediately prior to the exam and a severe medical issue. Both cases had well documented evidence.
Nickynackynoo
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:16 pm

Re: Appeals to Super-selectives in Essex

Post by Nickynackynoo »

If anyone has any information on the appeals process and what are classed as good reasons, please message me as I have a child that wants me to go through the process. As far as my DD is concerned it is well worth the fight (I have to agree). Any info would be much appreciated.
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