11 Plus Exams Forum

A strange question but is there any way to counter appeal against the admission of children over PAN if you believe you dc's schooling will suffer due to thoSe admitted on appeal.. ?

stroudydad wrote:A strange question but is there any way to counter appeal against the admission of children over PAN if you believe you dc's schooling will suffer due to thoSe admitted on appeal.. ?

Good question, and I can understand your concern.

The school HAS to take those admitted by appeal. I'm not sure that there is a mechanism for other parents to argue against that; it would have been down to the school / LEA to do so at the appeal.

The Admission Authority can take the Appeal Panel to judicial review, and I wonder that could be a course open to you.

It's quite unusual for KS1 appeals to be allowed, but it can happen in exceptional circumstances. KS2 appeals are slighly easier to win, but we still have to balance the prejudice to the child appealing against the prejudice to the school (ie the existing pupils, teachers, etc). For KS1, the school will have a year to either reduce the class size back to under 30, or employ an extra member of staff.

I'm pretty sure, given your name, that I didn't hear the appeal you're referring to

Gosh, imagine how terrible that would be for a family to win an appeal, only to have parents at the school object!

Surely then a fairer way would be for all the families in the class to have to justify their own place, with a view to dropping the least worthy child off; or draw lots for who gets to stay, as by admitting a child on appeal, the admissions authority is acknowledging that child's equal right to a place with all the others?

Like all these things I suppose, depends which side of the 'injustice' you find yourself.

stroudydad wrote:A strange question but is there any way to counter appeal against the admission of children over PAN if you believe you dc's schooling will suffer due to those admitted on appeal.. ?

Stoudydad - to clarify: are you objecting against the principal of going over PAN, or the acceptance of a specific pupil whose admittance you consider would be deleterious to your child's education ?

Amber wrote:Gosh, imagine how terrible that would be for a family to win an appeal, only to have parents at the school object!

Amber, don't be naughty.

Hi Pater, I don't wish to give specific details, but yes I do believe the admission of any children over PAN, in this specific case will have an effect on the other children in the class. May I add that this school always has several appeals allowed over PAN. (People have even been known to contact the press if they don't get in on allocation day. )

I think the answer to the original question is a definite 'No'!

It's the job of the admission authority to defend the interests of existing pupils, and to argue at any appeal that prejudice would arise (or, if applicable, that there would be a breach of the infant class size limit).

It's then up to the appeal panel to 'balance' the case for the child seeking admission against the admission authority's case for prejudice.

A child offered a place at appeal must be admitted (subject only to judicial review).

I would have thought that leave for judicial review is only likely to be granted if the admission authority had sufficient grounds for claiming that the process by which the appeal panel arrived at its decision was flawed.

PaterGloucester wrote:

Amber wrote:Gosh, imagine how terrible that would be for a family to win an appeal, only to have parents at the school object!

Amber, don't be naughty.

That comment was totally 100% genuine, PG. From what I can glean from the appeals section of this forum, and also from supporting a friend through a primary appeal, it is a difficult and emotional process. It would be very upsetting then to learn that your child wasn't welcomed by others at the school. I don't see why that is naughty, sorry.

Amber wrote:

PaterGloucester wrote:

Amber wrote:Gosh, imagine how terrible that would be for a family to win an appeal, only to have parents at the school object!

Amber, don't be naughty.

That comment was totally 100% genuine, PG. From what I can glean from the appeals section of this forum, and also from supporting a friend through a primary appeal, it is a difficult and emotional process. It would be very upsetting then to learn that your child wasn't welcomed by others at the school. I don't see why that is naughty, sorry.

Apologies, Amber, I misread your second paragraph.

There are independent schools which give rose-tinted reports on children appealing for a gs place because it's in their interests to be seen 'getting children in'. As some shouldn't be there standards inevitably drop and this has to impact on the education of other children.