Filling in the CAF

[ToadMum]

Contrary to natural justice, in at least one of these cases the panel privately used the information in the CAF against the parents in arriving at their decision (which was to refuse the appeal).
A serious breach of the Code.

Panel to Admissions Authority:"Would you like to tell me why the Parents were not sent this information in advance? Have none of the Parents been sent this information?".

But if they had it, wouldn't they assume that the appellant had it as well, since the packs are meant to be identical?

[Etienne]

As I understand it, the information was made available to panel members separately - it wasn't in the appeal paperwork that is issued to all parties.

Panel to Admissions Authority:"Would you like to tell me why the Parents were not sent this information in advance? Have none of the Parents been sent this information?".

That indeed is what should have happened - but it didn't!
The Code was disregarded:

• • Guiding principles for appeal panels
    2.21 Appeal panels must operate according to the principles of natural justice. Those most
    directly relevant to appeals are:
    a) members of the panel must not have a vested interest in the outcome, or any
    involvement in an earlier stage, of the proceedings;
    b) each side must be given the opportunity to state their case without
    unreasonable interruption; and
    c) written material and evidence must have been seen by all the parties.

I have to say that in one of these cases the ESFA's reaction was (in my view) inadequate. The parent had a perfectly reasonable explanation for the issue on the CAF form that appeared to concern the panel, but it was never aired because panel members didn't reveal that they had a copy of the CAF, and they never tried to get any sort of clarification about the issue in the hearing.

The ombudsman, in contrast, took the other case very seriously.

[Kaybee]

Daft question alert and apologies for jumping on this thread (question is CAF related!)

DS has a qualifying score for Pates and is within the PAN for STR. We are possibly going to put Pates as our first choice (just to give it a go) and STR as our second. Do we need to put a 3rd choice? I'm assuming that if he doesn't get a place at Pates, STR will become our first choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Watermelon8]

Daft question alert and apologies for jumping on this thread (question is CAF related!)

DS has a qualifying score for Pates and is within the PAN for STR. We are possibly going to put Pates as our first choice (just to give it a go) and STR as our second. Do we need to put a 3rd choice? I'm assuming that if he doesn't get a place at Pates, STR will become our first choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

In theory then you should be absolutely fine. When DD qualified for Pates & in top 150 for Denmark I knew she'd get her 1st choice, hsfg, but did stick another choice on the form

[stroudydad]

Daft question alert and apologies for jumping on this thread (question is CAF related!)

DS has a qualifying score for Pates and is within the PAN for STR. We are possibly going to put Pates as our first choice (just to give it a go) and STR as our second. Do we need to put a 3rd choice? I'm assuming that if he doesn't get a place at Pates, STR will become our first choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would personally suggest putting down a very safe third. The only reason being, your first choice is far from certain, which possibly only leaves you with 1 effective choice. If for some reason he doesn't get that he could end up being allocated anywhere.. most likely a school that isn't full for some reason.

Unlikely I know, but there are many here that will have heard of it happening.

[Kaybee]

Daft question alert and apologies for jumping on this thread (question is CAF related!)

DS has a qualifying score for Pates and is within the PAN for STR. We are possibly going to put Pates as our first choice (just to give it a go) and STR as our second. Do we need to put a 3rd choice? I'm assuming that if he doesn't get a place at Pates, STR will become our first choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would personally suggest putting down a very safe third. The only reason being, your first choice is far from certain, which possibly only leaves you with 1 effective choice. If for some reason he doesn't get that he could end up being allocated anywhere.. most likely a school that isn't full for some reason.

Unlikely I know, but there are many here that will have heard of it happening.[/quot

Thanks so much. I'll put down a third just in case.

Appreciate you taking time to reply

[stroudydad]

To think, only a month and this wait will nearly be over..

[Latetothegame]

I know stroudydad it seems to have come around quite quickly. I think from memory you are in a similar position to us and wanting a place at Marling. Really hope we both get good news.

[Penguin55]

Now the results are in, I need to get my head around the admissions form!

I'm still a little confused... DD got a qualifying rank for HSFG (but low at 440). It's the only grammar we would consider due to location, so if I put it as our 1st choice on the CAF, does she have a snowball's chance in **** of getting in?

If someone with a higher rank did not get offered their 1st choice, but put HSFG as their 2nd choice, would they leapfrog us up the offer list??

[ToadMum]

Now the results are in, I need to get my head around the admissions form!

I'm still a little confused... DD got a qualifying rank for HSFG (but low at 440). It's the only grammar we would consider due to location, so if I put it as our 1st choice on the CAF, does she have a snowball's chance in **** of getting in?

If someone with a higher rank did not get offered their 1st choice, but put HSFG as their 2nd choice, would they leapfrog us up the offer list??

Yes, basically. If applicants are ranked by the school on a certain criterion, then someone better meeting that criterion will be ranked by the school higher up, regardless of where they listed the school. Schools do not know where you have ranked them on your CAF; it is contrary to the Admissions Code to take that into consideration - Schools are only permitted to ask for and use information which directly relates to their published admissions criteria.