Allocations

[ToadMum]

Appeals may be organised by a school, but they must be heard by a panel of people who are independent of it. So, not a question of the school 'letting in' anyone on appeal. The decision as to whether to uphold the appeal or not is nothing to do with the school, except in the sense that the school's presenting officer may present their case to the panel well, or poorly, but that is to do with the argument against admitting any more applicants at all (either because the school has admitted to at least its PAN, or, if it hasn't, because none of the remaining applicants meet the required standard).

Similarly, however much an under-PAN grammar school may wish to fill its places for financial reasons, an IAP should not be declaring an appellant qualified, where the parents have completely failed, in their presentation to them, the panel, to show that this finding is warranted.

(Sorry, just a bit of a bugbear of mine ).

[snoflake]

Surely it’s up to the school though to decide how many appeals will be upheld??

[Glos18]

Apologies if my comment implied that the panel was not independent. This was not my intention.

Looking at the census data for the last 3 years, the year sizes for Marling were 160, 160, 160 and SHS 158, 160, 160. These year sizes seemed to go consistently higher above PAN than the other glos grammars, suggesting that the Stroud schools are possibly more comfortable in admitting up to 32 per class compared to the other schools.

[ToadMum]

Surely it’s up to the school though to decide how many appeals will be upheld??

Um, no, it absolutely isn't.

The appeal panel is independent. It alone decides whether an appeal is upheld or not.

The appeal panel is presented with the school's case as to why no further pupils can be admitted, at all, with specific reference to the year group in question. For non-grammar school's, there are only very, very limited situations in which the school can be in a position to turn down any applicant, if said year group is not already at least at PAN. A designated grammar school may refuse to admit at under PAN, where no further applicants meet the academic requirements.

The appellants (parents on behalf of their DC / the DC themselves, if they wish, for sixth form appeals) put their case for the admission of their individual DC. That is assuming that the panel decides that the school's presenting officer has made a sufficient case not to admit further applicants (grammar schools are almost universally successful in doing this, non-selective schools not always so).

The panel decides whether each set of parents has made a good enough case for their individual DC to be admitted, or not.

If the panel decides that they have, that DC's appeal is upheld and a place is theirs. The decision of the panel is legally binding; the school cannot refuse to admit a child who obtains a place through appeal.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... peals-code

[snoflake]

Sorry, just trying to make sense of this - I’m completely new to it all.

So is it coincidence then that for the last 3 years exactly 10 appeals have been upheld for both Stroud & Marling?

[2Socks]

Sorry, just trying to make sense of this - I’m completely new to it all.

So is it coincidence then that for the last 3 years exactly 10 appeals have been upheld for both Stroud & Marling?

I also have no experience, but I would guess that 10 over PAN is the point at which the school can effectively argue that the school would be adversely affected. After all, that's 2 extra children in each class. If there physically isn't room for any extra girls to sit in the classroom, then the school has a strong case that they cannot accept any more girls. Essentially if there were only 6 girls with a strong academic and oversubscription case then I suspect there would only be 156 girls starting in year 7.

[snoflake]

Sorry, just trying to make sense of this - I’m completely new to it all.

So is it coincidence then that for the last 3 years exactly 10 appeals have been upheld for both Stroud & Marling?

I also have no experience, but I would guess that 10 over PAN is the point at which the school can effectively argue that the school would be adversely affected. After all, that's 2 extra children in each class. If there physically isn't room for any extra girls to sit in the classroom, then the school has a strong case that they cannot accept any more girls. Essentially if there were only 6 girls with a strong academic and oversubscription case then I suspect there would only be 156 girls starting in year 7.

Thanks 2Socks - that makes sense.

[2Socks]

Does anyone know when people might find out where they are on the waiting lists? DD has a friend who sat the late test and they're wondering when they will hear anything about where they are on the list. I'm assuming that it's Monday, as I think that's when reconsideration ends, but don't want to tell them in case I'm wrong.

[Polgara_Glos]

Timetable says Monday for issuing outcome of reconsideration. Good luck to your friend.

[Glos18]

Out of interest, any news on the boy:girl ratio at Crypt this year?