Dartford Grammar School

[RAJESSEX]

As per DGS information.
All 90 students accepted their offer of first round and no movement in IC area still 351 marks.
and OCC 374 marks.

[salsa]

As per DGS information.
All 90 students accepted their offer of first round and no movement in IC area still 351 marks.
and OCC 374 marks.

Some people accept their offer and go on the waiting list of another more desired school.
What you would need to know is historically if there was any movement from the second round until September. Has anyone in position 60+ ever been offered a place? In theory, if people move after September a place becomes available and the school would go through the list only if they are below PAN. As many parents would not want to move an already settled child the list may move quickly. Having said that, you could ask how many children have got in on appeal in the last 5 years. I know my son's year had 10 extra, which means that nobody in the waiting list would have got a place until 11 children had left after starting school.

[RoboR]

So it's most probable that the waiting list may not move at all if they are already at the PAN and loads of the appeals are successful. Any guidance on where we can get the historical data from on the movements of previous years ?

[salsa]

So it's most probable that the waiting list may not move at all if they are already at the PAN and loads of the appeals are successful. Any guidance on where we can get the historical data from on the movements of previous years ?

Yes, you can email the school. I think you'll be okay just requesting the information, failing that, you could do a freedom of information request. There is a template on the appeals section.
Good luck.

[RoboR]

Are the waiting list places offered before the appeals process is finished or after ? as currently all 180 in and out of area places are currently taken and there are 10 on the waiting list does 9 of the current 180 need to decline the place before the 10th on the waiting list is offered ? How are the successful appeals added if they are already at the PAN of 180 ?

[ToadMum]

Are the waiting list places offered before the appeals process is finished or after ? as currently all 180 in and out of area places are currently taken and there are 10 on the waiting list does 9 of the current 180 need to decline the place before the 10th on the waiting list is offered ? How are the successful appeals added if they are already at the PAN of 180 ?

If the appeal panel rules that an appeal must be upheld, then the child must be given a place (however, it may be the case that several appeals are successful, but the panel accepts that the school cannot take all - in this case,some children would get a place and others would be added to the waiting list). If this takes the school over PAN, no more children would be admitted from the waiting list until at least '(number admitted on appeal) - 1' places were given up, i.e. the school is once more below PAN.

The school is not permitted to 'hold places back' from waiting list applicants just in case it has to admit children on appeal.

[monochromecat]

Toadmum, do you know how they decide who gets a place at appeal and who goes on the waiting list?

[salsa]

Please remember that they maintain two waiting lists. In and out of area.

[ToadMum]

Toadmum, do you know how they decide who gets a place at appeal and who goes on the waiting list?

Actually, I've just dug out the Appeals Code and got the section 'Balancing the arguments', it just says that the panel must not compare individual cases when deciding whether an appellant's case outweighs the prejudice to the school, but equally, must compare where not all can be admitted and uphold at least that number, upholding the strongest.

In a later section, it states that panels 'must not make any decision relating to the placement of a child on a waiting list'. I'm not sure whether that means that they can't uphold an appeal, knowing that the child/ren would go on a waiting list, or that they must not dictate where the child/ren should be placed on a list (because that is for the school / LEA to decide, applying the relevant rules).

[RoboR]

Hi Toadmum

Having queried this with the admissions team I think it is the latter (Anyplace on the waiting list will not be offered until after the appeals have been heard and if there is still space and they are below the PAN).