Altrincham Appeals

[determineddaddy]

Good question.

I think schools often make mistakes with admissions. The admissions officers are often overstretched. The admissions policy in this case was poorly written making their job even harder. If you want to see the full story look at the thread "moving house".

Another thread on this site tells the tale of St Ambrose placing a boy this year in the wrong category and so not offering a place which should have been offered on 1 March. When the parent complained the school turned about face quickly and offered a place without the need for an appeal. I think that shows real leadership.

My sense is that AGGS has a slight culture of thinking itself above criticism fostered by years of huge demand and popularity. I think it would be against their instincts ever to admit a mistake to a parent. After our appeal I never received an apology or even acknowledgement that they had done anything wrong.

One of the most annoying things about the school's response for me was that DD was not invited to their induction day in July even though by then the school knew that we had won our appeal. And yes you guessed it when she turned up in September she was missed from several school lists further compounding her sense of somehow being a lower caste of pupil because her parents had the cheek to appeal. In fact several teachers were still passing over her existence up until the end of the first term.

[Oshosh]

Thanks determinedaddy, yes i did read about the st ambrose allocation error, but however it was rectified.

I am suprised to hear that your DD was not invited to the induction nor her presence acknowledged properly at school later on. How is she getting on now?

Did the school amend its admission policy after this episode?

[SSZZF]

Hi
Thought I would share this years AGSB OOC area score was 349. Lower than previous years.
Hope this helps anyone interested or needs this info
Thanks

[SSZZF]

Hi determine daddy

We have moved in area and are going for appeals as our son didn't score high enough for out of area as this was the address used for first round of places. Any advice would be appreciated.
We are in area now.
Our son goes to a local primary in trafford
Thanks

[determineddaddy]

SSZZF assuming your DS scored enough for the in catchment pass mark I think your first move should be to make sure you are on the waiting list. I would have thought you would rank pretty high for any 2nd round of offers. Places are rejected and reoffered right up to the start of term in September albeit in a dribble rather than a flood.

If you are thinking of an appeal I would say study the admissions policy very carefully. Did the school apply the policy to your move correctly? If they did then I would not be optimistic about winning an appeal. I don't know the boys school policy as well as the girls school policy.

Good luck.

[SSZZF]

Thanks for the advice, we put sons name on the waiting list. Just have to see what happens.

Does anyone know when 2nd round places start rolling in ???

[determineddaddy]

2nd round offers would be coming out pretty soon ie within the next couple of weeks. The offers sent out on 1 March have a time limit for response which is not many weeks.
You cannot guarantee that there will be 2nd round offers. Schools usually offer more places in 1st round than their PAN expecting a certain number of rejections. But if they are all accepted as they were in 2012 at AGGS then there are no 2nd batch of offers going out. But even then there will still be some people who change their mind after they are supposed to have made the decision leading to the school releasing more places to their waiting list. Places can be released through this process right up to the first week in September.
If you moved and are now eligible for consideration from your new in catchment address then I wonder whether you would go above all OOC people on the waiting list. And if you don't then this might be the basis for an appeal.
I think you need to get into the swing of ringing the admissions office every couple of weeks to try and find out how the list is moving and where you are on it.

[SSZZF]

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for taking time out to reply determineddaddy.

[SSZZF]

Hi
Thought I would share my journey so far from my last post.
Spoke to AGSB today. The admissions officer is saying my son is on the waiting list in score order (at about place 30) even though we have moved in to area in October (15 days after the AGSB deadline)
So it doesn't matter if we live around the corner from the school now priority will be given to highest score in the waiting list.
I feel their is some confusion with the officer and the over subscription criteria.
As this does not mention about moving dates.
We will be going to appeals. But I feel the chances are very slim!
The education system is letting children down! Local children!

Any advice would be appreciated?
Thanks

[Oshosh]

Hi
Thought I would share my journey so far from my last post.
Spoke to AGSB today. The admissions officer is saying my son is on the waiting list in score order (at about place 30) even though we have moved in to area in October (15 days after the AGSB deadline)
So it doesn't matter if we live around the corner from the school now priority will be given to highest score in the waiting list.
I feel their is some confusion with the officer and the over subscription criteria.
As this does not mention about moving dates.
We will be going to appeals. But I feel the chances are very slim!
The education system is letting children down! Local children!

Any advice would be appreciated?
Thanks

Hello SSZZFF,

Fingers crossed, your son would be offered a place.

But, i think the criteria applied to Ds the first time, would be the criteria applied for second round of allocation. I know this is different for AGGS.

"Unfair to local children"- maybe. But you have just moved to the area, and became local -with respect and no offence , in all fairness.