too late for appeal

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:46 am

Dear Ettiene, Thank you for your help. I am building a case for appeal in early June. As my son passed maths and VR but failed english should I just concentrate on evidence of excellence in english? I also have to give reasons why this is the school for my son, is the fact that it is a grammar school taking the top 25% and would provide my son with the right educational environment one I should make? If my son attends the school which he has been offered I donâ€™t feel he will be able to reach his full potential. Is it also worth mentioning that many selective schools dont have an english paper in 11+ but all have VR as this is a better indication of potential academic ability (I know that my son scored highly in VR) The head of our primary is very supportive and is working on a letter for appeal is there anything in particular they should include??

Thanks for all your help

Post by **Etienne** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:39 am

Dear Strawberry

For academic evidence it seems to me you should concentrate on English and argue that this is the one area where your son underperformed. It would obviously be helpful if the head would back you up on this point.

You could include other academic evidence if it shows very high ability (e.g. G&T in science, Mensa).

You then need to focus on 'Why this particular grammar school?' It isn't really a good idea to argue for a grammar school place in general, or to criticise the school allocated, or to suggest there might be a better way of selecting.

Look again at section C:

* Itâ€™s the catchment [grammar] school.
* Although not in catchment you live very close to the school.
* Getting to any suitable alternative [grammar] school would be logistically difficult (you would have to prove this, and I think the degree of inconvenience would have to be very considerable indeed).
* There is a sibling already there.
* Other family members are attending or have attended the school (perhaps not a strong point but worth a mention).
* There are strong educational reasons (I donâ€™t mean a preference for a type of school such as a grammar school â€“ I mean something specific on offer at this particular school which is not available at any suitable alternative. You would need to prove why this is so crucial).
* There are strong medical or social reasons why your child needs to attend this particular school. These are often the most compelling reasons, but you will need proof, and you will need to demonstrate convincingly why only this school is the solution.

Does the GS specialise in - or is it noted for - anything your son excels at? (If so, it would help if the current headteacher would support this.)

It would be fine for the current head to include some of the more general arguments ("This is the right school for X, and one where he will fulfil his considerable potential. I very strongly support this appeal.")

You need to be a bit more specific. Ask yourself - if you could pick and choose your grammar school, why would it be this one?

By the way, it's worth mentioning why you didn't appeal before (explain that you were acting on advice from the current school that all border zone children have previously gained a place).

Come back if there's anything else you want to ask.

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Thu May 21, 2009 12:31 pm

Dear Etienne, Thanks for your reply. The school has science college status and my son is G&T in science. The grammar school is the only one in a 50 mile radius. School buses run through our village to the school there are no buses to the next nearest grammar school I could not drive him as it is about 30 miles away and I have to take his sister to school. My son has spoken about the english paper he thought it vauge and wrote the same story as on the practice day which the school look back at for borderzone so they had no other work to compare to. When I phoned the school to request an appeal I was told that there would have only been a couple of marks between my son and the last child offered a place. The appeal is for non admission of a place and is held at the school.

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Thu May 21, 2009 1:52 pm

Dear Etienne, I forgot to say that as my son went to border zone his work from primary that was requested by the grammar has been looked at by a review group. Will this make a difference?

Post by **Etienne** » Thu May 21, 2009 2:18 pm

The school has science college status and my son is G&T in science.

Excellent! Ask the current head to stress this point.

You should also explain in your appeal that, logistically, you wouldn't be able to get him to any other grammar school - because of distance and the fact that you have to take his sister to school.

No harm in reminding them that he's border zone, and explaining very briefly that he wrote the same story for English as in the practice, which didn't help him at the review stage.

Good luck

strawberry · Post by **strawberry** » Thu May 21, 2009 2:39 pm

Dear Etienne, Thank you so much for your help. On the schools statement the schools indicated admission number determined by the devon LA Premises Management Plan is 126 but as a selective school they are prohibited from planned expansion beyond the PAN of 120. They have stated lots more reasons under efficient and effective use of resources.

Post by **Etienne** » Thu May 21, 2009 3:05 pm

Don't worry about the school's case - they will usually win stage 1 anyway.

Just try and stay focused on your own case.

Loopyloulou · Post by **Loopyloulou** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:05 am

deleted

happymum · Post by **happymum** » Fri May 22, 2009 3:11 pm

strawberry wrote:Dear Etienne, I forgot to say that as my son went to border zone his work from primary that was requested by the grammar has been looked at by a review group. Will this make a difference?

If you read my previous post you will see that I mentioned a friend of my son's who won his appeal last year and was offered a place after his SAT's results were looked at by the board even though the results were delayed.

As for the website saying 100% of places have been offered and accepted - it said this the last year yet my son's friend was still offered a place. On the first day there was 121 new starters.

Loopyloulou · Post by **Loopyloulou** » Fri May 22, 2009 3:46 pm

Thanks happymum

.

...again you have to read CGS very carefully. The website doesn't actually say that all places offered were accepted. Indeed I know for a fact that some CGS place offers are rejected; so borderzone movement is possible.