Appeal Panel

Consult our experts on 11 Plus appeals or any other type of school appeal

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capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by capers123 »

Etienne wrote:I'm afraid on the surface it looks very suspicious - a panel member who has a prior relationship with an appellant, and also contacts the same appellant privately after the hearing but before any decision is taken.

You could indeed be disadvantaged.

However, if it's as bad as it seems, I don't understand how it was meant to work in practice. If the panel member were to go back to the clerk and the rest of the panel saying "Look, there's some more evidence that supports appellant X," it rather begs the question "What are you doing acting as an intermediary on behalf of an appellant?"
I would be very dubious about this. If the panel solicited extra information after the appeal, surely the school side MUST have sight of it as well, and then both the school and the panel must be able to ask the parents any questions they have - in other words, to reopen the appeal. I've never done this myself, and never heard of it being done elsewhere.

It is fine for the panel to ask for extra information DURING the hearing, and to adjourn the hearing whilst it's provided. It can even be adjourned to a different day if need be. But once both sides have summed up the case and the appeal closed, that's it - it's finished.

As for friends, I have sat on panels where I knew the parents, and on one occasion was fairly friendly with them (not best buddies, though). We live in quite a small town, so it's inevitable. Each time I made the rest of the panel aware before the appeals started, and then declared this in front of all parties, at which point they would have been able to say they didn't want me to sit on the appeal (though that would have meant re-hearing all the appeals). But I was up front and open about it, and made sure I did not introduce any knowledge that was not made public at the appeal, nor allow it to influence me.

I should add that my friend's appeal did not succeed - it was a pretty weak case and had she asked me for advice before hand, I'd have probably suggested not bothering to appeal! I'm still friends with her.
Capers
helpneeded!
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:49 am

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by helpneeded! »

Got the results back from my appeal,very dissapointed and upset that my appeal has failed. Suprise suprise my friend's appeal has been upheld. Even though my son has been predicated to get straight 5's in his sats and her son is predicated to get only two level 5's in his sats.
After receiving the result I even thought of sending my son to a private school but now after looking at the fees of a private school I have thought again!!! I am accepting the results of the appeal (there is no other option but to) and trying to convince myself that maybe the school allocated is not that bad as I may think it is.
I don't think I would like to ever put myself into the position of appealing for a school ever again,these past 8 months has been one **** of a emotional and stressful period of my life and I wouldn't like anyone else to go through of what I have been through. But I know that is not possible with the way the educational system is there will always be someone out there going through with what I and most of the people on these forum have been going through.
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by T12ACY »

I am sorry you have not got the result you hoped for. It does feel so unfair doesn't it?

Stay positive DS will need all the support you can offer :) Many on here can say from experience that things work out ok in the end (not me yet as am still with you on this!). Fingers crossed this time next year it will be us saying it was not as bad as we first thought x
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
tiredmum
Posts: 1161
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:51 am

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by tiredmum »

i am very sorry :( particularly having just read over the previous page about your friends child. With a supportive mum like you i am sure your ds will do well anyhow - but it is a rollercoaster and i hope in a few days you feel more positive
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by Etienne »

I'm very sorry too. When you've been before an appeal panel to plead your case, and not won, there's usually an awful feeling of rejection.

As you have concerns about the fairness of what happened, you could go to the ombudsman and request a re-hearing in front of a truly impartial panel. I realise why you might be reluctant to do this.
Etienne
twinkles
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by twinkles »

Really sorry to hear your news helpneeded. I have been there, done that, and didn't win our appeal either, it's a horrible situation to be in and i know exactly how you are feeling.

I really hope that DS likes the school he has been allocated and that everything turns out OK in the end, it's what I've got to hope for to!

Good luck.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by Tolstoy »

How very frustrating. A failed appeal can be a hard thing to move on from in the best of circumstances. You have my sympathy and I do hope things work out for your son, life has a habit of doing just that eventually.
panicattack!
Posts: 194
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:30 pm

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by panicattack! »

So sorry to hear your news helpneeded. Good luck as you move forward.
helpneeded!
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 9:49 am

Re: Appeal Panel

Post by helpneeded! »

Thank you everybody for your kind support, your kind words have been an immense help to me. Since receiving the dreaded results of the appeal. i now feel that there has been some kind of a closure to all of this. For the past few month before the appeal everything seem to have revolved around the appeal and I was always thinking about the appeal, but now it all seem like a distant memory. I think i have forgotten all about it and is suprised at myself of how quickly I have recovered from the ordeal!!!!! Once again thank you for all your help and support.
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