Extenuating circumstances & the new Code

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Woody551
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 9:32 pm

Extenuating circumstances & the new Code

Post by Woody551 »

With regards to 3.13 in the new code, we lost our appeal last week and although we did present several extenuating circumstances as we felt they were prudent as a reason for poor performance on the day, it seemed that our panel focused their attention on this rather than the academic evidence which was strong in an attempt to make up the shortfall in marks. Nowhere in the new code does it mention that marks shortfall or extenuating circumstances should be considered, although I appreciate that nor does it say they shouldn't be considered, but the code clearly states

"the panel must only uphold the appeal if it is satisfied:
i) that there is evidence to demonstrate that the child is of the required academic standards"

I have provided background information which is available in the appeals box for the information of moderators. Please could somene take a look and see If we have a case for the code not being followed?
Thanks
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Extenuating circumstances & the new Code

Post by Etienne »

Welcome, Woody. Very sorry to hear your news.

In addition to the information you've already provided, could you let me see a copy of the decision letter via the Appeals Box?
Etienne
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Extenuating circumstances & the new Code

Post by Etienne »

Thanks for sending a copy of the letter, Woody.

I'll repeat here what I've said on TG's thread, because it could be relevant to your point about para. 3.13 of the Code:

I read in the admissions policy:
A decision by the school to refuse a place carries with it a right of appeal.
Appeals against non selection will be held in accordance
with the mandatory School Admissions Code of Practice* regulations that are in force at the time.
The School remains responsible for the Formal Appeals process.
Appeals against non‐selection are heard by an independent appeals committee.


*This is incorrect - I assume they mean the School Admission Appeals Code.

Do you have any additional guidance that you were given about their appeals process? If so, I would be interested to see it.

If the appeal panel was only ever going to consider 'non-selection', what would happen if - after proper consideration of alternative academic evidence - they decided to accept as academically suitable more children than the school has vacancies for? Would there be another appeal to deal with oversubscription/prejudice (which seems improbable this late in the summer term)? Or is the panel, in effect, limiting the number of children they are prepared to deem academically suitable, irrespective of alternative academic evidence?
Etienne
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Extenuating circumstances & the new Code

Post by capers123 »

Woody551 wrote:"the panel must only uphold the appeal if it is satisfied:
i) that there is evidence to demonstrate that the child is of the required academic standards"

I have provided background information which is available in the appeals box for the information of moderators. Please could somene take a look and see If we have a case for the code not being followed?
Hi, Woody,

Sorry you're here.

Think of it this way - if a child has good mitigating circumstances for not passing the test, but all the academic submissions (mean CATS =100, SATS predicted of 4b, school reports, etc) show that they are of average ability (50% percentile) then is a grammar going to be the right place for them where the rest of the children are in the top 20% / 15% (or whatever the local cut-off is) of the population? I think that's what para 3.13 is trying to get at.

Under the old appeal code, there may have been a tendency for some panels to put a much higher weighting to the mitigating circumstances of why they didn't do well on the day of the test, than 'is the child is of grammar ability'.
Capers
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