Appeal help?

[Etienne]

Apologies but I forgot to mention earlier that the school is question is a Foundation school. What role therefore does the LEA take in this case?

If it's a foundation school, then it is its own admission authority, and the governors are responsible for admissions. (The LA's role is limited to co-ordinating the arrangements.)

Foundation schools can organise their own appeals and appoint their own appeal panels, although some may choose to "hire" an LA panel.

[gloucestermum]

I know this will be no help at all to your position Molly-but for other parents in Gloucestershire,the first preference system will not apply for admissions Sept 2008,and results of the test will be sent to parents 2 weeks after the test itself.
If we are talking about Pates Grammar here,I know of 2 other parents who had phone calls from the head,who were informed that as they were in the top 150 children if they appealed for the school(both put school as 2nd choice,to Balcarras and Thomas Rich respectively) they would be succesful,and indeed they both were!!

Regards,
Gloucestermum.

[Etienne]

If I'm not mistaken, Pates is a VA school. Does it therefore run its own appeals?

No headteacher should be able to predict the outcome of an appeal.

If this is what really happened, it would seem to raise some very serious questions about the independence of the panel.

[Molly]

In reply to Bronco's question. On the 1st March we received letters from the LEA informing us that our daughter had a place at her 1st preference school (Comprehensive). We accepted this place but also put her name down for the Grammar school. Come early April, all the other children at my daughters school who had had the same phone call on the 2nd March had letters offering them a place. All we received was an answerphone message (see earlier posting ). After some contact with the Head we were then informed by email on the 23rd April that there was no place available. Following this we then made a formal complaint to the Governors/Director of Ed.
Bronco is absolutely right, if our daughter's score had been high enough for the 2nd round of places (following on from places already given to children putting the school 1st) she would have had a place. Our contention however is that we were not told this caveat on the 2nd March by the Head. If there had been the slightest element of doubt that her place was dependent upon others dropping out then this is what we would have told her, surely no parent would mislead their own child into thinking that they had a place (if only they placed their name on the waiting list). We would have cautioned against expecting a place.
As mentioned earlier we have learnt of another child in a similar position who appealed successfully for a place. As we had not appealed earlier we have been told that we are able to appeal.
With regard to Gloucestermum's posting, am not sure if these people actually appealed for places or like us, were told to put their name on the waiting list to be considered for the 2nd round of allocations?

[gloucestermum]

Molly,yes I think the parents I refer to put their names forward for the 2nd allocations of places.

Regards