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Defer appeal date

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:20 am
by brooke68
We are appealing for a place for our daughter with the intention of relocating (about 60 miles) into the catchment area this summer. Our son will be starting his GCSE exams in a few weeks so we cannot risk disrupting those by moving earlier. We received our appeal date this morning with the appeal set for the end of April. Obviously we won't have moved by then. Do we have any rights to request a later appeal date? The LA website states that appeals will be held between April and July.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:24 am
by brooke68
In addition, we are tied into our current tenancy until mid-May and are not in a financial position to rent two properties (which I imagine the LA would find suspect anyway).

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:46 am
by loopylou
If all other appeals are heard in April though, being heard later than the others may bring some disadvantage. For example, if the panel allow numerous appeals in April then the oversubscription element will become stronger for people appealing much later than this.
It must be possible to request an alternative date but I don't know if this would include being able to defer by several months.

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:49 pm
by Etienne
If this is an appeal for the normal point of entry (and it sounds as if it is from "The LA website states that appeals will be held between April and July"), and therefore part of a batch of appeals, then there is no way it can be postponed for several months because decisions on all the other cases would be delayed.
    • 2.18 Multiple appeals are when a number of appeals have been received in relation to the same school ......... A panel hearing multiple appeals must not make decisions on any of those appeals until all the appeals have been heard.

      Appeals Code
I suggest you contact the LA to ask if you should withdraw your appeal - provided that they will allow you to submit a fresh appeal later on.
NB: normally you can only appeal once for a particular year group, and you would need to ensure that the LA won't count the withdrawn appeal as your one and only chance!
(However, a change of address could possibly be considered a significant change in circumstances, entitling you to a second appeal. You might want to sound them out about this - it would be entirely at their discretion.)

There are pros and cons with regard to late appeals.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c22" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2014 8:10 am
by brooke68
Thank you so much for your advice. We contacted the LA and they couldn't have been more helpful. We are going ahead with the appeal (although we don't hold out much hope) but have been assured that we will be entitled to a second appeal after we move. Far from ideal but at least we only feel 'down', not 'out'.

General teaching classrooms minimum area

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:44 pm
by brooke68
We have received our information from the school to which we are appealing.
They have stated that only two of their general teaching classrooms are over 50msq. Am I correct in thinking that the minimum size is 49msq?
The school have not provided any information on the size of other gen teaching classrooms and the floorplans we have received do not give this info (and are very small/fuzzy/difficult to read!).
Do we have a point to argue that, as the school have not given this info they have not clearly demonstrated that they cannot accommodate an extra pupil? Form sizes are 29.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:51 pm
by Etienne
Could I check first of all that this isn't an academy? (Your previous post refers to the LA, but it's possible the LA could just be handling the appeals, without necessarily being the admission authority.)

Secondly, could you confirm it's a secondary school? (We sometimes get questions about primary school appeals!)

Thirdly, in their case they're obviously talking a bit about room sizes, but are they specifically arguing lack of space?

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:59 pm
by brooke68
Hello, sorry, yes, this is an appeal for **** Grammar School.
No, not an academy.
Thank you.

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:00 pm
by brooke68
Lack of space seems to make up a large part of their argument.

Re: Defer appeal date

Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:02 pm
by brooke68
Additional children have been admitted into other year groups.