Appeal for a twin - both eligible but oversubscribed

[kenyancowgirl]

Certainly locally the grammar schools are purely by score/rank order - no sibling policy - but we also don't just have a particular score you have to hit (like Bucks's 121). I have to say, whilst I understand that you are finding the policy confusing, I do get what they are saying and I am afraid fall into Loobylou's camp - in that giving a place to the second twin is vastly unfair on those children who have achieved better than twin 2 and not got a lace.

[Sally-Anne]

one wonders why they bothered drafting it. Unless there is some kind of higher law which says they have to?

The Admissions Code is strangely silent on the matter, other than for Infant Class Size Admissions. There is however a requirement for a clear tie-breaker, and that is why most Admissions Policies will have some form of ruling on multiple births. I also recall (although I can't lay my hands on the exact reference) that the OSA has upbraided academies for not specifying arrangements for multiple births.

Loobylou, you are thinking of grammars that allocate by rank order of score, which cannot prioritise siblings. Sibling rules are permitted when there is a flat pass mark. In those areas, places are usually allocated by distance so there is a clear need for a multiple birth policy, i.e. where twins cannot be separated under the normal admissions criteria, both will be admitted.

(x-post with kcg)

[loobylou]

Loobylou, you are thinking of grammars that allocate by rank order of score, which cannot prioritise siblings. Sibling rules are permitted when there is a flat pass mark. In those areas, places are usually allocated by distance so there is a clear need for a multiple birth policy, i.e. where twins cannot be separated under the normal admissions criteria, both will be admitted.

OK sorry, those are the only ones that I am aware of round here!

[Mandy21]

Coming back to this - that is one of the things I looked for - whether the school has a siblings policy. I can understand if it did, then you may have more of an argument OP but given the clarification the school has given, I think you may need to appeal but using the other criteria rather than just the twin thing. Good luck, as I said above, I have twins and can understand how hard this must be for the family.

Just out of interest, did you know there would be limited out of catchment places when you applied? Did your twins know that it was a possibility that they'd have to go to different schools from the outset?

[mummymoo]

What a nightmare for you Twinmumdorch.

It's definately worth appealing but like others say don't focus on the twin situation.
I am catchment for PGS and I am aware of a set of twins which attended seperate schools, one PGS & the other another high school so unfortunately it does happen. Both girls did very well in the end

What is the school your daughter has been given or does she stay where she is until year 9?? And is the high school she likely to be given rated highly??

Good luck with the appeal!

[Twinmumdorch]

I have received another response from one of the other grammar schools to try to clarify the position that they hold on multiples.

It says "I can confirm, as stated in our Admissions Policy, " if applications from children of a multiple birth span the threshold for the pupil admission number (180) this will be treated as an exceptional circumstance and they will be admitted if they are all of the required standard.

I trust this clarifies the situation but should you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact me." Clear as mud!

I get the feeling that this policy is being quoted back to me verbatim by all the schools and has not really been thought through. It is only when I try to give them an example they start putting numbers on where the 'span the threshold' comes into it. Maybe when I have been through the appeal and the panel sees the confusion they will look at it closer.
The grammar school in question ranks by distance and score; catchment first by rank, out of catchment by rank. This means that there will already be girls admitted who have scored lower than mine but they live closer and the policy is clear and has been followed. We understand that.
I didn't expect so few places to be left over for out of catchment children. Last two years there were 34 and 40. This year only 16. My daughter scored 13 marks above the required standard. I don't know if the twins mentioned previously in a posting both met the standard or if only one did. Mine have both met the standard and are deemed suitable for entry and we are not trying to take a place from someone else as the person at 181 would not be admitted at this stage unless they were a multiple with a qualifying multiple.
We are asking them to admit our second twin as what they describe as an 'exceptional circumstance' in line with the wording of the multiple birth policy. I do have genuine reasons for wanting them to stay at the same school together in their teenage years but if we can't secure a place for our second daughter, we have to make the agonising decision of rejecting a place for our first twin.
We are five days down the road from this decision and already my younger daughter is reactingly angrily towards her sister if she mentions future schools. Our first twin has set her heart on going and is mentally already there. She would be devastated if we said she couldn't go and that would also cause friction between them.
Our year 9 school is good. I have never questioned that but it is not our preferred option. I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place.

[mummymoo]

It must be so difficult for you. Especially when they have both passed with good marks.
The twins i mentioned previously, however the lower graded one only just passed so that maybe why - but their parents accepted it and didn't appeal. Maybe if they did she would've also got in!

There will be a lot of people appealing, and a lot of those will not have as high a pass mark as your daughter so that together with the 'twin' issue you may gave a good chance.

From the sounds of the policy it does look like it is copied & pasted and doesn't take into account that twins will score differently.

It sounds like you have very good grounds to appeal.

Two years ago a friend's daughter win an appeal - she was out of catchment & just missed out on the pass mark. If they won an appeal then you stand a very good chance i would have thought as not only did your daughter pass but also her twin being there must work in your favour surely!

Best of luck!

[Twinmumdorch]

Thank you Mummymoo. I know this hard for everyone in an appeal position and we all want is best for our children.
I feel so scared about an appeal; I did it ten years ago for my son and lost. It was a difficult procedure but it only affected him. This affects both my girls. My husband is unwell so I am going to prepare this alone (with help from this amazing forum too of course) but I feel such an amazing weight of responsibility on my shoulders right now.

[Twinmumdorch]

I asked the local boys grammar school to clarify their multiple birth policy yesterday. Today I got the following response:

"I fully understand your need to seek clarification on this issue and yes, I can confirm your assumption is correct. Provided one twin falls within the PAN, the second twin regardless of position would also be admitted, provided they have met the standard in the test."

So now I have three different responses from three different local schools all with a multiple birth policy that talks about 'span the threshold'. How can parents make sense of this if the schools can't even agree on what it means? It seems it is all down to interpretation. It still leaves us having to wait until June/July for an appeal and verdict.

I have also been looking at other schools multiple births policies across the country, including grammar schools and most are worded beautifully and make it very clear how the policy works or whether they make no allowances for twins in our situation. It means that parents and children know exactly where they stand.

[MaggieMay]

This does sound as if you have received very mixed response from these schools with their different interpretation(s) of their individual multiple birth policy.
In some way this is favourable to you as you can include all these responses in your appeal case to show the panel at your 'confusion' of their different interpretations.