Decision time, appeal or not to appeal. Need help please

[Amazingrace]

Hi all,
Thanks for the awesome assistance offered on this forum, highly appreciated.Thank you very much.
My case, Ds got ---maths----- 116,English----106,Reasoning----134 total 356 for Kent ,and 213.09------verbal reasoning, 227.05 -----non verbal reasoning, 233.15------numerical reasoning total 221 for bexley - 11plus exam.Ds was selective for both exams.
Ds was not offered a place as at when the placement was done on 1/3/18. On the Kent registration page it states"your child was offered a higher preference, so the place was not needed.which we don't understand at all because Ds was given a place at a faith secondary school which was the last preference on the Caf list.
Although he passed st olave 's as well was put on waiting list.
We are out of OOA, for both grammar chosen grammar school Dartford grammar school and our house to bexley grammar is 2.9m, to dartford grammar school 53mins or less by train.
Called the schools was told to put Ds on waiting list.
Do I have a good ground for appealing? and what are the chances pls .
On the exam day for Kent the car broke down, even when it was used the previous day and it was absolutely okay,we called a cab to take us to the venue which took quite a while before it arrived, we were actually running out of time as the cab office didn't have readily available car to take us to the exam venue. after so much anxiety the car arrived and we departed for the exam venue.
Ds upper within 6b+ for reading and writing and above 6w for maths.
The Deputy head very supportive gave a support letter for the appeal and predicted he would be at greater depth
The class teacher also promise to give support letter.May I proceed with the appeal please
And how do I write a constructive and convincing letter to the panels pls and what other supporting documents shall I include please
Thanking you all in anticipation for prompt response.

Ds

[mad?]

Welcome Amazinggrace. If you read the appeals Q & A section below

https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... 35&t=35032" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it answers your questions.

Good luck

[Amazingrace]

Thanks,highly appreciated.

[1971]

Hi Amazing Grace.

I live in the same area as you. That definitely sounds fishy! I definitely think its worth starting appeals. You can always withdraw before the hearing. Maybe write to Kent & Bexley to ask them to clarify that comment?

I had problems with Bexley when applying for primary school, when they didn't apply the admissions code properly re waiting lists, and I found that being able to demonstrate an error in the allocation was the clearest route to appeal - so much so that the school ended up intervening and letting the council know that a parent who accepted intended to move away, and the council phoned them begging them to give up the place, so that the appeal didn't need to go ahead! I only knew that the code hadn't been followed because of the no of questions I asked, and timing, so was really lucky as otherwise wouldn't have even gone down the appeal route.

No doubt you've got yourself on all the waiting lists. Best of luck , and hopefully you will get something higher up your caf sooner rather than later.

[Amazingrace]

Thanks very much @1971,your responses is highly uplifting so the earlier response I receive from co fellow on this forum,Have just gather my momentum to carry out a careful research on how to go about,i shall definitely carefully read the links and digest the link I have been directed to on this forum. Thank you all for love and care I highly appreciate it in this highly demanding period.
@1971 so you reckon I should write to the individual school as well?Thanks for prompt response

[1971]

Im not sure if the school itself could help at this point, other than give you the appeal applications to start the ball rolling? In our case, my daughter was already at the school nursery and on the day I was told by council she was top of the list, I popped into the office and asked if anybody hadn't taken up their offer (the deadline was the day before). Because the school confirmed that a place was available, I was certain the code hadn't been followed when the place was then offered to somebody else a few weeks later.

In your case, I think it is reasonable to ask kcc and Bexley why kcc is saying you were offered a higher priority school, when that doesn't seem to be the case. Not wishing to pry, but depending on the schools you put on the caf as to what kcc think you might have been offered, if that makes sense. EG presumably you had no kent schools on your caf below the faith school you've been offered? Maybe one of the experienced hands on the forum might have had experience of getting the councils to give you info on this kind of thing.

In our case, Bexley never answered any of my questions once the appeal was started, but luckily I was confident that unless they were going to outright lie, the documentation in Bexley would prove they made a mistake, and the appeal should have been upheld. Im sure that's why the school stepped in with a solution to prevent it getting that far.

Good luck.

[salsa]

Hi Amazing Grace,

I would appeal for Dartford Grammar as people get in through appeals. I must warn you that more than 100 people appeal. I think last year there were over 150 and only 3 appeals were upheld. What happened getting to the test venue in Kent would have stressed anyone, so I think it is worth mentioning it. Do you happen to have proof? A receipt? Was your son late for the test?

Bexley however, is quite different. If you look at the Bexley secondary admissions booklet, you'll see that appeals are hardly ever upheld for the Bexley grammars, but you are quite close to the school. Is it Bexley Grammar you put? So, I would ask what your position on the waiting list is. Did you put Beths in your list? As they have gone over 8 miles in the last past years, so it would be your best bet, I think.


Best of luck!

Salsa

[Amazingrace]

Im not sure if the school itself could help at this point, other than give you the appeal applications to start the ball rolling? In our case, my daughter was already at the school nursery and on the day I was told by council she was top of the list, I popped into the office and asked if anybody hadn't taken up their offer (the deadline was the day before). Because the school confirmed that a place was available, I was certain the code hadn't been followed when the place was then offered to somebody else a few weeks later.

In your case, I think it is reasonable to ask kcc and Bexley why kcc is saying you were offered a higher priority school, when that doesn't seem to be the case. Not wishing to pry, but depending on the schools you put on the caf as to what kcc think you might have been offered, if that makes sense. EG presumably you had no kent schools on your caf below the faith school you've been offered? Maybe one of the experienced hands on the forum might have had experience of getting the councils to give you info on this kind of thing.

In our case, Bexley never answered any of my questions once the appeal was started, but luckily I was confident that unless they were going to outright lie, the documentation in Bexley would prove they made a mistake, and the appeal should have been upheld. Im sure that's why the school stepped in with a solution to prevent it getting that far.

Good luck.

Hi @1971,
Thanks for the response, ok I would email kcc to make an enquiry about what they meant, because the faith school is the last on the Caf list.

[Amazingrace]

Hi Amazing Grace,

I would appeal for Dartford Grammar as people get in through appeals. I must warn you that more than 100 people appeal. I think last year there were over 150 and only 3 appeals were upheld. What happened getting to the test venue in Kent would have stressed anyone, so I think it is worth mentioning it. Do you happen to have proof? A receipt? Was your son late for the test?

Bexley however, is quite different. If you look at the Bexley secondary admissions booklet, you'll see that appeals are hardly ever upheld for the Bexley grammars, but you are quite close to the school. Is it Bexley Grammar you put? So, I would ask what your position on the waiting list is. Did you put Beths in your list? As they have gone over 8 miles in the last past years, so it would be your best bet, I think.


Best of luck!

Salsa

Thanks Salsa, your response is highly appreciated, it was like 5mins when we got there that they were matched into the exam hall for kcc, No receipt but can always retrieve the time the call was made to the cab office and ds dad had to stay behind to fix the car which resulted in the replacement of the car battery so the receipt for the battery should be ready available as proof of the incident
I definitely put Bexley Grammar school and emailed Beth's to please add Ds to waiting List but haven't heard a response from them.
I requested for appeal form for Bexley the lady was so helpful and polite she emailed it already to me

[salsa]

Hi Amazing Grace,

I would appeal for Dartford Grammar as people get in through appeals. I must warn you that more than 100 people appeal. I think last year there were over 150 and only 3 appeals were upheld. What happened getting to the test venue in Kent would have stressed anyone, so I think it is worth mentioning it. Do you happen to have proof? A receipt? Was your son late for the test?

Bexley however, is quite different. If you look at the Bexley secondary admissions booklet, you'll see that appeals are hardly ever upheld for the Bexley grammars, but you are quite close to the school. Is it Bexley Grammar you put? So, I would ask what your position on the waiting list is. Did you put Beths in your list? As they have gone over 8 miles in the last past years, so it would be your best bet, I think.


Best of luck!

Salsa

Thanks Salsa, your response is highly appreciated, it was like 5mins when we got there that they were matched into the exam hall for kcc, No receipt but can always retrieve the time the call was made to the cab office and ds dad had to stay behind to fix the car which resulted in the replacement of the car battery so the receipt for the battery should be ready available as proof of the incident
I definitely put Bexley Grammar school and emailed Beth's to please add Ds to waiting List but haven't heard a response from them.
I requested for appeal form for Bexley the lady was so helpful and polite she emailed it already to me

I am sorry to hear that it was so stressful for you and son. A friend of ours had he car break down when taking her son to the exam, blocking every other parent too! It was chaos, people had to help her push the car, etc. Luckily, a friend went past and took her son to the test whilst she waiting for help with her car!

If you have put your son on the waiting list for Beths, I am almost certain he will be offered a place. It is a great school, we have friends there who are very happy. Have you emailed Mrs Fitzgerald? She is very nice and can keep you informed about the waiting list position. They should have it soon as I believe the period for accepting offers should have expired. MSFITZGERALD@beths.bexley.sch.uk

Good luck!

Salsa