Can you appeal if DC was a point short of the top 180 scorers (specifically Bexley), has anyone done this successfully, and any risk of being marked down if it is a remark?

I know it's a good situation to be in but I am on the edges of IC and the grammar is popular with lots of OOC having taken the test and passed in top 180.

Any thoughts/experiences would be very helpful.

You can only appeal if you have applied for a place at a school and been turned down, so it won't become relevant, if at all, until after March 1st.

Or do you mean some kind of local review? Surely that is only for those not meeting the minimum 'pass' standard? And hasn't that already happened?

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thanks ToadMum, I mean appeal after March 1st... So order of events would be;

- apply for 1st preference with just under top 180 score.
- If 1st pref is turned down then appeal saying DC pass rate was just under top 180 and try to get into guaranteed top 180.

It's a bit of a complicated situation...
- Twin1 and Twin2 passed both Bexley and Kent tests.
- T1 nearly in Bexley top 180 and T2 high scoring in Kent.
- They would like to go to the same school, being either BGS or DGS.
- DGS admissions told us that if T2 gets in then there is a chance T1 may be allowed in on appeal (not exactly a siblings rule, but close).
- If BGS is over subscribed then appeal that T1 was close to top 180 and try and get T2 in.
- And to add further complication if we put BGS first and DGS second and don't get BGS, will that hamper T2 getting DGS as it was second preference, and then we are moved to our third choice.

Not sure I explained it well, but clear as mud in my head

The equal preference system that all LAs adhere to means that your order of preference will not hamper your chances (as per your last point).

You will be offered the school you listed highest, that you meet the admissions criteria for. So if you do not meet the admissions criteria for the first school you have listed, they will consider your second listed school as if it was your first adn see if you meet the criteria for that one, and so on. The school has no idea where you listed them. This is why it is so important to list the schools in your true preference order.

Thanks kenyancowgirl, For some reason I got it into my head that a Super Selective might act differently.

Hi All
KayKay - just be a bit careful that the school indicated a twin/sibling appeal might be positive.

The Appeal panel in June are totally independent from the school and will apply the school admissions code strictly to any appeal. Someone on here (with more in depth knowledge of DGS) might be able to indicate if twins are a sibling priority at DGS?

The school might think that it might be an ok situation to appeal for, but they have no control over the independent deciding panel and in fact on the day will be making the case to the panel not to have your son at the school, as your opposite.

BGS on the other hand will really depend on how close to them you are...

Choose the school you really like, and put it 1st - as both situations look like there might be a luck on March 1st/balancing act/appeals to get both children in the same school.

Good luck, both great schools!

Buck

Uncle Buck makes a good point.

I assume what the school were saying is that - based on their knowledge of previous cases - they think the appeal panel is sometimes willing to be swayed in favour of the parents in this sort of situation.

It's just possible that, at an appeal hearing, the school might indicate to the panel that it isn't strongly opposed to the admission of a particular child, and is sympathetic in view of the particular circumstances.
There's no guarantee the school will do this, of course - and the final decision certainly lies with the appeal panel.

There are other factors for the panel to take into consideration. For example, if there happen to be a lot of particularly strong cases this year, the panel may decide that it is simply not possible to uphold all of them without causing serious prejudice to the school.

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Etienne

http://www.dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk/KeyInformation/Y7-Admissions/

Unfortunately, there is nothing in the 2019 admissions policy re siblings / twins / multiple births (I had a go with all three search items in the policy document ). The oversubscriptions criteria are all for the individual applicant:
- LAC
- in priority area by score
- by score, regardless of place of residence.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thanks for checking, TM.

The appeals panel, of course, is still free to consider any reasons parents put forward for wanting a place. It isn't limited to the oversubscription criteria.

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Etienne

Of course. It did sound rather as if the member of staff was intimating that there may be something a bit more concrete, though (as the OP described her impression of it, not exactly a siblings rule, but close), which is what Uncle Buck picked up on .

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx