Letter with decision

[Mindthegap]

I would phone and chase. Sorry you got a No. Is your next appeal for a different school?

[MCon2019]

yes two more schools stage 2 appeals to do.

The first one was probably our best hope (non qualification- the other two are qualification but OOC) so I'm not expecting much from the others based on the appeal stage 1 hearings from both!

[Mindthegap]

Best of luck. I never thought to do more than one school.

[Etienne]

Is there a time limit for this information or do i just have to wait it out?

According to the Code:

• • 2.24 The panel must communicate the decision of each appeal, including the reasons for that decision, in writing to the appellant, the admission authority and the local authority. The clerk or chair must sign the decision letter and send it to the parties as soon as possible after the hearing but not later than five school days, unless there is good reason ....

• "Five school days" in a multiple appeal means "five school days after the last hearing". Do you happen to know if all the appeals were over when the email was sent? (No decisions on any cases should be taken until all the appeals have been heard.)

• Note that they do have a 'get out' clause - "unless there is good reason" (which there often is if they are dealing with very large numbers of appeals).
Do you know how many appeals there were?

• What they seem to be doing could be reasonable so long as the email is followed up by a letter "as soon as possible".
I hope they're not thinking "We've sent the decision by email within five school days, so it doesn't matter when we send the reasons."
Strictly speaking, the decision and the reasons are not separate. The decision letter must include the reasons.

• I agree with Mindthegap that we're approaching the point where it would not be unreasonable to "phone and chase".
I suggest you ask:

• • What was the date of the last hearing?
    How many appeals were heard?
    When do they estimate being able to send a letter with reasons for the decision?

[catcool]

Remember it is 5 School days not working days .

Last week was half term so that week will not count .

[MCon2019]

Thank you. All appeals were heard by Monday 20th May. We received an email last Monday but still nothing. There were 57 appeals.
I contacted the school yesterday and they have said they are coming out by the end of this week! Only two appeals were successful.
As this was my strongest case appeal I really need to know what went wrong to help strengthen my next two appeals whose chances are much slimmer as we are out of county and appeal stage 1s have been horrendous! We had a strong case due to bullying ( my child has been allocated same school as those children) and a very high other 11 plus score ( 17 points over!)

[MCon2019]

Best of luck. I never thought to do more than one school.

I only did as my daughter did not get allocated a grammar school at all even though she passed 11+. Unfortunately she just missed our county test but out of county test ( we live less than half mile from boundary so schools are short commute and children always get in until this year!) she passed with high score-17 over! I naively thought the qualification appeals would be my stronger case but it's not looking that way with both over 100 appeals and a panel who has already made it very clear they are not interested in our arguments!!
Good luck with yours mindthegap! Hope it ends up worth it for you xx

[MCon2019]

Hi

I am just starting to finalise my next appeal and have noticed that in the appeal documents it seems that the panel have been given my CAF listings. Is this allowed? When we had our meeting with the council regarding CAF it was made very clear that the school never know where you have placed them. Surely this remains the case at appeal too?

Thanks

[ariadne]

Huh. I thought they weren't supposed to know where else you had applied, let alone what order of preference, until and unless it comes up during the submissions or hearing. Do you think it was an error, or deliberate?

Is the LA the admissions authority, or is the school an Academy (etc)?

[ToadMum]

No, the school doesn't never know where you list them - it only mustn't be told when ranking applicants and it must not be sn oversubscription criterion.

A copy of the application form (main round or mid year CAF for primary / main round CAF or individual spplication form for secondary) is part of the documentation admissions authorities have to acquire and submit as part of their paperwork in our area.