invigilator report - appeal advice

[Etienne]

am I right that nothing we do will change the decision but we might get a new hearing a couple of months down the line?

Absolutely correct. You fill in the online complaint form, which is acknowledged, and then you wait .... and wait.

In the meantime it's best to say nothing to the child about it. Things need to be as settled as possible. Show commitment to the allocated school.

Don't expect a favourable outcome, then you can't be disappointed. If it happens, it's a bonus, and you can decide at that point in time whether or not to go ahead with a fresh appeal with a different panel and clerk.

If no one complains, nothing improves. It's not an onerous procedure - just slow - and if it leads to improvements in appeals, it would be helping other parents in the future.

[Bells]

If no one complains, nothing improves. It's not an onerous procedure - just slow - and if it leads to improvements in appeals, it would be helping other parents in the future.

Thank you Etienne, and yes - I agree with the above, but having some other commitments this coming week I will leave it a few more days to clear my head before making a complaint. I would also like to see the clerk's notes but she hasn't replied to my email - should I include school admissions in the request?

Another issue that I feel should be included in the complaint relates to the presentation. Despite having one prepared, we were asked not to present our case just add anything that wasn't included in the appeal pack. We were assured by the panel that they wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't study all the details late into the night, so repeating anything is not necessary. (Agenda says "..parents are invited to outline main points that they wish to stress. The panel will have studied case very thoroughly and a full reading of your written case is not necessary" and the letter states that the time is limited and the presentation should be fairly brief). The time of our hearing was also changed a few days before the appeal (morning to afternoon).


On the positive side, girls have accepted the outcome, we are making plans for induction days, uniform fitting etc, so I am not going to rock the boat.

[Etienne]

she hasn't replied to my email - should I include school admissions in the request?

I think it's best to start with whoever is most likely to have the notes. The clerk is probably the person to contact in the first instance, although ultimately the school as the admission authority is responsible.

I would suggest giving her a week or two. She's probably discussing with the school how to field your request! (They may not have been asked for the clerk's notes before. Their instinct might be to say 'No', but I hope they're aware that they will need a lawful reason for doing so!)

having some other commitments this coming week I will leave it a few more days to clear my head before making a complaint.

There's no rush, and it's a very good idea to see if you can get hold of a copy of the clerk's notes before deciding.

Another issue that I feel should be included in the complaint relates to the presentation

In theory, during covid-19, they could have done everything on the basis of written material only. However, they chose not to, and it is concerning that they didn't follow their stated procedure.

The time of our hearing was also changed a few days before the appeal (morning to afternoon).

You are meant to have a fortnight's notice of your hearing. If they wanted to change the time, I think they should have sought your agreement.

It depends how you were affected. As an example, I can see that if the change had been the other way round (from afternoon to morning), and you had arranged to take the morning off work to finalise your case, you could have been disadvantaged.

On the positive side, girls have accepted the outcome, we are making plans for induction days, uniform fitting etc, so I am not going to rock the boat.

Very wise!

[mini.me]

How's it going Bells? Did you decide what to do?

We had our appeal this week so nervously waiting for the results. We weren't sure whether they send the outcome by email or post - how did yours arrive?

[Bells]

Ours was 1st class post, arrived a couple of days before the deadline (4 working days after the hearing). Fingers crossed it's good news for you, stay positive!

We have decided to commit to the allocated school, but we will make a complaint as well. I am hoping someone will look into it and bring a positive change, even though it might not help us - timeframe just doesn't seem feasible (if we were granted the new appeal).