Appeal results
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
Sorry to hear that your appeal wasn't successful but glad that you are happy with the alternative. All the best to your family at what must be a very difficult time for you all.
Still keeping fingers crossed for you, watdad - it must be so frustrating knowing that there's a letter sitting on your doormat!
Still keeping fingers crossed for you, watdad - it must be so frustrating knowing that there's a letter sitting on your doormat!
This reminds me of allocation day - I had to leave work early, just couldn't stand the suspense any longer!My Wife has just called me
As suspected our appeal failed too
Appeal was on the basis of academic, we were able to prove that our Son was in the top 10% in the country (statisticly) for English & Maths. My Son has won an award for Science, WGSB has a science specialism
The school offers Spanish, Wifes Mum is from Spain and only speaks broken English, WGSB is one of only three schools in the area offering Spanish on their curriculum. WGSB has a second specialism in Languages.
My Son has a talent in Art and has twice now been selected to attend a summer art college run by WGSG, sister school, WGSG has a specialism in Art and shares the use of its facilities with the boys school.
My Son attends Theatre training and is appearing this year at the London Palladium, WGSB has it own theatre!
Also used Scouts links with the school with Duke of Edinburgh Award.
References included Scouts, Theatre training and WGSG as well as copy of Grandmothers Spanish certificate.
As I said I do not believe academic arguments work in the Watford Consortium you need some sort of social well being / exclusion type of reason, IMO.
Good Luck to all still waiting. WatfordMum see you at Queens
As suspected our appeal failed too
Appeal was on the basis of academic, we were able to prove that our Son was in the top 10% in the country (statisticly) for English & Maths. My Son has won an award for Science, WGSB has a science specialism
The school offers Spanish, Wifes Mum is from Spain and only speaks broken English, WGSB is one of only three schools in the area offering Spanish on their curriculum. WGSB has a second specialism in Languages.
My Son has a talent in Art and has twice now been selected to attend a summer art college run by WGSG, sister school, WGSG has a specialism in Art and shares the use of its facilities with the boys school.
My Son attends Theatre training and is appearing this year at the London Palladium, WGSB has it own theatre!
Also used Scouts links with the school with Duke of Edinburgh Award.
References included Scouts, Theatre training and WGSG as well as copy of Grandmothers Spanish certificate.
As I said I do not believe academic arguments work in the Watford Consortium you need some sort of social well being / exclusion type of reason, IMO.
Good Luck to all still waiting. WatfordMum see you at Queens
-
T.i.p.s.y
-
WatfordMum
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:43 pm
TIPSY
Queens was not one of our preferred choices (tacitly) but we got in from the CI list, admittedly a gamble but it worked
My Son is delighted with Queens, we went last night and he loved it.He has asked if we would withdraw our appeal. He is pleased we lost. 6 kids from his class are going including one of his best friends. Obviously as a parent you want the best for your children and it doesn’t matter how many silver linings you find WGSB is the best non Grammar schools in the country. Unfortunately it isn’t meant to be.
We do have an appeal pending for Parmiters but it is essentially the same academic reasons as WGSB, they have an almost identical curriculum, so I am now not hopeful with that. I always thought we would win both or neither.
My mum won an appeal for my brother at WGSB, a few years ago now. The grounds were she was a single parent and could not afford bus fees if he did not go to his nearest school. He therefore would not be able to partake in any after school clubs and she would not be able attend school plays, parents evening etc. Her appeal was upheld, she did not even attend! – At the time Westfield’s was a Girls school.
I firmly believe in Watford it is only this type of appeal that wins, so would be interested to here any story’s that say otherwise. I still believe we had a very strong case, I PM’d Etienne and he thought so too but it obviously does not press the right buttons in the Watford Consortium.
Despite the fact you are told you need to prove your prejudice is greater than that of the school, in reality you need to prove that your case is more deserving than that of everyone else that appeals and you only need one or two hardship / social well being type cases and you stand no chance, only my opinion don’t mean it to sound like sour grapes.
Thanks to everybody for there support and help particularly; Toony, Etienne and Bougalou. I am now looking forward to the summer holidays before spending vast amounts of money on school uniforms!
Queens was not one of our preferred choices (tacitly) but we got in from the CI list, admittedly a gamble but it worked
My Son is delighted with Queens, we went last night and he loved it.He has asked if we would withdraw our appeal. He is pleased we lost. 6 kids from his class are going including one of his best friends. Obviously as a parent you want the best for your children and it doesn’t matter how many silver linings you find WGSB is the best non Grammar schools in the country. Unfortunately it isn’t meant to be.
We do have an appeal pending for Parmiters but it is essentially the same academic reasons as WGSB, they have an almost identical curriculum, so I am now not hopeful with that. I always thought we would win both or neither.
My mum won an appeal for my brother at WGSB, a few years ago now. The grounds were she was a single parent and could not afford bus fees if he did not go to his nearest school. He therefore would not be able to partake in any after school clubs and she would not be able attend school plays, parents evening etc. Her appeal was upheld, she did not even attend! – At the time Westfield’s was a Girls school.
I firmly believe in Watford it is only this type of appeal that wins, so would be interested to here any story’s that say otherwise. I still believe we had a very strong case, I PM’d Etienne and he thought so too but it obviously does not press the right buttons in the Watford Consortium.
Despite the fact you are told you need to prove your prejudice is greater than that of the school, in reality you need to prove that your case is more deserving than that of everyone else that appeals and you only need one or two hardship / social well being type cases and you stand no chance, only my opinion don’t mean it to sound like sour grapes.
Thanks to everybody for there support and help particularly; Toony, Etienne and Bougalou. I am now looking forward to the summer holidays before spending vast amounts of money on school uniforms!
Watdad
I agree with you that basing an appeal on academic evidence alone seems pointless in this area. After all, with only 45 places on offer, many very clever children will undoubtedly miss out.
I am sure your son will thrive at Queens. At least he will be top of his class. I am trying to brace my DD for the shock of not being top of hers!
T x
I agree with you that basing an appeal on academic evidence alone seems pointless in this area. After all, with only 45 places on offer, many very clever children will undoubtedly miss out.
I am sure your son will thrive at Queens. At least he will be top of his class. I am trying to brace my DD for the shock of not being top of hers!
T x
appeal
Sorry to hear that your WGSB appeals were unsuccessful. We too were at Queens' last night and we are all very happy with what was our 3rd choice!
They certainly make every effort to ensure their charges are settled and happy.
Mr James seems a down to earth approachable sort of head with a good 'vision' for the school.
We have already bought a few bits and pieces for the uniform and the £120 of equipment required (double for twins of course). My twins are quite happy with Queens' now. The last twice we have been into the Harlequin, Watford they have insisted we park in Queens' carpark!
Hopefully the information we have posted on the Watford Consortium appeals will help other parents in future years. It certainly doesn't seem worth appealing on the basis of academic only.
I was interested to see that Queens' had received well over 1000 applications (was over 900 last year) and that they had heard 60 appeals. I guess they are becoming more and more popular as BH becomes less so.
They certainly make every effort to ensure their charges are settled and happy.
Mr James seems a down to earth approachable sort of head with a good 'vision' for the school.
We have already bought a few bits and pieces for the uniform and the £120 of equipment required (double for twins of course). My twins are quite happy with Queens' now. The last twice we have been into the Harlequin, Watford they have insisted we park in Queens' carpark!
Hopefully the information we have posted on the Watford Consortium appeals will help other parents in future years. It certainly doesn't seem worth appealing on the basis of academic only.
I was interested to see that Queens' had received well over 1000 applications (was over 900 last year) and that they had heard 60 appeals. I guess they are becoming more and more popular as BH becomes less so.
