BOURNE GRAMMAR APPEALS

john m · Post by **john m** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:12 am

JUST RECEIVED A VERY DISTURBING LETTER THIS AM. LINCS LEA HAVE WRITTEN TO SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF APPEALS FOR THIS SCHOOL THEY ARE PRESENTING THEIR CASE FOR NOT ALLOWING ANY FURTHER STUDENTS INTO Y7 AT A MEETING WITH THE APPEAL PANEL AND ALL PARENTS PRESENT!! . THEY AND THE HEAD TEACHER WILL PRESENT THEIR CASE AFTER WHICH THE PANEL WILL RETIRE AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A NEED TO HEAR THE PARENTS CASE DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEK. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO FOOL? WHAT APPEAL PANEL IS GOING TO FIND FOR A HUGE GROUP OF PARENTS AND ALLOW THE APPEALS WITHOUT FURTHER DEBATE WHEN THE SCHOOL IS ALREADY FULL AT 7Y?
WHAT IS GOING ON? ARE THE SCHOOL AND /OR THE LEA TRYING TO DISSUADE PARENTS FROM CARRYING ON WITH THEIR APPEALS? HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?
I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THERE ARE THREE REASONS FOR THE HUGE RAFT OF APPEALS:
1. BECAUSE THE CONSORTIUM OF LINCS GRAMMARS MEDDLED WITH THE EXAM CONTENT AT SHORT NOTICE THERE MAY BE MANY PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN WERE EXPECTED TO PASS BUT DID NOT AND THEREFORE THEY FIND MERIT IN APPEALING.
2.THE POPULARITY OF THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL IS ON THE RISE COMPARED TO OTHER LINCS GRAMMARS WHICH ARE SUFFERING FROM FALLING ROLES.
3.THE STATE ALTERNATIVES SURROUNDING THE SCHOOL ARE NOT CONSIDERED GOOD ALTERNATIVES BY PARENTS.

WHILST THE LEA HAVE STATED THAT THEY ARE WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO DO THIS, I FEEL THAT MANY PARENTS MAY BE PUT OFF BY HAVING TO APPEAR AT A MEETING WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND EFFECTIVELY HAVE IT KNOWN THAT THEY ARE APPEALING.MANY PEOPLE WHILST WILLING TO POST HERE ANONYMOUSLY WILL I KNOW BE UPSET AT HAVING TO DO THIS.

ANY THOUGHTS ETIENNE PLEASE?

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:33 am

Hello John,

It is quite normal, though not always the case, for the hearing to ascertain whether the school is full and if so, whether prejudice would be caused by admitting further pupil(s), to be heard for all the appellants together at the beginning of the appeals. It merely saves the panel having to hear that part of each appeal over and over again for each case. At the end of this part the panel will decide if the school is full - if not the school would have to then admit up to the number which makes it full - and if there is prejudice - if not the school must then admit up to the number where prejudice occurs . The "balance of prejudice" hearings still go ahead (assuming the school is proved full or prejudice is reached before all the appellants could be admitted).

It has the advantage for the appellants that they all get to use everyone else's arguments for that part (or I guess disadvantage for the appellant who thinks they may know something and have an argument nobody else has thought of!).

The bit about retiring to consider whether they need to hear the parents' cases is therefore not at all to say you will not get a chance to present your case - it is merely to say that if the LA do not prove the school is full, or if it is full, that prejudice would be caused by admitting further pupils, they would have to admit all the appellants (who passed). Sadly, this is not very likely at all! However, the panel could decide, for example that one or two children could be admitted without prejudice - but they will still go ahead with the rest of the hearings.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 05, 2007 11:42 am

many thanks once again for your wise words
john m

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Sat May 05, 2007 1:08 pm

This happened in our appeal and the school was criticised for 'growing' the Sixth Form and claiming to be full! The panel were also misled by the schools inaccurate data on the numbers in each year group ... I had the correct figures which showed the school was regularly over the admissions number rather than 'never' as they stated.

Although the school was 'full' two people won their appeal in the 'balancing' argument.

john m · Post by **john m** » Sat May 05, 2007 1:10 pm

thank you for that post.

Tired Mum · Post by **Tired Mum** » Sat May 05, 2007 1:46 pm

John M ,

Thank you for your post and, of course those that have replied. This forum provides such a wealth of information as I did not know that this sort of meeting happened elsewhere. A friend of mine is due to appeal and is told me that all the parents have been invited to a meeting the evening prior to the the start of the appeals to hear the school's case. My uninformed view was that this was outrageous. Now that I am a little more informed, thanks to your post and the replies, I can pass this information on to my friend.

I hope that your individual appeal hearing when it happens goes well for you and your child.

TM

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat May 05, 2007 2:26 pm

Should have made it clear that no decisions as to which children to admit can be made until all the appeals have been heard.

john m · Post by **john m** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:04 pm

Alex,
Are you aware of any appeals that have already taken place in the county? Any feedback at all?

john

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat May 05, 2007 3:45 pm

Only know about the ones which have been posted on here - see Louise's threads on this list, particularly "silliest questions.." about the appeals for King's, Grantham - not very reassuring. Also Doobie's thread on Lincs about the same appeals.

I would hope that the same sort of issues would not arise at appeals for Community and Controlled schools.

john m · Post by **john m** » Sat May 05, 2007 4:39 pm

Reading through all the various experiences that people go through, it would seem (worryingly so ) that the process is something of a lottery when it comes to the profile of panel members and their often bewildering decision making.