LINCS APPEALS
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Disappointed Dad
LINCS APPEALS
We are looking forward with trepidation to the forthcoming appeals. Our child desperately wants to go to Grammar school and we were advised by his primary school to appeal his non-qualification.The local grammar is by reputation a brilliant place and places are much coveted.We are however really disappointed by their attitude towards appellants. We had a letter from the LEA last week telling us that the schools case for refusal would be held with all parents present because of the huge number of appeals this year and that the LEA and the Headteacher would need to appear to put forward the school's case. Imagine our surprise when we were told this week by a friend who works in the admin department at the school that the head attaches so little importance to this process that he is sending a member of his staff to answer questions from the appeals panel. What conclusions should I draw from this? I cannot obviously reveal the school but wonder about the lack of interest they have with regard to appellants.
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Guest
Are you sure that is really why the head is not going himself, if indeed he isn't?
Could it be that he thinks that it would be less embarrassing, going forward, for any successful appellants if he does not attend? After all, his role at the hearing would presumably be to OPPOSE the appeals not support them. I can't think that many kids would feel too confident starting at a school where the head had previously stood up and explained why he didn't want them there! Could make future relations with some parents a bit strained too.
I know nothing about this school ( or indeed Lincs) by the way. Just a thought...
Could it be that he thinks that it would be less embarrassing, going forward, for any successful appellants if he does not attend? After all, his role at the hearing would presumably be to OPPOSE the appeals not support them. I can't think that many kids would feel too confident starting at a school where the head had previously stood up and explained why he didn't want them there! Could make future relations with some parents a bit strained too.
I know nothing about this school ( or indeed Lincs) by the way. Just a thought...
Have a look at the thread in this Appeals Section started by john m about Bourne Grammar Appeals.
The initial hearing for all the appellants is only to determine whether the LA and school can prove their case that the school is full and that to admit any more children would cause "prejudice" ie. harm to pupils' education and wellbeing. Generally it is the Local Authority Representative who presents the case for this aspect - it is a question of the school's capacity, numbers and sizes of rooms, class organisation, toilet facilities etc, etc. It is quite possible that some member of the school staff other than the head would be equally well placed to accompany the LA rep. to answer any questions the LA Rep may need to check up on. Don't think you can really read anything about their general attitude into this.
The initial hearing for all the appellants is only to determine whether the LA and school can prove their case that the school is full and that to admit any more children would cause "prejudice" ie. harm to pupils' education and wellbeing. Generally it is the Local Authority Representative who presents the case for this aspect - it is a question of the school's capacity, numbers and sizes of rooms, class organisation, toilet facilities etc, etc. It is quite possible that some member of the school staff other than the head would be equally well placed to accompany the LA rep. to answer any questions the LA Rep may need to check up on. Don't think you can really read anything about their general attitude into this.
I agree with Alex. A school can send anyone it wishes to defend the case. It ought to be a reasonably senior member of staff, with sufficient knowledge of the school to be able to answer questions.
What might be of more significance is if the school sent nobody to a big group hearing, without any explanation ...........
What might be of more significance is if the school sent nobody to a big group hearing, without any explanation ...........
Etienne
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disappointed dad
just heard from my friend in the lea at lincoln.
the appeal hearings on tuesday for bourne grammar will not be attended by anyone from the school. the lea rep will be on their own -so any questioning of the school rep will not take place. the school will only attend the group meeting on monday evening.....
this just gets worse
the appeal hearings on tuesday for bourne grammar will not be attended by anyone from the school. the lea rep will be on their own -so any questioning of the school rep will not take place. the school will only attend the group meeting on monday evening.....
this just gets worse
At our appeals, the Clerk to the Governors represents the school. She comes in to each appeal with the parents, and leaves with them.
We ask each parent if they would like to hear the schools case, but point out that it the same as the written statement they received. Only 1 / 29 asked to hear it.
It's useful to have her there on occasions, so the parents, as well as us, can question her, and I seem to remember the head being called to one appeal to answer. But I think she gets very bored - not disinterested - from sitting & not being able to talk or comment.
Capers
We ask each parent if they would like to hear the schools case, but point out that it the same as the written statement they received. Only 1 / 29 asked to hear it.
It's useful to have her there on occasions, so the parents, as well as us, can question her, and I seem to remember the head being called to one appeal to answer. But I think she gets very bored - not disinterested - from sitting & not being able to talk or comment.
Capers
Capers
The hearings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be against non-qualification and/or balancing the prejudice to the school of taking another pupil(s) against the prejudice to the school which will presumably have been established on the Monday night.
There is not a great deal that a representative from the school can add in these sort of hearings. For the people who have passed the 11+ the LA/School's side of the prejudice argument has already been heard so they merely have to present their side; for the non-qualifiers the LA really is not going to say much more in most cases than to reiterate the fact that the child did not pass and what their score was. The only questions I can think of that the school would be able to answer better than the LA rep are those concerning the testing arrangements (as the school was responsible for these) and anything that happened during the tests themselves. If questions relevant to an appeal could not be answered by the LA rep I would imagine that the panel would be displeased (assuming that the questions might have been anticipated from the nature of the appellant's submissions before the appeal and not a "bolt from the blue" as it were.)
There is not a great deal that a representative from the school can add in these sort of hearings. For the people who have passed the 11+ the LA/School's side of the prejudice argument has already been heard so they merely have to present their side; for the non-qualifiers the LA really is not going to say much more in most cases than to reiterate the fact that the child did not pass and what their score was. The only questions I can think of that the school would be able to answer better than the LA rep are those concerning the testing arrangements (as the school was responsible for these) and anything that happened during the tests themselves. If questions relevant to an appeal could not be answered by the LA rep I would imagine that the panel would be displeased (assuming that the questions might have been anticipated from the nature of the appellant's submissions before the appeal and not a "bolt from the blue" as it were.)
