am i wasting my time?

[lch]

have just got pre appeal notes and am now wondering should i even go.my daughter failed her maths 11 plus totally uncharacteristic.head of grammar schools statement reads 328 applied 185 successful 155 places available all filled.he goes on classes set for 5x 31 pupils if classes pushed to 32 it would mean extra desk/chair/computer etc and for practical lesson health and safetydangers are exasperated. how can the appeal panel on reading this not be biased in the schools favour? what chance have i?

[capers123]

he goes on classes set for 5x 31 pupils if classes pushed to 32 it would mean extra desk/chair/computer etc and for practical lesson health and safetydangers are exasperated. how can the appeal panel on reading this not be biased in the schools favour? what chance have i?

They won't be biased in the schools favour. They will hear both sides. If your case for admitting your child is better than the schools case for not admitting, then you win.

On our panel we know that the LEA allocated 30 children per class, but that they can fit 32 per class. We've had parents insist that they could fit 33 per class, but once had a tour of the school (with some parents) and saw that some of the classrooms are just too small to fit in an extra child.

We do not necessarily allow enough appeals to make it up to 32 per class - the children must be of grammar school standard, so must have a good reason they didn't do well on the day of the exam. It's not fair on the children who did pass to have children who are less able holding the whole class back.

You might be able to question the 31 per class. Most classes have desks in pairs, so there may be 32 desks in each class - but proving that will not help you unless your case is strong.

Good luck

Capers[/u]

[Guest55]

Since all classrooms I have ever seen have desks in pairs I find it amazing that 31 is OK but 32 not!!

[cscistars]

I too felt like you when I got the appeal papers, school was already at admission number and I thought their case was stronger than ours. Remember to provide plenty of academic evidence (SATS & NFER scores), mitigating circumstances where possible, and then reasons why that school is most appropriate. You have to win on 2 grounds a) your child has the academic ability and b) that school is best for your child.

We found out Tuesday that we were succesful having convinced ourselves that we didn't have a hope. I found out since that the school letter was pretty standard

[Guest]

Hi,

I thought that too. The school I was appealing to had four pages saying how it was too full, health and saftely etc.

I still appealed, and my son has got in..

there is hope, if I can help at all you can pm me, I am Cindy, but just have not logged in.