Appeal for grammar school for twins

[etyagi]

My twin girls passed the eleven plus exams but sad to see that twins have got different schools. Twin 1 got Nonsuch and twin 2 got Tunbridge grammar school. Though twin 2 also passed Nonsuch exams but did't get the place.
Till now they have been in the same school. I feel it might not be emotionally right for the development of twins to be separated at this age. Also both need to travel by train to reach their schools. As a parent it is less worrying if they travel together.
I would appreciate if some one can help in this situation. How to approach? Should we try to appeal Nonsuch for twin 2? Need to apply for that before waiting list would be declared. If we start an appeal process would it affect the waiting list outcome?
We are outside catchment area.
Do you guys think any similar situation came across in the past and does anyone know the outcome?
Very confused and worried!!
Would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks

[twindad]

I have some obvious things to say. First you decide which school you should prefer for your both children. Then appeal for that school. Which school comes in your catchment area?

[PurpleDog]

I don't think there is any reason why you can't appeal for both schools and also go on the waiting list for both.
Do you know how far off your twins were from entry at the other school?
If Nonsuch was your first choice for both twins, it's possible that the other twin might meet the criteria for TGS and go straight to the top of the waiting list.
TGS is a very good school and my DD is very happy there.
Most of the kids on the train won't be travelling with a sibling, so I wouldn't worry on that front. They will both make lots of friends.
It sounds as though both girls have got places at very good schools and the situation can only improve.

[ToadMum]

Of course you can appeal for a place at Nonsuch for a place for your second twin, if that is the school which you would prefer her to attend (presumably you put Nonsuch in first place on the CAF for both girls?). The appeal process and the waiting list are two separate things for the individual; start your appeal anyway - if your DD gets a place from the waiting list in the meantime, just withdraw from the appeal.

Unfortunately for you, where selective schools admitting purely on score are concerned, they cannot give preference to siblings; each applicant is updated completely as an individual. The only schools which can give preference to siblings are 'community' schools (so at one of your local comprehensive schools, if one of the twins qualified for a place, so would the other) and selective schools which treat all applicants who have achieved above a certain score as equal academically.

Would there be a possibility of making a late application / change of preference order, to try to get a place at Tonbridge for Twin 1? Did she also do well in the Kent test?

Alternatively, you could do the same / appeal for places for the local school at which you would have been guaranteed places?

[etyagi]

Thanks for your replies.
Twin 1 actually did good in Kent test as well and her marks were above cut off. But because Nonsuch was her first choice so she got that. On the other hand twin 2 did better in Kent than Nonsuch so got Tonbridge.
We are not in the catchment area of these schools.
Living in Surrey we always heard highly about Nonsuch. That made our girls to put it as their first choice. Twin 1 doesn't want to compromise by taking her 2nd choice (Tonbridge Grammar)
We don't know about Tonbridge Grammar school.
Finding hard to compare these schools. One has GCSE and other has IB system!
On the other hand, going to Nonsuch means they will need to change train but Tonbridge has a direct train.

[ToadMum]

Not sure what you mean by, 'We don't know about Tonbridge Grammar school'? Surely you visited the school before you decided to enter your DDs for the Kent test?

You can learn a little about TOGS by following the posts on 'mystery''s thread in the Kent section of the forum.

I wouldn't worry about whether the school does A levels or IB; Sixth form is a long way off. By that time, the one which does A levels may have changed to IB, and vice versa and it is quite normal for students to move school at that stage, anyway, in order to follow the course they want.