Second Appeal
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Second Appeal
On the 21st December last year I attended an in-year transfer appeal hearing for a place in year 7 in an over-subscribed school. The school was full - the prejudice to the school was greater...
I was unsuccessful and was advised to contact the school, should I want my child to remain on the waiting list. I did so in the first week of January and the staff member was sympathetic to the fact that the appeal was unsuccessful. She also added that although this had happened, my child had infact moved up on the waiting list, as the first child on it had been accepted. This was barely a school week after the hearing.
I understand that this is a little odd. I'm planning to appeal again next month. Should I bring this up at the hearing? If so, how should I do so and how would it help?
I was unsuccessful and was advised to contact the school, should I want my child to remain on the waiting list. I did so in the first week of January and the staff member was sympathetic to the fact that the appeal was unsuccessful. She also added that although this had happened, my child had infact moved up on the waiting list, as the first child on it had been accepted. This was barely a school week after the hearing.
I understand that this is a little odd. I'm planning to appeal again next month. Should I bring this up at the hearing? If so, how should I do so and how would it help?
I'm not sure if it is odd or not. From my limited knowledge I would have thought it was possible. The waiting list is operated according to the school admissions policy, the appeals are not. Schools keep themselves full up to the standard numbers by using the waiting list when places are freed up for some reason.
So while your appeal machinery was grinding, a place became free for some reason which the person at the top of the waiting was entitled to. You could still have got in as well if your appeal was successful.
So you moved up a place on the waiting list - but a few minutes later you could have moved down the list again if someone with greater rights to a place under the admissions policy had asked to be placed on the list.
So I'm not sure whether someone getting a place from the waiting list (as long as it was correctly administered according to the admission policy) is at all relevent whether it happened before, during, or after your appeal.
Good luck this time. I presume you are going to appeal for Year 8.
So while your appeal machinery was grinding, a place became free for some reason which the person at the top of the waiting was entitled to. You could still have got in as well if your appeal was successful.
So you moved up a place on the waiting list - but a few minutes later you could have moved down the list again if someone with greater rights to a place under the admissions policy had asked to be placed on the list.
So I'm not sure whether someone getting a place from the waiting list (as long as it was correctly administered according to the admission policy) is at all relevent whether it happened before, during, or after your appeal.
Good luck this time. I presume you are going to appeal for Year 8.
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dissapointed mum
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:05 pm
Dear Sam,
We appealed for a school place for our son last year for year 7 and were too unsuccessful. We had our appeal yesterday for year 8 after we too were on the waiting list and still hadnt got a place. The school had a very strong case as they are over subscribed and to admit more children would be prejudicial to the other children already there. However we won our appeal after putting forward a very strong case that it would be more prejudice towards our son should he not be given a place. We really investigated the admissions to the school over the past couple of years, and found that the school had infact gone over its numbers by 4 for the year above our son. This helped in the appeal. We also stated just how much our son needed to go to their school and no other, as they were the only school that could offer him what he needed ie spiritual guidance as its a Catholic School, and the general ethos of a Catholic school was what our son was used to having previously been to a Catholic school.Also the fact that the school had specialist status in Drama, as he excells in this field. If the school you are interested in has a specialist status, like sports or maths/science and your child excells in either of these areas, then use that aswell.
You need to look for everything possible that the school in question has that your son needs and cant get at any other school. If your child has had any bullying or anything like that at his present school is also worth mentioning.
It is possible to win, and I know how much stress worry and anguish you must be feeling. My thoughts are with you and I wish you the very best of luck.
Best wishes
DM
We appealed for a school place for our son last year for year 7 and were too unsuccessful. We had our appeal yesterday for year 8 after we too were on the waiting list and still hadnt got a place. The school had a very strong case as they are over subscribed and to admit more children would be prejudicial to the other children already there. However we won our appeal after putting forward a very strong case that it would be more prejudice towards our son should he not be given a place. We really investigated the admissions to the school over the past couple of years, and found that the school had infact gone over its numbers by 4 for the year above our son. This helped in the appeal. We also stated just how much our son needed to go to their school and no other, as they were the only school that could offer him what he needed ie spiritual guidance as its a Catholic School, and the general ethos of a Catholic school was what our son was used to having previously been to a Catholic school.Also the fact that the school had specialist status in Drama, as he excells in this field. If the school you are interested in has a specialist status, like sports or maths/science and your child excells in either of these areas, then use that aswell.
You need to look for everything possible that the school in question has that your son needs and cant get at any other school. If your child has had any bullying or anything like that at his present school is also worth mentioning.
It is possible to win, and I know how much stress worry and anguish you must be feeling. My thoughts are with you and I wish you the very best of luck.
Best wishes
DM
Disappointed Mum and Perplexed
Thanks for your replies and congratulations Disappointed Mum Here is a link to a previous thread I started earlier this year
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... sc&start=0
I seem to be in a similar position re admission number. I have documents that show the admission numbers for four year groups increased from 2006 to 2007 whilst PAN remained constant. I rang the appeals department - they seem to indicate no in-year transfer appeals were successful during that time.
May I ask how you used your info re admissions numbers and what questions were asked by the panel? Do you think your new information regarding admissions number swung the appeal in your favour?
Thanks for your replies and congratulations Disappointed Mum Here is a link to a previous thread I started earlier this year
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... sc&start=0
I seem to be in a similar position re admission number. I have documents that show the admission numbers for four year groups increased from 2006 to 2007 whilst PAN remained constant. I rang the appeals department - they seem to indicate no in-year transfer appeals were successful during that time.
May I ask how you used your info re admissions numbers and what questions were asked by the panel? Do you think your new information regarding admissions number swung the appeal in your favour?
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dissapointed mum
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:05 pm
Hi Sam,
The school in questions admission number is 240 for all year groups. We applied and appealed for year 7, and did not get in but one child on appeal did, which took the number to 241.Then earlier this year another child got admitted on a in year transfer appeal, taking the numbers to 242. A child then left a month later, dropping the number to 241 again. This we pointed out that the school had catered for and was going to cater for 242 kids in year 8 and shouldnt affect the children shoud it go back to 242. Also for year 9 there are 243 children so this proved that they could cater for an extra child. Have a look at all the admission numbers for all year groups, you should recieve that info in your appeal pack which they send you about 10 days before your appeal date.
We were asked questions like why is this the only school for your son?
Have you looked at other schools, and why are they not suitable? They had a list of all the other schools and went through each one as to why we cant send him to any of the schools.
How far will we go to get our child into our desired school (I found that one a strange question)
What is our next course of action if we dont succeed at this appeal?
What have we done about the incidents happening to him at his current school?
You really have to be so passionate about the reason why the school you are appealing for is the only school for your child.
2 of the panel members on the appeal were the same as the last appeal we had, so maybe this swung in our favour as they realised just how much it meant to our son and us for him to go to the school, and that his needs far outweighed the schools.
We found out too that there were 23 children on the waiting list, and we were the only ones appealing for a place for the next acedmic year. We pointed this out, as we felt that it showed just how much he needed to go to the school, than to just sit on a waiting list moving up and down on it, hoping he may get a place.
What type of school are you appealing for? Sorry I havent read your other thread yet, so that info maybe in there. Will look!
If you have any further questions about our appeal, and if things come back to me from what was asked and what the Head teacher said, Ill PM you or just add to this thread.
DM
The school in questions admission number is 240 for all year groups. We applied and appealed for year 7, and did not get in but one child on appeal did, which took the number to 241.Then earlier this year another child got admitted on a in year transfer appeal, taking the numbers to 242. A child then left a month later, dropping the number to 241 again. This we pointed out that the school had catered for and was going to cater for 242 kids in year 8 and shouldnt affect the children shoud it go back to 242. Also for year 9 there are 243 children so this proved that they could cater for an extra child. Have a look at all the admission numbers for all year groups, you should recieve that info in your appeal pack which they send you about 10 days before your appeal date.
We were asked questions like why is this the only school for your son?
Have you looked at other schools, and why are they not suitable? They had a list of all the other schools and went through each one as to why we cant send him to any of the schools.
How far will we go to get our child into our desired school (I found that one a strange question)
What is our next course of action if we dont succeed at this appeal?
What have we done about the incidents happening to him at his current school?
You really have to be so passionate about the reason why the school you are appealing for is the only school for your child.
2 of the panel members on the appeal were the same as the last appeal we had, so maybe this swung in our favour as they realised just how much it meant to our son and us for him to go to the school, and that his needs far outweighed the schools.
We found out too that there were 23 children on the waiting list, and we were the only ones appealing for a place for the next acedmic year. We pointed this out, as we felt that it showed just how much he needed to go to the school, than to just sit on a waiting list moving up and down on it, hoping he may get a place.
What type of school are you appealing for? Sorry I havent read your other thread yet, so that info maybe in there. Will look!
If you have any further questions about our appeal, and if things come back to me from what was asked and what the Head teacher said, Ill PM you or just add to this thread.
DM
Appeal panels are all too familiar with the argument that the school has managed higher numbers in the past.
[quote]Q&As C8. At the hearing can I argue that the school took 5 over PAN two years ago?
You can – but I assume this was as the result of successful appeals, in which case the school will simply point out “We had no choice in the matterâ€
[quote]Q&As C8. At the hearing can I argue that the school took 5 over PAN two years ago?
You can – but I assume this was as the result of successful appeals, in which case the school will simply point out “We had no choice in the matterâ€
Etienne
