AGSB OOC Appeal - anyone else?

[TIDDLYMUM]

I'm glad its all over now and keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[ariadne]

Thank you!

[ToadMum]

Do you mean that there were four members of the panel altogether including the Chair, who is a member of the panel, or four plus the chair (i.e. five altogether)?

As decisions are made as a simple majority (if not unanimous, obviously), so to have four decision-makers would seem to be asking for trouble when it comes to making the actual decisions.

[ariadne]

Four including the chair. I hadn't thought about whether that would mean they tied. Perhaps the chair doesn't vote? Or maybe the chair's vote is worth one and a half to break the tie?

[Etienne]

Four including the chair. I hadn't thought about whether that would mean they tied. Perhaps the chair doesn't vote? Or maybe the chair's vote is worth one and a half to break the tie?

Very unusual to have 4 panel members, but it's possible.

The Code specifies what happens in the event of a tie.

2.23 Panels must ensure that appeals are decided by a simple majority of votes cast.
Where the votes are equally divided the panel chair has a second or casting vote.

[ToadMum]

Four including the chair. I hadn't thought about whether that would mean they tied. Perhaps the chair doesn't vote? Or maybe the chair's vote is worth one and a half to break the tie?

Very unusual to have 4 panel members, but it's possible.

The Code specifies what happens in the event of a tie.

2.23 Panels must ensure that appeals are decided by a simple majority of votes cast.
Where the votes are equally divided the panel chair has a second or casting vote.

But oh, so much simpler (and cheaper in terms of travel and subsistence reimbursement), just to have three in the first place .

[Etienne]

But oh, so much simpler (and cheaper in terms of travel and subsistence reimbursement), just to have three in the first place .

Which of course is why it's unusual to have more than three.

There's one advantage in having more than three members on the panel.

Three is the minimum, and no substitutions are permitted, so if one of the three panel members becomes incapacitated for an extended period after a multiple appeal has started, the proceedings become null and void, and all the appeals have to start again with a new panel.
The distress caused to parents who are required to go through their appeal again is enormous.
It's also an absolute nightmare for administrators who have to re-arrange perhaps 40 or more appeals at short notice.
Decisions are inevitably delayed, adding to the distress of all the parents.

With a panel of four, one panel member can drop out, and it's not a problem - the appeals can still carry on.

[ariadne]

Thanks for clarifying. Hopefully it'll be 4-0 in our favour anyway

[theojames1]

We appealed last week and not yet heard. Just wondered if anyone else has had response yet? I think it will be today ..

[ariadne]

No, despite camping out by the letterbox!

The chair was keen to point out that they had five working days to decide, starting with Friday 7th being their first day without any more appeals to hear. I make today Day Five so we're really on tenterhooks.

How did you feel it went? We felt that the school had nothing to say other than that he hadn't scored high enough for this year's cutoff, and the panel only asked why we hadn't applied for GSs at the other end of the borough (wrong side for us for travel) but we didn't have any persuasive extenuating circumstances.