How many schools are you appealing for
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raceytracey
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm
- Location: chorleywood
How many schools are you appealing for
If you are unsuccessful in getting any of your choices of preferred school and you wish to go to appeal, would you be appealing for any of your three choices or just one of them?
Also if your child is offered a place at your third choice which you dont really want but just had to put a school down and this was the best of the worst that was left to choose from, can you still go down the appeal route for your first or second choice.
Sorry if question a bit garbled just so unsure of what schools to put down for Herts area.
Many thanks in advance
Also if your child is offered a place at your third choice which you dont really want but just had to put a school down and this was the best of the worst that was left to choose from, can you still go down the appeal route for your first or second choice.
Sorry if question a bit garbled just so unsure of what schools to put down for Herts area.
Many thanks in advance
appeals
Yes you can appeal to all the schools on your list - and also in Herts you can appeal for schools which you didn't originally put on your list.
If you find yourself in that situation - and I hope you don't - then put yourself on the continuing interest list for ANY school you would be prepared to accept, even if you didn't put them down on your CAF form.
So for example if you put Parmiters, Ricky and Clement Danes and didn't get any of those then you could put yourself on the list for Queens' and the score may place you near the top of the list, even if you didn't achieve a high enough score for the other 3.
Look carefully at the sticky on the Herts board to assess your chances...
Unfortunately you stand VERY little success of appeal success in Herts as many of us on this board discovered last year. For example only 1 appeal was upheld for Parmiters out of the 60 heard (this was due to a technical error). In other areas of the country I believe the succes rate is around 30%.
Some schools seem to have a lot more movement on the waiting list than others - from what I can gather there was virtually no movement on most lists last year but Clement Danes does normally have more than most. I think, unfortunately, it is quite common for children from the Mill End area to not get Clement Danes initially but they sometimes do in the next round of offers.
If you find yourself in that situation - and I hope you don't - then put yourself on the continuing interest list for ANY school you would be prepared to accept, even if you didn't put them down on your CAF form.
So for example if you put Parmiters, Ricky and Clement Danes and didn't get any of those then you could put yourself on the list for Queens' and the score may place you near the top of the list, even if you didn't achieve a high enough score for the other 3.
Look carefully at the sticky on the Herts board to assess your chances...
Unfortunately you stand VERY little success of appeal success in Herts as many of us on this board discovered last year. For example only 1 appeal was upheld for Parmiters out of the 60 heard (this was due to a technical error). In other areas of the country I believe the succes rate is around 30%.
Some schools seem to have a lot more movement on the waiting list than others - from what I can gather there was virtually no movement on most lists last year but Clement Danes does normally have more than most. I think, unfortunately, it is quite common for children from the Mill End area to not get Clement Danes initially but they sometimes do in the next round of offers.
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raceytracey
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm
- Location: chorleywood
Thanks for both your replies. Toony do you live near Ricklmansworth? This is where we live. We are not in Mill End but near the Ricky/Chorleywood border
I am going to put down Rickmansworth first, then Clement Danes but I am having great difficulty deciding on what to put for number three.
Probably Watford Girls although I think this is going to be a waste of choice as I dont think our daughter will get in there as I dont think her exam grade will be high enough
When you go to appeal which obviously I hope we dont have to, what reasons do you give for wanting your child to go to that particular school?
Our dd wants to study dance and drama which I know Ricky are big on.
Is that a valid enough reason for appealing?
Years ago I was told that when you applied for a school you were able to submit evidence as to what your child was interested in or excelled in.
Now though, at the initial stage of applying none of these schools know anything about these kids other than their exam grade or if they have a musical ability do they?
So in theory they could be turning away some child who could be the next Darcy Bussle or olympic ice skater for example.
Sorry for waffling on again. We only have one daughter and as this is the first time for us its so good to be able to contact other parents on this site who have been through it all before and who can advise us novices!
I am going to put down Rickmansworth first, then Clement Danes but I am having great difficulty deciding on what to put for number three.
Probably Watford Girls although I think this is going to be a waste of choice as I dont think our daughter will get in there as I dont think her exam grade will be high enough
When you go to appeal which obviously I hope we dont have to, what reasons do you give for wanting your child to go to that particular school?
Our dd wants to study dance and drama which I know Ricky are big on.
Is that a valid enough reason for appealing?
Years ago I was told that when you applied for a school you were able to submit evidence as to what your child was interested in or excelled in.
Now though, at the initial stage of applying none of these schools know anything about these kids other than their exam grade or if they have a musical ability do they?
So in theory they could be turning away some child who could be the next Darcy Bussle or olympic ice skater for example.
Sorry for waffling on again. We only have one daughter and as this is the first time for us its so good to be able to contact other parents on this site who have been through it all before and who can advise us novices!
How many schools are you appealing for
We lost our appeal earlier this year, although not in your area. As a parent you want to try as much as you can to secure your child in the school you feel will be right for them, the school you feel your child needs the most. Appeal is a very stressful procedure. Looking back I would do it again just because I had to try everything. It is a turmoil of emotions, excitement through to desolation even! I believed our daughter to be the next Rebecca Adlington (swimmer), the next Virginia Wade (tennis), and definately above average academically. But what you must remember is that YOU as parents are the most important inspiration, teacher, life coach for your child and if that school misses out on her then it will be their loss, not yours. Her gifts and talents will be safe if you continue to guide her.
You're right. Putting Watford Girls third would be a wasted choice. Your DD could score 100% in the test but then she would get Ricky. However, if she missed the "pass mark" for Ricky & CD in reality she would not have qualified for Watford Girls either - then you would be allocated one of the local sink schools.raceytracey wrote:.....Probably Watford Girls although I think this is going to be a waste of choice as I dont think our daughter will get in there as I dont think her exam grade will be high enough
As for an appeal, as Toony has said, you stand little chance of success in Herts. Just because your DD wants to study dance & drama will not be enough to persuade an appeal board to admit her.
I know it's hard to find a third choice. But at least you are weighing up the options sensibly!
appeals
You need to decide whether you want Watford Girls most of all - if you do, put it first or not at all.
Having a talent in something or the other will not win you an appeal in Herts. Being ill on the day of the test and being able to prove very high academic ability in another way will not win you appeal.
In my experience the only thing that will work is if Herts have made a mistake in applying the criteria. In one case last year they mistakenly offered a place under the sibling criteria, then withdrew it. The people won their appeal as it wasn't their fault that Herts had offered a place by mistake. The other successful appeal I heard of was a child with severe medical problems.
What I am trying to say is that you really don't stand a chance of winning appeals here. I wasted a lot of time and energy planning, writing and presenting my case. Given my time over again I would still do it. I had to be able to say I had tried everything for my children. However you do not want to find yourself in that situation. So choose carefully and if things do not work out then add yourself to continuing interest at every school you can.
I don't live in the Ricky area but met many parents who do at a meeting held after allocation day. They had been given Bushey Hall.
Have you considered Bushey Meads or Queens as choices?
Having a talent in something or the other will not win you an appeal in Herts. Being ill on the day of the test and being able to prove very high academic ability in another way will not win you appeal.
In my experience the only thing that will work is if Herts have made a mistake in applying the criteria. In one case last year they mistakenly offered a place under the sibling criteria, then withdrew it. The people won their appeal as it wasn't their fault that Herts had offered a place by mistake. The other successful appeal I heard of was a child with severe medical problems.
What I am trying to say is that you really don't stand a chance of winning appeals here. I wasted a lot of time and energy planning, writing and presenting my case. Given my time over again I would still do it. I had to be able to say I had tried everything for my children. However you do not want to find yourself in that situation. So choose carefully and if things do not work out then add yourself to continuing interest at every school you can.
I don't live in the Ricky area but met many parents who do at a meeting held after allocation day. They had been given Bushey Hall.
Have you considered Bushey Meads or Queens as choices?
Just to echo the comments made by Toony really. The only appeal I know for Parmiter's which was successful, was where a mistake was made after the audition for the music criteria. The parents were able to prove they had not been fairly considered and they were offered a place.
I do not know the details or the people concerned, in fact I only know about it at all because it is so incredibly rare for a parmiters appeal to succeed!
I do not know the details or the people concerned, in fact I only know about it at all because it is so incredibly rare for a parmiters appeal to succeed!
Just to echo what has already been said you need to appeal for your own peace of mind but don’t get your hopes up. We appealed and lost for what we believed (and still do) were good grounds.
Ricky is a Performing Arts college DS goes to theatre training and recently performed at a west end theatre, appeal rejected.
Watford Boys has a specialism in Languages’, Spanish is a second language in our house with my wife’s family coming from Spain, appeal rejected.
You can only appeal for schools you applied for.
Ricky is a Performing Arts college DS goes to theatre training and recently performed at a west end theatre, appeal rejected.
Watford Boys has a specialism in Languages’, Spanish is a second language in our house with my wife’s family coming from Spain, appeal rejected.
You can only appeal for schools you applied for.