2nd school appeal ???? help

[jewelly69]

hi...could do with a bit of advice if anyone got any thanks ....i have my second appeal monday...for my son to go to secondry school..... the paperwork arrived today and they used my sppeal form for my first school appeal crossd out the name and put this school ??? obviously it states a diffrnt case as it a diffrnt school.... where do i stand with that ? will it make a diffrence ? thanks

[jewelly69]

thanks for yr reply.... i have phoned the appeal department today...and they said i will be able to tell my case verbally monday ...but i wasnt sure they wer allowd to do that but i was just told it dosnt matter it wont make a diffrnce ?? ??? this is my second prefernce school only because my first preference was a mistake ..its complicated ,,,,but true ......... thanks for yr advice..im a bag of nerves ..my son is terminally ill and i drive to the furthest point in my city evryday nevr being late ..past evryother school to put his needs first..i drive past this secondry school also on my way..... i just hope they see it for what it is.....

[prh47bridge]

I don't sit on appeal panels but if I did I would be annoyed with the LA over a slip up like this. The panel will have read all the papers before the hearing. If I had done that and then found I had wasted my time reading the wrong papers I would not be pleased.

If I were you I would introduce your case by saying that you appealed for more than one school and submitted a separate form for each school but the appeals service sent out the wrong appeal form. I would ask them to disregard the form that was sent out and give them copies of your case for this school.

I hope it goes well on Monday.

[jewelly69]

thanks again...i have already e maild leeters from his consultant..liason nurse and previous school which is their feeder school...i have also rang them as they gave 35 places to children of closest proximaty and that is no 7 of criteria and medicall sociall is 5,,,, i dnt excpect special treatment..my point is this aint what i want,,i would want him in a school next to my homei have 4 in walking distance,but because of his needs i drive him miles away,,which again i do not mind....its wrong to think they can make a mistake and it dosnt matter,,,but when we do,,its crucial !!!..thanks for making me feel at ease..im such a worrier....

[jewelly69]

sorry but does anybody know when they saysocial or medical grounds what exactly they are ? their criteria....anywer that shows what they class as compelling or qualify thankyou

[jewelly69]

thanks again, i never gave the evidence in my first form as believe it or not..y nickmane is dopey dora...its fair ti say im not the brightest spark..im honest,,decent...lovely person but i need a degree to read anything...its only now im reading my paperwork i can see my errors..i honestly thought prefernce meant school .and although i applied on medical grounds i never ticked the boxes and i made a complete mess on the forms,,but the facts are still the same and written on them all i just didnt tick prefernce.... if ther ever was a case of the parent messing it up..this is it..and very typical of me.... just hope they can see that ,..

[admission]

As a panel member I would be livid if I got appeal information for another school than the one you are applying for. If you submitted separate appeals as you should have done that is a case of maladministration by the LA. If you did very individual appeals for the two schools, seeing the information for the other school could seriously compromise your chances at the appeal
It will not get you a place as a direct result of this mistake, but I would do exactly what PRH says, ask the panel to disregard the papers and hand out new ones which are correct. I would also ask the panel chair to take up separately with the LA how such a mistake happened.
Then I would lay out your case for admission with a heavy emphasis on the fact you are doing this for the good of your child who is terminally ill and mistakes like this do nothing to make you have any faith in a system that is penalising your son in very difficult circumstances. You might as well use the mistake to your advantage as much as possible.

[jewelly69]

omg.!!! im so nervous...,, thankyou....im not one to make a fuss.. so i might make them aware. but thats it..they might think im trying to use it.. and as i didnt fill my form out right it might sound like i have no right to moan at them,,,,but i will make them aware.... thankyou so much....

[drivinmecrazy]

Good luck jewelly69 . Can't help with any advise having just been to my appeal hearing yesterday, but to reassure you my panel were lovely. Really put me at ease even when I made a complete mess of presenting my case (had it all written down but began spouting stuff in a completely random fashion ) The head man asked would it be easier if we asked you some questions to which I replied 'yes please!'. It just developed into a conversation.
Good luck and please don't beat yourself up. You know you are doing the best you can possibly do for your son and thats more than alot of parents manage X

[jewelly69]

thanks people....... i can see me doing exactly the same...lol.i have written it all down but i knw i will completly talk blubberish and make no sense......its easy at home .....do you think that this bein my second choice school will go against me also ?? i hope you are succesful. and agree we as parents are doing the best we can do.........bet you are relieved it is all over ......my mistake might have cost me dearly but i am what you see is what you get kind of person... im gna hold my hands up high...but the facts remain the same... and hope thats what matters ...many thanks evryone x

[prh47bridge]

I know you are nervous but please make a fuss about this mistake. The fact you made a mistake with your original application is irrelevant. The LA has sent out the wrong form. As Admission says, that is maladministration. I would lay it on thick.

[admission]

The panel will not be in the least bit concerned by the fact that this is your second preference. People change their mind for all sorts of reasons and all the panel is interested in is how good a case do you have for going to that school. Admit to a mistake, the panel is human as well and cannot but be impressed by the fact that you are trying to do the best for your son in very trying circumstances.

[jewelly69]

i have supplied letters from the hospital consultant his liason nurse and his present school which took my son in 2 years ago as i pulld him outof his last school as he was severly bullied in many forms and was withdrawn in himself to the fact i had to keep him home till this replacemnt school was found, and also he his terminally ill, very small and very shy and unconfident....in fairness this is the firat time my son has been happy,,had any kind of friends watsoever or any kind of goodness happen in his life..... im not going there to lie, or cheat ..in a perfect world i would want him in a school by me.our home.. there are plent,but becuse its his need before my wants i travel to the furthest junior school on the outskirts of my town to make sure he is in an enviroment he belongs ,and needs,,,, i think had i filld my forms in right he probly would have got a place ??? as it is also the feeder school and he is the only child from ther not going. but i cant turn back time, having said that they arnt to blame...im so grateful i have someone to talk to on here..its hard mentally. i havnt slept for 3 weeks .... and sometimes a chat with people who understand can make a big diffrnce in times like these :) xxx