Secondary school appeals

[MotherofTwins2014]

I've tried to refrain from thinking about the upcoming appeals process to much however recently it's been all that I can think about. I have twin sons and one has received a place at out first choice secondary school and the other hasn't. We sent off our appeal 2 days after we received the decision after calling the school and the borough admissions. We attached supporting evidence from TAMBA about the possible stress and decline in academic achievement separating twins can cause. I was just wondering If there are any other mothers with twins that have won their appeal based on this. I'm also a single mum and I'm scared the twins being separated won't allow me to be as involved in their school life as I want to be. Is my case strong enough?

I was also wondering when it was normal to hear from the appeal board as to when the appeal hearing is. Thanks in advance.

[titchy]

How come only one got in? I thought multiples were admitted automatically as excepted pupils if only one gets in? The other must be at the top if the waiting list? Good luck.

[MotherofTwins2014]

Apparently the waiting list is constantly done by random lottery :( that's what I thought but since the school is an academy and they tested in two separate bands it's not possible. I was surprised because in the borough admissions brochure it says that if one twin is admitted they'll ask the school to admit the other one.
Thanks I think I might need it fingers crossed

[prh47bridge]

titchy - You are thinking of primary schools. Even there it is not automatic.

MotherofTwins2014 - I'm afraid I can pretty much guarantee that you won't win your appeal on this basis. The information from TAMBA is general and not specific to your sons. The fact that separating twins can cause these effects does not mean it will cause them for your sons. You need to have evidence from an expert who has examined your sons and is willing to say that the one on whose behalf you are appealing will suffer if he is not admitted to the same school as his twin. Alternatively you need to identify things this school offers that are missing from the offered school and which will be particularly relevant for your son.

[MotherofTwins2014]

I was under the impression that you shouldn't mention the school as it'll seem your appeal is simply due to preference :S if I had known I would've mentioned the rowing academy attached to the school. No other school in the area has a similar facility, could I build a case from this?

[titchy]

Thanks for clarification prh.

Your appeal SHOULD be about the school and what it offers your child that no other school can't! You shouldn't mention how rap the allocated school is true, but you have to demonstrate why the appeal school is the only one suitable. If your child is a keen rower, and you can demonstrate this, and no other school has this facility, that is exactly the sort of thing to mention.

[BleachedWhale]

Does the school not have a sibling policy? In which case, surely as soon as one child gets in the other shoots straight to the top of the waiting list as a sibling?

Fingers crossed for you, OP, that you get a place somehow.

[Martorana]

As an academy, it may very well not have a siblings policy.

You can appeal once every academic year, OP, so if you're not successful this year, you can appeal for entry into year 8. Cold comfort now.....

The important think in an appeal is to show that the school you are appealing for is right for your child,not that the school you have been allocated is wrong.

[prh47bridge]

Unless you think a mistake has been made and your son should have been admitted the appeal will be all about determining the balance of prejudice. To explain that in normal English, the school will be trying to show that they can't possibly be expected to cope with any more pupils - expect to see arguments about overcrowding in the corridors, difficulties coping with so many pupils at lunch time, shortages of equipment, etc. You will be trying to show that this is the best school for your son and that he will suffer in some way if he is not admitted. The appeal panel then has to decide whether the problems your son will face if not admitted outweigh the problems the school will face if he is.

Your appeal therefore should, as titchy says, be all about this school and why it is the right school for your son. The one thing to steer away from is being too negative about the allocated school. You can highlight things this school has got that are missing from the allocated school but try not to be overly negative about the allocated school. And keep well away from OFSTED ratings, league table positions and the like - they won't help your appeal.