Secondary appeal

For the umpteenth time .... No, it is not sensible to show Ofsted reports, league tables or anything else that suggests that the allocated school is not as good academically as the school you're appealing for. As has already been said on this thread, disparaging the school you?ve been allocated will get you nowhere.

Appeals on the grounds of "my child is too clever for that school" or "that school is not good enough for my child" never succeed. The appeal has to demonstrate why your child needs to be at the preferred school. It might be possible to do that where a child is (say) gifted in music and one school has a music programme and the other doesn't, but a general preference for a higher-achieving school will never be enough. It goes without saying that most people would prefer a popular, high-achieving school for their child, but those schools' capacity is finite and no LEA (on first application) or appeal panel is going to say, in effect, that nobody need go to the less popular school and can have a place at the more popular one instead.

Just wondering if any panel members could advice: Is it sensible to show Ofsted report of allocated school with 2 sentences brief decription of school and league table results to just show how little does school offer for my child hence appealing with full evidence and abilities to preffered school.All ideas appreciated.

Thanks

I agree with PRH. The success rate for secondary school admission appeals nationally is something around 30%, but that does vary dramatically across the country.
I can't remember a case where we admitted on the basis of how c**p the other school was. Yes it is almost always implied by virtue of the fact you are appealing but not in such a direct way.

I understand your concern but it won't convince an appeal panel, I'm afraid.

Yes, appeals on the grounds that the preferred school is the one that suits your child work all the time. That is how most secondary school appeals are won.

As PRH says, a successful appeal would need to prove why your dd has different needs from all the other boys who are expected to start this school under these circumstances. "Only the best is good enough for my son" won't cut it with the panel; they have to consider the best outcome for all the children.

Besides, I really don't see why this should be a problem. My dd and her male friends were in precisely this position and there has never been any difficulty whatsoever, for either sex; the school coped fine. They had thought through the situation and made relevant changes- no reason why your school shouldn't have.

As for the sportiness being a problem- isn't that making rather sexist assumptions about girls' schools? Is there any evidence to suggest they don't understand sport? My experiences is that girls's schools tend to be very into sports: dd's school (which my ds now also attends) had excellent facilities and a good record of sports' clubs etc.

Agree with PRH, you need to concentrate on the school that you want and not the school that you do not want. Look for all the good things in the schools you want and how it will help you child.

Don't.

Your case needs to be about why the appeal school is the right one for your child, not why the allocated school is the wrong one. No matter how awful it is it doesn't give the panel a reason to admit to your preferred school.

And the fact it has no track record with boys doesn't help at all. If they are becoming mixed some boys have to be the first ones admitted and some girls have to be the first to find themselves mixing with boys. If the fact it hasn't worked with boys before was grounds for a successful appeal it would allow everyone admitted in September to appeal.