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Original poster

What counts as "exceptional compelliing social, medical or psychological" reasons for entry to a particular school?

31 replies

BicycleBelle · 18/10/2009 21:06

Like previous a poster, I am trying to get my daughter into an out of catchment 13-18 yr age group grammer school. My child has no statement, no special educational needs, and no sibling at the school. So the only available criteria is the one in the title above. What sort of thing comes under this category? She is gifted and very under stimulated at her current school, and being called a boffin and a swot. Would that count?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

OP posts:
zanzibarmum · 18/10/2009 22:51

Have a read of the school adjudicator and ombudsman reports to understand why I thought the advice was wrong and therefore unhelpful to OP.

Goblinchild · 18/10/2009 22:27

Why do you think Merle's advice isn't helpful?
OP didn't say generally bright and intelligent, she said gifted. If she means Government 10%, then fine.
If she means truly gifted in its proper sense, then that is something very different.

zanzibarmum · 18/10/2009 22:16

Merle you are taking the p..., aren't you? If not this is not helpful advice.

Kewcumber - what is the issue needing social workers intervention and are you in or out of the catchment area?

BicycleBelle - having a clever child is not grounds for admission on exception or psychological grounds. Nice try thought

Kewcumber · 18/10/2009 21:55

I'm hoping to get DS into the primary school of our choice (though likely in our case we would qualify under location anyway) but just in case we are making an "exceptional case" application for him. The school said they wouldn;t take any notice of it unless it was accompanied by doctors letter or similar professional - in our case social workers letter.

She said they take very seriously giving place to people out of catchment becasue it takes a place away from someone who is in the catchment area.

Sorry I don;t suppose thats very helpful.

Goblinchild · 18/10/2009 21:50

'Exceptional psychological' would probably need the backing of a counsellor or doctor's letter detailing the stress or depression created by her current environment.
There would have to be documented evidence of bullying that the school had failed to address, being called boffin and swot is unlikely to be
considered major enough, horrible though that is for your daughter.
Does she really want to go to this school?
Thinking of how she would present at any interview.

Merle · 18/10/2009 21:34

Have no experience of this but you could certainly put the teasing/bullying re. her being clever as an (exceptional?) psychological reason.

Is there any documentary evidence that her current school can provide re. the intellectual gulf between your daughter and her current cohort?

Likewise are there any documents about teasing/isolation/upset she has experienced in the past.

Do her current school say she is 'gifted'; as in G&T criteria or something else?

Do her current school think she is under-stimulated (probably not!)

These are my suggestions.