Year 12 appeal

[lateSeptember1964]

My ds2 has been told today that his application for a sixth form place was not successful. The letter states that we have the right to appeal. Does anyone have experience of this?

I have two queries, firstly I cannot find an admissions policy for sixth form. Do you think it would be the same as the year 7 policy although it doesn't seem to fit as it refers to larger admission numbers and feeder schools. To be honest I never thought of sixth form admissions criteria when we applied because there was no mention of it in the prospectus. Secondly, the letter states that on the evidence they have received they cannot make an offer. Can I ask to see this evidence as I feel that unless I know what it is how can I appeal?

If We decide to appeal can I use the lack of published admission criteria as one of my points?

Apologies for the long post just looking for some advice as to whether it is worth going forward with an appeal. I have one very upset ds2 and it's the weekend so nothing doing until Monday!

Is your son already at this school or is he transferring from another school?

There must be published admission criteria for entry to the sixth form. If they accept transfers from other schools there must also be an admission number. There may also be minimum entry qualifications, typically based on GCSE results. I would ask the school for the admission criteria. If they don't exist at all that is a serious failing. It is also an issue if they exist but haven't been followed or don't comply with the Admissions Code.

The letter you have received is inadequate. It should state clearly why your son has not received a place. "On the evidence we have received" is not good enough. The school will need to make a much clearer statement than that in their case to the appeal.

You can certainly ask to see this evidence. Once you have lodged your appeal the LA or school (depending on whether or not the school is its own admission authority) must answer any reasonable questions you ask to help prepare your appeal.

Many thanks for the reply. My son would be transferring from another school. I have looked at the prospectus and website and there is no admissions criteria or numbers published. I am now hoping that I may have a strong appeal based on this. I will speak to head of year in the morning and ask to see the reference she sent. he is a quiet lad who joined his present school in year 9 and they have had nothing but praise for him. He is predicted B's, works hard and has already achieved a science and maths GCSE at C grade and is working hard to improve these. Personally I would like him to stay where he is but he has his heart set on moving because of the subjects on offer and I can understand that and want to support him.

I'm afraid the fact you haven't found the admissions criteria or admission number does not give you a case. What matters is that they exist and have been followed correctly. Even if they have not been published properly that is only the basis for a successful appeal if you can show that your son would have been admitted if they had been published. I think you would struggle to show that non-publication of the criteria has cost your son a place.

If they don't exist or have not been followed that would give you a case but how strong it was would still depend on whether you could show that their non-compliance cost your son a place. Equally, if the school has taken into account your son's attendance record, behaviour or comments about his attitudes or motivation that would give you a case - the Admissions Code specifically prohibits them from using these factors to determine entry.

The appeal panel is required to consider whether or not the authority has complied with the Admissions Code and its own admission arrangements. However, non-compliance only leads to a successful appeal if the panel concludes that your son would have been admitted if they had got it right. If the non-compliance made no difference to your son's chances it will not help your appeal.

If you feel able to identify the school I will see if I can find their criteria and, if I can, let you know where they are and if there is anything I can see in there that may help your case. If you don't want to identify the school publicly feel free to PM me.

As education post-16 is not compulsory, schools and 6th form colleges do not have a legal duty to accept students although their criteria for selection should be transparent. If your child has not got the necessary GCSE grades or a good behaviour record then they have no obligation to accept him. Some schools/colleges accept students who are borderline on a 'contract' which means they have to meet certain targets in their first term or under review or they will be asked to leave.

Some 6th forms are very selective and will require A or B grades in the subjects to be studied. If the 6th form is very popular it could just be that your sons grades are not good enough.

The school in question is Lincoln LSST (The Priory)We looked carefully at the grades required for the subjects he has chosen prior to the application and as his predicted grades matched we went ahead and made the application. One of the subjects does not require a GCSE although it is desirable. He is on target to meet a criteria of 5 A-C including maths and english although there is no evidence that this is the admission criteria. His behaviour is excellent although he can be a little quiet at times due to partial deafness. It will be a shame if students are turned down on predicted grades and not actual grades. Surely offers should be conditional on them achieving the grades.

It is common for 6th forms to more lenient with their own students/students from feeder schools and have more stringent requirements for other subjects. I know of 6th form colleges where twins have been separated and students have been turned down because they didn't get entirely A grades at GCSE. It does look as though that school is ideally looking for Bs and As in the subjects students intend to study for A Levels and I would think this is why he hasn't been accepted. However, the only way to be sure is to ask them. They may reconsider when he gets his grades. 6th forms in general may find it harder to recruit this year now that EMA is no more.

other studetns that should say.

The admission arrangements for their sixth form are here. The PAN is 30 in addition to children already at Priory wanting to stay on into sixth form. If there is oversubscription priority goes to children wanting to study the academy's specialist subjects. Ties are broken using the point score at GCSE. Any remaining ties are broken using distance from the school. You will find all of this at the foot of page 5 of this document. A little further on the document states that each academy will publish minimum entrance requirements based on GCSE grades or similar.

On this basis, my guess is that your son has lost out based on his predicted GSCE grades - either his predicted grades fail to meet the entrance requirements or they aren't as good as other candidates. However, the arrangements talk about actual grades rather than predicted grades. If it turns out that your son would have got in if actual grades had been used rather than predicted grades that may give you a case for appeal. Of course, you won't know that until his GCSE grades arrive. If the issue was that others had better predicted grades you will then need the school to confirm whether or not he would have got in if they had used actual grades.

Of course, if he has lost out for some other reason that would be a breach of the school's admission arrangements.

You could appeal straight away and explore this issue to see if they've got it wrong. If the appeal fails you would be able to appeal again in September, by which time you son's actual GCSE grades will be available.

Thank you so much for your help. I will phone in the morning and start the appeal process. He is coming round to the idea of staying where he is which I feel will be good for him and I know he will do well there. Sometimes things happen for a reason. However, that said I want to support him so we will appeal and I will keep you all updated.

Tbh 5 a-c isn't really enough for a levels. They are challeging and a lot of work and you really need 9 a-c to continue. This may be the issue.

He will have 10 A-C hopefully but I stated that I thought their minimum entry would be 5 A-C.

Probably 5 a- c for GNVG etc and 9 for A -levels. They are probably over subscribed and have chosen the best. It wouldn't hurt to ring up and ask though. I would do that before starting an official appeal.

Will this problem become more common once school leaving age is raised to 18? Many schools around here only go to 16, and I am still confused as to how things will work in practice. Will it become nearly impossible to transfer to a school based 6th form? Will schools with 6th forms be allowed to turn away their own students if they do not have good GCSEs?

In 2008 new legislation came in which stopped sixth forms which are attached to schools selecting by ability and interviewing. They can have a set of criteria without which you will not be accepted (have to be able to access the A level syllabus) but once you fulfill that criteria you are on the list and then will be ranked in order of closeness to the school. Their own students and siblings of existing students get priority as do children in care or statemented.
DS2 satisfied academic criteria etc and went to a 'meeting' (not interview they stressed) about his A level choices. All went perfectly and teacher who interviwed said if Ed Balls had not interfered there would be no problem with a place based on merit. A week later got a letter quoting the legislation/admissions criteris and saying 'your course choices were filled up with other applicants who live nearer the school'
Sixth form colleges do not come under the same rules. He has a place at one which is further away than the unsuccessful school. Once academic criteria is met they work on a first come first served basis.

Madsometimes - they already do turn away their own students if they don't have good enough GCSEs. No point doing A levels without at least Bs at GCSE generally.

Madsometimes - I think you raised a very good question. Has anyone come across information on what will happen to FE when the school leaving age is raised? Will schools \ colleges (or the LEA) then have a 'legal duty' to find places?

I have spoke to the school this morning. There were 120 applicants for the 30 additional students. They culled the list by basically only taking predicted A grade students and making them conditional offers. I feel quite resigned and Im not sure that it would be worth appealing as I suppose they have to admit by some criteria.

You could still appeal if there are solid reasons why Priory will be better for your son than his allocated school, but it would clearly be much less likely to succeed than would have been the case if they had made a mistake.