Late Grammar School offer: over the moon but stressed/flummoxed

[PermaShattered]

What a 3 days we've had - any insightful comments welcome. In short:

1. Our daughter was offered 3rd choice (her 11+ score was about 30 down on passmark);
2. 3rd school is outstanding but we appealed to 2nd choice school as was our preference;
3. Last Friday took calls from our local Ed admissions authority saying why appealed when have offer from grammar school?
4. Said we hadn't. She made further calls to other relevant admissions authority and came back and told us we definitely have an offer and it would be in post next day (Saturday just gone);
5. It duly arrived, and we posted our acceptance same day (they should have got it today) - verbal acceptance of place given by phone on Friday;
6. On Friday the Authority also withdrew both our place at 3rd choice school and our appeal to 2nd choice school;
7. Today i take a call from a friend whose daughter got substantially higher score than my DD - and she is 188 on waiting list;
8. I call our admissions auth to check they received our acceptance (they said still in posttray but will be dealt with this afternoon);
9. I query whether there could possibly an error and i'm told categorically 'no'. And if there was, we have a written offer, accepted it and they can't take it off our daughter;

10. Finally, my other DS is that grammar school.

I'm perplexed. What could be a possible explanation?

I would assume that only strengthens your case tbh but not an expert.

Good luck xx

My view is that it's irrelevant. The appeals code binds the following:

"4. This Code imposes mandatory requirements and includes guidelines setting out aims, objectives and other matters in relation to the discharge of functions by the bodies listed below:
a) admission authorities of maintained schools as defined in Section 88(1)(a) and (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;
b) governing bodies and local authorities (when not admission authorities);
c) admission appeal panels."

All of the mistake-making parties are included in that list. The LGO case regarding the Head Teacher making offers outside his remit (LGO99C01876), concluded that the LA had to cope with the fall out and couldn't rely on the argument that he acted out of authority and therefore they weren't bound by it.

It doesn't matter who made the mistake as long as it wasn't you. The facts are that you were offered a place and the offer was then withdrawn. The time between the offer being made and withdrawn was too long and therefore it should be reinstated.

But don't start talking to the appeal panel about promissory estoppel and detrimental reliance. It isn't a court of law!

prh noted!

I have just read my DD's impact statement and I have sobbed. The whole thing is having more an effect on her than I imagined :(

In another news, it transpires that there has been a catalogue of errors spanning 2 LAs, the first one dating back to 15th March. And in spite of numerous 'check's (including a query from a 3rd LA on a possible error - again rejected ie no error has been made), no error was uncovered until 5 days after the Offer date.

Oh poor littleperma. So unfair.

It is no consolation to LittlePerma but it is looking more and more likely that your Appeal will be successful (we are all here for you Perma...)...

Unbelievable that so many queries were made about the error but no-one checked it out properly.....

I'm not sure how much relevance this has to the later posts but deals with a few comments re the waiting list.

A number of years ago our grammar school - 125 a year, always only takes the top section of 11+ passes, took a pupil with a lower pass than those with higher grades. Selection is based solely on mark, siblings/distance only involved if mark is equal.

Another parent found out (through older children at school) and appealed. All 23 children with higher marks had to be admitted. The year now has 150 children in it. Not just the 1 child who didn't get the space.

Well if that's the case, let's hope that the other parents, whose DD's are above Perma's on the waiting list, don't find out otherwise the school concerned will have a very serious problem...

Let's hope there's no school gossip....

They obviously had capacity for 23 extra pupils. If they didn't, they would only take as many as they had capacity for.

In this case, they won't admit an extra 180 pupils.

Perma, it is what it is. A monumental error. But, crucially, not your error, and that's why you will win your appeal (that shouldn't even be happening because they should simply concede the place).

Please tell LittlePerma that a whole load of internet strangers are sending her virtual jammy dodgers. Or perhaps not....

I've just had a thought - Perma do you know if your DD's place is the only one offered in error - assuming, so but you never know....Maybe this would expain why they won't "simply concede the place" .......

that comma is in the wrong place but you know what I mean...

Hi all - tired thank you :) holiday that's REALLY interesting. I've no idea what the capacity of this school but there are more than 300 above my DD on the waiting list.

gazza - this was an isolated error: I've asked loads of questions of both LAs involved and it's clear there are a catalogue of errors, most of which involve possibilities of an error being raised - then rejected by one LA - then accepted days later. Basic checks were not carried out.

I wish they would concede the place. For those in the know, is it worth putting that to the relevant LA? Suggesting that as we have such a strong case would they consider speaking with the School to stop this going to appeal for my DD's sake? Just a thought. I'm not expecting such an easy solution but i can but dream!

gazza meant to add - one of my questions was whether my DD was the only one affected by the errors and they've confirmed that's the case.

Well at least that means the school isn't placed in a very difficult predicament with a potentially huge 2013 Year 7 to contend with....

Perma, I very much hope you get some response, soon, from Tiggytape, Admissons and prh47bridge. It would seem the sensible, if not honourable, thing for the school to do, given that it essentially seems like a "fait accompli" due to gross errors by the LEAs.

It would be so lovely for you and particularly for LittlePerma (although she might object to being so called!) to be able to just get excited about what is essentially an extraordinary "act of God" and just start planning for her future at the grammar school - I guess your eldest DD is having to tread very carefully at the moment but sure she must be very excited at the prospect of having her sister with her at the grammar school....

Hang on in there.....

tiggy I haven't asked. Yet. I guess it's because I don't want to appear too pushy/bolshey/presumptious..... My DD is a bit reticent (he always errs on the side of caution) but I think I will do so tomorrow.

I don't want to get on the wrong side of either LAs - I've already asked tons of questions via email and they're probably sick of seeing my name in their inbox now!

Sorry - DH is reticent!

Good luck with asking Perma....shy bairns get nowt... and it would be lovely to get the best outcome with the least stress which asking (and hopefully getting them to concede...) would afford you and your family...

I'm very relieved this evening. SATs are over. And I've sent off ALL my supporting documentation for the appeal :)

I'm happy with all that I've done to prepare, I'm grateful for all of you for your support/advice/thoughts etc - now I'm going to try to 'park' it for 2-3 weeks until the appeal. I am planning, though, on emailing the LA tomorrow to formally ask them to reinstate the place. They can only say no as tiggy says.

Good luck and we look forward to hearing your hopefully good news - and it would be fab if it's sooner rather than later, if your bid to get them to reinstate the place for DD2 works :-)

haven't read the whole thread (sorry - will do later) but am astounded that they are offering a place 30 marks off the pass. You'd be hard pushed to get into our local grammar school if you are any more than 5 or 6 marks off and even ten you have to be able to make a good case at appeal. I know one child who got in at 10 points under but could show consistent outstanding SATS results at the appeal, and another 17 under but some fairly obvious mitigating circumstances.

lilo, when you read the whole thread, you will see that it is an administration error, so your astonishment is well placed. It doesn't affect Perma though, because once offered and not retracted in time, the place is theirs regardless of the reasons for the error (misinformation from the applicant being the exception to that).

Perma, good idea. Keep breathing