Appeal Panel Bias (?)

[Pamela7814]

Hi there, I had an in-year appeal hearing last week that was rejected. I had a strong feeling after that it hadn't gone well as one of the appeal panel in particular was not at all empathetic to my case.
Fast forward and I now understand that this panel member (representing education) and the panel clerk are mother and daughter.
I'm quite surprised to realise this and feel that this presents a bias. I have taken a look online to see if I'm just taking this too emotionally but it seems that this is in fact seen to be a bias.
They didn't try to hide the surnames on the panel hearing list of members, I just hadn't made the connection - I just assumed an independent appeal panel meant that the panel were independent of each other.

Before I start a war I haven't got the strength to finish - can anyone offer me any advice on whether they think this is acceptable or 'ok' and if not who I should take it up with in the first instance.

Trying to take emotions out of it, I still believe this doesn't sound right to me. I appreciate that they would deliberate immediately after and not have time to confer together (without other members of the panel), but it still doesn't sit right with me.

Appreciate any advice I can get. This whole situation is taking all the life out of me and I feel like I can't even think straight so will gladly appreciate others thinking for me.

I'm not sure how it would be bias?

OK so they are related, but I expect most panel members at least know each other and have a 'working' relationship.

If the panel chair were related to the HT of the school you were appealing for that could be a different matter in my totally amateur opinion.

Surely the clerk is not there for anything other than admin and procedural advice. They are not part of the decision making process.

An Independent Appeal Panel is meant to be "Comprised of three independent members (usually a chair, a lay member, and an education expert) who have no connection to the school."
I think thing here is the "independent from the school". If both of them (and the other panel member) are independent from the school, then there is no vested interest for them as to whether your child gets in or not. They are there to interpret evidence and there is no reason that them being mum and daughter would make them interpret evidence the same or differently!

If it was a panel where one was representing the school. say the head who didn't want to have to take another child, or didn't want to have to take your child. Maybe the panel was discussing whether her school should be made to meet your child's SEND needs, and the other was her daughter who might have a vested interest in not making her mum have to take a complicated and effort requiring child, then 100% then would not be independent, but as far as I understand it, whether your child gets in or not affects neither of them!

I don’t really see how the relationship would bias them either way? The independence has to be from the school you are appealing for not each other.

Nothing inappropriate there.

If it was a panel where one was representing the school. say the head who didn't want to have to take another child, or didn't want to have to take your child.

The HT of the school being appealed for is absolutely not a member of the panel considering whether the appeal should be upheld or not. The school's presenting officer (may be the head, but commonly the assistant / deputy head with responsibility for admissions) puts the school’s case to the independent appeal panel. The parent puts their case to the independent appeal panel. Neither the presenting officer nor the parent is party to the panel's discussion as to whether the appeal should be upheld.

I am sorry you lost the appeal but clearly the panel didn’t think your case was strong enough.

The only thing that matters re independence is the relationship with the school. The chair normally says in their preamble that they have no connection with the school or admissions authority.

The ‘education’ panel member doesn’t really ‘represent’ education but knows about schools in the area, maybe as a governor or a parent at a local school.

When I was doing panels the clerk was there to advise on legal matters and didn’t give her opinion otherwise and handled all the admin. The panel made the decision not the clerk.

You should receive a letter saying why the panel made their decision.

Thank you everyone.

I'm glad I vented this here first before raising it as your responses all make sense.

Yes my case obviously wasn't strong enough, or I just messed up because I forgot half of what I wanted to say. I'll have to just accept that.😰