Secondary School Application Appeals

[shan]

Weve just learned this week that our oldest daughter has not been offered places at our two prefered secondary schools - has anyone any advise on the appeals procedure? Our catchment school is not a scratch on the other two and she deserves to go to a good school as she's quite bright and tries so hard. Ive heard that the appeals committee can be quite intimidating.

Shan - if you search the archives there is quite a lot about this there (sorry, can't do links), as far as I can remember from the discussion the process is very, very difficult & stressful.

I think it's not so much that the process and the admission appeals that are stressful it's the whole subject of secondary transfer that is stressful, if you see what I mean. The appeals can often be heard quite late on in the summer term, by which time a fair bit of stress has built up about not knowing which school DS/DD is going to in September when all his/her friends know.

The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE), www.ace-ed.org.uk is an independent advice centre which gives advice to parents on a range of issues including appeals. They publish a leaflet explaining the process and giving tips for making your case. Their advice line telephone number is 0808 800 5793. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

A slightly different view for you.

I teach in a secondary school which is considered in the local area to be not-such-a-good school. I have heard of parents in tears at learning that their child has been turned down at appeal for a place at one of the better regarded local schools.

However, I firmly believe that a child who is bright and able to succeed will succeed. The teaching staff at my school are no less qualified, no less dedicated nor less able than my colleagues at the other local schools. In fact, if a child is particulaly able they are possibly more likely to do well as they will shine, and staff will be very keen to ensure that pupil achieves their potential.

What is your child is less bright.

My daughter is not 'academic' at all, she is a good reader, likes art and design and is lousy at maths.

We have an improving school which was not one of my choices and she has been put down for that one, it is awkward to get to and large and intimidating. I know children who have gone there and you need to be either v. bright or misbehave to be noticed (not the teachers fault just size of school and the amount of more disruptive pupils). She is quiet, young for her age and I am afraid will disappear!!

I picked the two closest schools and the two single sex schools (she has a tendency to get bullied by boys generally and is v. girly so I thought she should prosper better in an all girls school!).

Your comment is the child needs to be bright to succeed in a less successful school - any ideas -is this enough basis for an appeal?

Basically, if you do go before the appeals committee you need to explain not why your child deserves the school (as far as they are concerned everybody deserves the best that can be given to them), but why your child needs the school in a way that other children who are turned away do not.

Dear Cory

Thanks that, I managed to speak to ACE yesterday and they said the same thing. I must show that the school I picked is right for her and why she would prosper there and not at another school.

It is quite right that my first choice was not only the nearest but also it is a 'Design and Build' school and the only one in the area to offer Fashion Design and Japanese as enrichment subjects - both things she is interested in and has a natural
talent for. As her teachers said, she needs something she can shine at, otherwise she will not succeed in the school environment due to her quite disposition (this is virtually her teachers comment!).

Again thanks and good luck to all those in the same or simliar boat as ourselves.