appeals

[Yvonne99]

why not all appeals lodged are heard? What does it mean? Parents do not appear/come to the hearing? Resign meantime or are already offered a place in that school? Any ideas? Thank you!

All appeals lodged are heard unless the parents withdraw the appeal or are offered a place at the school. Even if the parents choose not to attend the hearing the panel will still look at the papers and make a decision.

Does it mean that if I appeal they can give us a place without hearing? I assume it is possible only if someone will not take their place and my appeal will convince them we shall be at the top of waiting list- is that right?

No, your appeal will be heard, whether you're there or not. If successful you get a place. Appeal panels can not change your position on a waitlist. They either uphold your appeal an you're in, or they don't and you stay on the waiting llst. Success does not depend on a child leaving before you are admitted.

If you're at the top of the waitlist though and a child turns a place down then you're in As youre the next in line.

Thank you titchy. I got confused by what prh47bridge wrote - I need to put it right in my head. She said that some appeals are not heard if ( parents withdraw or a) child is offered a place. I thought appeals are sorted and then a waiting list prepared. And then children from the top of waiting list are offered a place. But must be wrong.
How quick is the waiting list prepared?
We got the results on Friday. Have to weeks to appeal/waiting list or accept the offer. When the waiting list be ready?

Waitlist will probably take two weeks or so, but your position on it could change daily (if someone moves into the area for instance or someone decides to turn down their place), so you might want to check your position fairly regularly.

The waiting list and the appeal process run in tandem but they are not the same and do not really on each other. So you can ask to go on the waiting list for the school but not appeal. The waiting list will be formed very shortly (typically 2 weeks) after the initial allocations when the LA can see how many acceptances and rejections they have had for a school.
There is a time limit for appeals to be heard which is 40 days after the date the appeal was supposed to be back to the LA by, which means that most appeals are after the waiting list is formed and in operation.

I am not sure if to apeal or not. It needs to be a class size prejudice appeal and surely we need a barristed to ( at least) write the letter. If we are high on that waiting list we may risk and wait. I need to give the school a call to check how far we missed by. Very stressful time. All responses much appreciated!

You can appeal and remain on the waiting list.
Do you have a specific reason for thinking that a barrister would need to write a letter for you?

We really do not know how to write a sucessful letter :(
So annoyed we did not get a place, it's our local catholic school, we are an active family in both local community and the parish. Do lots of volunteer work in local children's centre, I am in the parish financial committee. Surely will get recommendations from our church. So dissappointed they took it by distance:(

The criteria are:
4.1 Children in Care who are baptised Catholics.
4.2 Children who are baptised Catholics and who live in the parishes of X, Y, Z

They did not go below 4.2

We are in parish Y.

The letter said:
Allocation was made:
4.2 children who are baptised Catholics and live in parishes X, Y, Z. - 30 places.

So i assume we did not get a place by the distance.

I am not sure what to write in that letter of appeal....
I know we need to prove they made a mistake and they do not look at other factors. Another sleepless night!

Assuming they use distance as the tie breaker you need to find out the distance they used for you and the distance for the last child admitted. If the distance they have used for you looks wrong or the last child admitted lives further away than you it would suggest that a mistake has been made and you can use that as the basis for your appeal. If you don't have any evidence of a mistake you will need to hope that it is not an infant class size case and explain why your child will be disadvantaged if they are not admitted to this school.