Failed kent /gramar school appeal - no school for sept 2012 !!

[swimmer1971]

hi am desperately searching for any other parents in kent(or elsewhere) who's child has not been allocated one of their 4 preferred schools ?? My situation is that all of our 4 nearest schoold are heavily oversubscribed. We were allocated a dire school almost 6 miles away (which we had no alternative but to decline). My son sufferes from sever travel sickness so is unable to travel any great distance. My son sat the 11+ and fell short by 7 points in his maths. Listed grammars as they are our nearest local schools and my eldest son attends one of them, also the shortfall in maths was not indicitive of his normal standard, has just sat his L6 sats in maths ! Have been through the whole appeals process and FAILED , now taking it to local government ombudsman. Anybody out there with similar experience ? Please help ........

No experience but as an ex. resident of Kent I know that this is probably not an uncommon problem and how hard this must be for you. I hope someone comes along soon who can offer you practical support and help.

The first point to make is that the LGO does not act as a further appeal. They will only intervene if the appeals code has been breached. For example, they will step in if the panel failed to consider evidence it should have considered or considered evidence it should have ignored. So if the panel did not look at your evidence that your son underperformed the LGO may order a second appeal with a fresh panel. However, if the panel looked at that evidence and took the view that there was not enough to show that your son is of the required standard the LGO will not interfere unless there was something else wrong with the way the appeal was conducted and you were disadvantaged. So if your only reason for going to the LGO is that you disagree with the panel's decision you are unlikely to succeed, although it is always possible that the LGO will turn up evidence that there was a problem with the way your appeal was conducted.

The second point is that the LA has fulfilled its legal obligations by offering you a place. They are not required to come up with another offer. If they do offer another place it is likely to be at an unpopular school even further from home.

You need to come up with a plan B quickly, whether that is home educating or finding another school for your son. I suggest you contact Kent to find out which schools have places available and apply to any you consider acceptable.

I'm in Kent. We didn't fall in to ther catchment for either of the towns each side opf our village - so DS1 didn't get a grammar place.

I made sure he was on the waiting list for all of them and started preparing my appeals.

He was offered a place from the waiting list the day before I was due to go to the first appeal.

Which area of kent are you in? PM me

cat

Oh sorry - didn't see your DC hadn't passed the 11+

Sorry to sound harsh but I don't think you have much hope. Even kids who have passed can't get places

Should your post actually be - ' my son has failed his 11 plus and the only 4 schools that we wanted him to attend are Grammar , what is our alternative ?'

Have you put yourself on the waiting list for all the high schools you would consider?

Did you apply for any non-selectives, under medical and social needs re the travel sickness? Can you get GP evidence for the travel sickness case?

Sorry you are in this position - a downside of the Kent grammar system, but from the details oin your post it does sound as if you put all your eggs in the Grammar school basket?

Is your ds OK?

I hope something suitable becomes available.

Hi Blu have since put him on waiting lists but not very hopeful as current numbers at the schools are 90 and 30 !!! Yes had Gp evidence confirming medical issue. Listed grammars as really expected him to fly through based on previous academic levels. The hardest thing in the world to first of all sit him down and tell him he hadnt got any of his 4 schools then more recently about failed appeals. One broken little boy !! Thanks for your comments

Another example of the horrors of a grammar school system :(
Sorry for your DS
ODC

Can only offer sympathies, no practical advice.

The Grammar system is SO UNFAIR AND DIVISIVE!!!

Hi mollymole, only 2 of the schools we applied for were grammars the rest were all ability schools! Catinboots, I understand your comment, however difficult pill to swallow when for the sake of 7 points its going to stop him going to our "local" school with his elder brother !! Thanks

happygardening as you may know oversubscription in our local schools has been a problem for a long time, very frustrating when children from miles away get awarded a place in our local schools ! Should have been dealt with a long time ago, either give these great schools extra resourses to increase their PAN and then lets get these other poor performing schools up tyo scratch so there isnt such a scramble for available places. Thank you for your comments :)

There were a fair few who passed and did not get a grammar place last year in our primary. It is not that uncommon unfortunately, as as your ds did not get enough marks, I doubt you will be able to do much. Awful though it is, I would think you are at the back of a very very long queue for places.

Is 6 miles really that far for your ds?

Our nearest school is 8 miles away

We've just failed our appeal for dd to get into a grammar school though we're not in Kent. She passed her 11+ and missed out by .3 of a mile on a place.

She's going to have to slum it in the local comp.

What grounds are you using to take the case to the LGO? Do you think there has been maladministration

I know it's too late for you, but for the benefit of other people, NeVER TURN DOWN ThE SCHOOL YOU'VE BEEN ALLOCATED! If you do, the LEA has an obligation only to find you a school place, and it is going to be the only school left with places, Which could be any school, anywhere.

I am afraid that given the nature of the grammar school situation in Kent and elsewhere in the country, that it is no surprise to me that you were not offered a place and then did not get in on appeal.
The bottom line is that having failed to get the pass mark in maths, there would have to be really overwhelming evidence that he was of grammar school standard before any appeal panel would even consider offering him a place. Achieving a level 6 at the KS2 stats would be a reasonable starting point but as a panel member I would expect to see progression from say year 3 that they were consistently working well above the average level of attainment. Trouble is that you don't know how he performed in the KS2 tests and that makes me think that the actual level of performance over the last 3 years has probably not been of sufficiently high ability to convince the appeal panel.

Just because the OP's son sat the Level 6 SATS paper, it doesn't mean he is Level 6.

Swimmer I am sorry for what you - and your son - are going through but you all knew months ago that he hadn't passed (hate the F word!) the 11+ by 7 marks. You must have known that you wouldn't have a chance of getting in to the grammar schools? Why put them down? As a parent we need to manage our DCs expectations.

Is there any chance you can move house so he can attend a decent comprehensive and not have to travel far?

The problem is I don't think the LEA will consider a distance of 6 miles a problem. Where I live there isn't a single school in a 6 mile radius. Kids have to travel further than that for hte nearest one. Like someone else has said, the LEA did offer a place so aren't obliged to do anymore.

Swimmer - you either need to see if there is still a place at that school 6 miles away. Or home ed, or move nearer to a school that does have a space. If any other schools do have a space. Or look at private. Its crap and I do sympathise.

I really don't think the LGO will be able to help. Your child didn't pass and even if you have evidence that they had a bad day - well thats the unfairness of the 11plus system. The LGO will only take into account if the appeal panel didn't conduct the appeal properly. We have grounds to complain to the LGO as in our appeal they insisted on asking for dd's score which they're not meant to do. Then on finding out she only scraped a pass banged on and on about did I not think that dd would struggle in a grammar. It made me so mad as she passed, and her ability wasn't what we were there to discuss.

I'm not following the complaint up though, I feel we need to look forward not backwards now for DD's sake.

Very sad for your DS, it sounds vey brutal for him - I really hope you can get him a place in a school he can look forward to attending.
Where are his friends going, if not the grammar?

Admissons- I feel that I provide strong evidence that he was a high attainer in maths throughout his primary schooling 3A at KS1 and 5A in optional yr 5 sats. Also frustrating that his aggregate score was musch more than children who passed all 3 test with the bare minimum or via headteachers appeal !
Ballonslayer - it appears that you think I am an uresponsible parent for selecting the 2 grammars , but as you can appreciate as a parent we all want the best education for our children. Even with the glich in his maths result I kow that he is grammar school level that is why i had to list them on selection in order to do appeal. Thanks
Vivalebeaver - thanks for your comments i hopr your DD enjoys their new secondary school. I have my fingers and everything else crossed in the hope that the LGO find in my favour and grant a fresh appeal ! Yes 6 miles is impossible for him to comute on a dailey basis so the offered school was out of the question. Also their ofstead report read something like that of a young offenders institute !!!! Some scarey schools out there.

Tiggytape - have appealed the 2 all ability schools on my prefered list and failed also have put him on waiting lists at the next 2 nearest all ability schools - waiting lits are 90 and 30 with no expected movement :-(
Blu - it is the worst feeling in the world to have to tell him that he never got any of his 4 choices and then to tell him that we have lost at appeal ! Hes a good kid and knows that Im ready to go full 12 rounds in this battle "it aint over till the fat lady sings " !! Just in case tho off out to buy a lottery ticket then maybe we can look at independent schooling :-)

I'm startled that you didn't succeed on appeal to your nearest all-ability school if you have medical evidence that he can't travel 6 miles without being sick. Surely that's exactly the sort of thing that appeals tribunals find relevant.
Did the appeals tribunal say why they didn't accept your DS's case? I'd think you'd have a much better chance with the LGO for those schools than the grammars.

Dilysprice -Its all a bit hazy as to exactly what is deemed to be "social and medical factors" , in fact at appeal the school rep stated that they had admitted children with "REAL" medical issues !!!!! I challenged this and said that DS travel sickness is real enough to us it prevents us from going on day trips, holidays abroad visiting family etc !! Have submitted complaint to LGO for maladministration (however the way our luck is going this accademic year im not exactly hopeful ) !