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 ........

Just seen you last post- so has he never been to London? Or to the seaside? Seriously- has he never been further than 15 minutes away from home? Or on holiday? What on earth is going to happen to him when he gets older?

Tiggytape- have already dun all abilitybschools appeals - unsuccessful ! U are only allowed 1 appeal per school per accademic year , so unless lgo agree wiv my reasons 4 maladministration thats case closed till next year. Did provide gp letter stating cindition & unable to travel in vechiles without seve reaction & that in her opinion he should be allocated a school within walking distance .

Seeker- of course he has ..... But that is few and far between , and not 4 buses a day , 5 days a week. Slightly different wudnt u agree ?

Coconutty -Thanks for ur support .... My origional thread said "....help" so if u cant maybe u r reading the wrong threads ? Its not urself i need 2 b believed by !
Thanking all others 4 suggested solutions

Rubygates - thanks 4 suggestion may have 2 b that we private tutor 4 bit and then do reapplication in yr 8 but if no spaces wud have 2 appeal , dont thimk i cud do all this again :( my besties dd has just got a place @ cranbrook starting in september , its a gr8 skool

Seeker - if the grammar was 6 miles away , no he wudnt b able 2 get there. Think u r misunderstanding ..... Its not about grammar schools its about getting him in 2 any local school that he can walk 2 , it seems 2 have turned in2 a debate about my wanting a grammar place ? ANY LOCAL SCHOOL will do

Are there any other schools within walking distance of your home? Because it doesn't sound like you'll get any of those. Otherwise, is mov

Sorry, posted too soon...
Is moving an option?

And have you seen GP re travel sickness? Presumably there's drugs DS could try?

OK.

What form did the medical evidence to the appeal take? Was it a letter from a specialist, or just from a GP?

If it was a letter from a consultant, and pretty sternly worded, then you may have a case with the LGO. If it was a letter from a GP saying "mrs Swimmer tells me that Master Swimmer suffers from severe motion sickness" then I don't think you do.

Is there any other way of getting him there? A lift? 6 miles would take about 15 minutes. How long is each leg of the bus journey?

I think that 13+ entry is an excellent second chance! Escpecially for Dcs like your son who might need a bit of extra time to prove themselves.

Give it a go!

I don'tnthink there is 13+ in Kent.

Cranbrook has its own entrace exam at 13+. It mainly has an intake from prep schools, so starts at y8.

Being that severe re sickness then surely he is under a consultant and a letter from a consultant should have been given than from a gp.

A friend of mine, with DC in same year as one of my DCs, failed the 11+ due to illness and then was allocated a highschool, not a grammar, despite appeals and amazing SATs results. The child went to the highschool as there really was no other choice and then moved to the grammar school when a place became available in year 8.

People move, children change schools and places can become available.

Maybe this thread should also act as a warning - you and your kids are soo lucky to have the Kent test results BEFORE you need to choose your schools, my eldest DC had to guess whether they'd pass and choose schools accordingly, so choose wisely. If dcs haven't passed the Kent Test, perhaps tis a tad unrealistic/optamistic, especially knowing that all the schools are oversubscribed, to put down ALL Grammar schools as choices and no preferred highschools??

Good luck, my friend's patience won out in the end and her DC got their place.

Would home schooling be an option??

Cranbrook is too far away, esp if he suffers from travel sickness.

It's a been a while since I've dealt with 11+ in Kent, but are you saying there is a waiting list for the grammars or a waiting list for the comprehensives? And out of interest has the appeals process moved at all, in terms of timing to immediately after the 11+ places announced or is there still quite a gap?

Ah, okay so you know the 11+ scores in Kent and then you apply? Then that does just limit to a yr 8 re-application. In other areas there is potentially a loophole to be exploited if the grammar school place is awarded first.

There is movement in grammar schools - it's knowing there is a place to apply for.

But he could board at Cranbrook and would only need to travel at the beginning and end of term! Which is why I suggested it.

You can't appeal to a school you've not applied for. So you get the 11+ results, then apply. To the grammar you want to appeal to, then to the non- grammars you are most likely to get into. That's what the OP has done- but it sounds as if the panel didn't consider the medical grounds strong enough. which means either they aren't, so no hope, they are, but she didn't present them to the panel well enough- again no hope, or she did, but the panel ignored them. In which case, she might just have an ombusdman's case.

Rainbowinthesky - has seen consultant but maintenace carecwith gp tryimg several drugs & cognitive behhavioural therapy ,
Bp99- system has improved as my eldest was in the position of choosing schools without knowing 11+,result ! Did choose wisely as sats results indicated high acheiver so had 2 list grammars in order 2 appeal, however did list 2 all ability schools within walking distance never got in there either. Thanks

Doesnt seem you've had a choice at all at any stage including now.