Child writing letter for appeal

[Zingy123]

Someone has told me to get my child to write a letter for the appeal saying how this has made them feel. Is this a good idea or is it emotional blackmail as I have read elsewhere?

Thanks

My view is absolutely don't do it. You, the parent, are appealing, not your child. You need to concentrate on the educational reasons why you want your choice of school and look closely at whether the school regularly admits in excess of its admission number. What would your child say in addition to your reasons? Would your child's feelings be valid grounds for appeal anyway? All the other rejected children may well feel the same so you need to be clear about why the school you want meets the educational needs of your child. Others may disagree of course.

What age is the child? If this is an ICS appeal then it will carry no weight at all.

If it is year 3 or above, I still think it is a bad idea. You need proper evidence from HCPs or social workers if your DD's emotional well-being is a factor in school choice, and that evidence wil, need to state why the appealed for school is the only, or by far away the best, one to meet one particular needs and how your DD will be disadvantaged of they are not met.

Thanks it's for year 7. I didn't think it was a good idea but the person who told me has a relative who did this and they won.

(Sorry, ignore my first bit. For some reason I thought this was general Education, not Secondary).

I don't think it's a good idea. I think in the case you've heard

of it is very likely the appeal would have been won without the letter being written.

I can't think of any circumstances where a child's letter would make any difference - unless the parent is incapacitated for some reason and they are the carer. Sadly that does occasionally come up.

Generally I would say it is rather cruel to put that sort of responsibility onto a child; it would make no difference to the outcome and if the appeal fails the child may feel it is their fault.

From experience of having letters from children at secondary appeals, it makes no difference whatsoever. Even worse is when the child itself comes to appeal and tells the panel how much it deserves to go to the school.

I read elsewhere of people taking in a photo of their child to show the panel don't think we will do that or get them to attend on the day.

Thanks for advice

It is the parent who applies for a place, not the child.
I wouldn't let my child as I'd feel a bit pfb tbh. Not to think of what the admissions team might think.
On what grounds are you appealing?

As a panel member I do not believe that this kind of letter gives any weight to an appeal, they are saying exactly what has already been said.

As others have said it can be taken the wrong way, as emotional blackmail and it does not help the pupil to come to terms with the school they have been allocated,it just makes it more difficult to get buy in to the new school.

I've buggered things right up then. Not only have we declined the allocated school, but DD wrote to the appeal panel too. We only suggested she write because a friends DS had done the same and had win their appeal.
Shit.

Thanks Tiggytape.
The trouble is, its such an awful school that we really don't want it. It was ranked 5th worst in the country recently. If we have no other option, I'm certain there will still be places available there though.
DD doesn't seem at all phased by the whole appeals process, its us that are. Appealing for 6 different schools is quite a task!

It is certainly playing on my mind that she may end up with nothing out of the 6 we are appealing for. Our allocated catchment school is so awful though that they never fill all their spaces. I'd absolutely hate her to go there as, apart from anything else, the music department is pitiful and shes really into playing her guitar.