Group appeal hearing.... what happens?

[NotDoris]

I'm a little worried. I sent off our letters to appeal for a place at each of our 6 chosen schools (we were allocated one we hadn't chosen)
We've been sent letters with dates of the hearings, some have group and individual on the same morning, but 2 have them separately. The first group hearing is on Thursday, what will happen at this? Do we need to prepare our case, or is this hearing for the school to have their say?

It depends on how many people are appealing. For my DCs school they have had 25+ appeal before; the group was held one morning deciding, how many / if any extra the school could take. Then that afternoon and the next couple of days they heard the individual ones, if you were heard the same day as the group one was just the luck of the draw, and didn't affect results, although it did make things less convenient.

The group hearing will be where the school presents its case not to admit. You will get the chance to question the school's representative during this hearing. If you think a mistake has been made that has cost your child a place you must bring this up in the group hearing. Also if you want to weaken the school's case and try to show that they won't face too many problems if they have to take more pupils you must bring that up in the group hearing. But you won't need to present your case as to why your child needs a place at this school until the individual hearing.