Birmingham secondary school appeals

[Naynay2408]

Hello can anyone help. Why does Birmingham have a notoriously low success rate of secondary school appeal? Last year 2214 appeals were lodged, 1749 were heard and only 101 won. I'm pretty worried as I'm preparing to appeal but is there a historic culture going on? Does anyone have any experience of Birmingham appeals or can help? I would be grateful

It could be for very many reasons, but the most obvious is that the schools where there are appeals are filled to capacity. This means that the level of prejudice to the school is high and therefore only those that are the most deserving of cases actually get a place offered at appeal.

Maybe the admissions people do a really good job in fair allocation in the first place ?
So, although there is disappointment for a lot of people who might not have got their first choices, there hasn't actually been any mistake in the allocation procedure?

My guess is that we have a lot of not great schools and therefore a lot of people appealing trying to get into the better schools but all schools have limits and therefore the appeal fails

Exactly tiggytape - that's the point I'm making.

Parent applies to School A
Doesn't get a place as would be too far down the published criteria list
Parent still want child to go to school A and appeals but
Appeal not successful as there actually aren't any spare spaces at the school - everything was done properly so there are no grounds for an appeal, hence it isn't won. The school is still full of people with a stronger claim to the place (be that distance or points scored for the grammars, or whatever) than the child not offered a place in the first place.
So, the parents have no grounds to make the appeal.

Thank you tiggytape! That's what I thought, certainly what the admission code 2012 states! A lot were advising me that if you don't meet the critria you have no grounds for appeal.

Why does birmigham have a real low rate of 5.8% when the national average is 22%

Thank you very helpful information. If I am to get details of net capacity etc where do I start? What questions should I ask?

Thank you tiggytape you are soo helpful. Their is a lot of info I would love to ask you but I would prefer to do it via PM.