Help with appeal please

[Elisheva]

Posting on behalf of a friend.
Her DD applied to a school which specialises in performing arts. As such it admits up to 36 students each year based on 'Aptitude for the performing arts'. It is an outstanding school in an area with several not so good schools so many out of catchment children apply for the aptitude places - over 200 this year.
They attend a one day workshop where all the students are assessed on their 'aptitude'.
My friend's DD is an avid performer, she goes to classes after school and on Saturday, spends her holidays either competing or performing and has done since she was small.
She has not got a place at the school. Apparently the decision is made solely based on the child's performance at the workshop. The children are all scored and those who achieve the required score are then ranked and offered places based on the schools normal entry criteria. Extra curricular activities/experience are not taken into consideration.
My friend and her DD are devastated. She feels it is unfair that children who have no real interest in performing arts are using this as a route to get into a better school. They were so excited when they found out about the school because
the whole ethos of the school is based around the performing arts, so there are a lot more clubs and extra curricular activities, plus they have a large range of related courses and qualifications.
They are appealing but do they have any chance of success?

But none of the SLT should, legally, have anything to do with deciding on appeals. All
Appeals have to be heard by a panel that is independent from the school. And that's not just best practise, or normal procedure, it's a legal requirement.

Does anyone else feel very uncomfortable with the emotional manipulation of a child to write such a letter?

That anyone would find the practice anything other than (for want of better word) icky and actually attaches any sort of weight to it, beggars belief.

no basis for appeal really and the ones that then stand out - if there is no basis for appeal, then a letter from the child involved, which has probably been dictated by the parent, absolutely should not be swaying anyone on the panel! There should be cases of schools "doing things differently" - it is either a process or not!

should NOT

There is always a member of slt there generally the head

That is a clear breach of the Appeals Code.

Paragraph 2.13 is clear that representatives of the school may not support individual appeals. It sounds like the head is indicating which children they want admitted. The Appeals Code clearly and unambiguously tells appeal panels they must not allow this to happen.

Paragraph 2.15 is clear that at no point should anyone representing the school be in the hearing with the panel unless the parents appealing are also present. Whilst that only covers the hearing, it should go without saying that when the appeal panel makes its decisions the only people present should be the members of the panel and the clerk. Neither the head nor any other member of the school leadership team has any business being there. Having them there jeopardises the independence of the appeal panel. The importance of the appeal panel being independent is emphasised several times in the Code. If parents involved in unsuccessful appeals find out that someone representing the school was present when the appeal panel was making its decision that would be grounds for having the decision overturned.

Yes, the school will be involved in the appeal. A representative of the school will present the case to refuse admission and answer questions from the parents. They are entitled to question the appellants after they have put their case. They will also sum up the case to refuse admission near the end of the hearing. That is the only involvement the school is allowed to have in the process.

This isn't a case of "doing things differently here". This is a case of blatant disregard for the Appeals Code. The Appeals Code is a statutory code so it has the force of law and can be enforced by the courts if necessary. If this isn't sorted and a parent finds out it could be very costly for the school. I strongly suggest you read the Code and make sure these abuses stop.

Just to be clear, I am not blaming you for this. I suspect from your responses that this was going on long before you joined the appeal panel and no-one has ever told you it is wrong. But it is wrong and it needs to stop.

Getting it fixed may not be easy if the school has managed to house train all the other panelists. But it must be fixed.

Feel free to PM me if you need any help or advice.