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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Do we take DS1 to appeal hearing?

9 replies

BlueChampagne · 05/04/2018 12:00

Just that really. DS1 got his second choice of secondary school and we now have our appeal date. Do we bust him out of school to help argue his case?

OP posts:
PatriciaHolm · 05/04/2018 12:25

No, please don't. (Speaking as an appeals panelist).

It won't help and could make him feel worse, hearing the arguments as to why the school is full and "won't take him" - that's not what is happening of course but it could easily feel personal to an 11 year old.

Fifthtimelucky · 05/04/2018 12:35

I have no experience of appeals, so I have no idea whether this is the done thing or not. What are the grounds on which you are appealing? What could a 10/11 yr old add to the arguments?

If there is something legitimate, then perhaps. Being a bit of a cynic, I would automatically assume that anyone who did this had a poor case, and had brought their child along so that the panel felt sorry for them - low level emotional blackmail.

I wouldn't do it. If you have a good case, you have a good case. If you don't, you don't. I would hope that an appeals panel would judge every case on its merits.

Original poster
BlueChampagne · 05/04/2018 12:55

Thank you both - that's rather what I felt. It will also make it easier!

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 05/04/2018 14:19

No. Don’t take a child. I used to work for an LA and we never saw a child on our appeal panels. Parents can get very agitated and the child’s point of view can be articulated by the parents. It’s not the child who is appealing. The best way forward is to be very clear why you want the school you are appealing for. Do not be rude about the school you don’t want. Be positive about the school you do want and research your facts to support your argument. A child saying the same thing is of no value.

MumofTwoandaDog · 05/04/2018 22:21

Just to reiterate what the other posters have said - no. We had an appeal last year and our experience was it definitely would not have been right for our child to be there.

Original poster
BlueChampagne · 06/04/2018 13:41

Thanks for the good advice. All on board!

OP posts:
admission · 06/04/2018 17:46

Even more of an issue is parents arriving at appeal with a photograph of their offspring and feeling the need to tell the panel that they need to understand that this is a human being that they are making a decision about.
Panel members know they have a difficult and at times unpleasant decision to make. Please do not do this, it is the quickest way to rub panel members up the wrong way.

PatriciaHolm · 06/04/2018 18:40

Ah yes. Or a handwritten plea for the child about why they desperately want this school.

We (panel) know the child are human, but have to follow the rules. We don't need appellants trying to play the heart strings!

Middleoftheroad · 06/04/2018 19:39

No. It's not fair to put them through that. If the appeal is unsuccessful they may think it's their fault, they may see you cry.

We did not burden our son by even telling him we were appealing, let alone bringing him along to be daunted by the experience.

Glad you're on board and good luck!

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