Secondary school response to appeal

[Mum52016]

Hi

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has helped me.

I have been given a date for our appeal but am slightly confused. As far as I know, there are around 10 appeals taking place but from the details it appears that it's stage 2 of the appeal. From what I have read, I thought it would be stage 1 for school's case and stage 2 for individual cases. Is it usual for an academy school present its case individually to each appeal?

I have received the school's response to our appeal. They have detailed the admissions criteria and explained how the application was processed and what criteria DS was placed it etc and in two lines stated that it would prejudice the provision of efficient education or efficient use of resources. Is that their whole case?

I have emailed the school directly 4-5 times over the last 2 months with no response to the questions I have been asking regarding PAN and Year group numbers for the last few years. When I leave messages for callbacks, nothing.

The LA seem just as incompetent as they have not responded to a single email I have sent since around 2nd March and every time I call them, they can't answer any of my questions and promises for callback are non existent.

What would do I need to do now?

During your appeal, you alleged that the consultation of admissions criteria in December 2016 was not legal, but the Panel considered this to be irrelevant to the appeal

That gives you potential grounds for a referral to the ESFA on its own. The panel is required to consider whether the admission arrangements complied with the mandatory requirements of the Admissions Code. The consultation is a mandatory requirement. If there was no consultation the admission arrangements were non-compliant and the previous arrangements should have been used. If you would have got a place under the previous arrangements that is clearly relevant.

Also, if you were told you could make a late submission and the decision letter shows this was not passed on, that is further grounds for complaint.

This whole process has been an absolute farce from the offer day until now

I agree. The clerk to the appeal panel should know better than to allow some of the things that appear to have happened here. So, indeed, should the appeal panel.

Hi,

Could I just get your thoughts on this comment.

"The Panel considered a review of the 2016 consultation process beyond its scope."

The Admission Appeals Code requires the panel to consider whether the admission arrangements comply with the mandatory requirements of the Admissions Code. Since the Admissions Code includes a mandatory requirement to consult on changes to the arrangements, my view is that, if the issue is raised, the panel should check that there was a consultation. They don't need to review the consultation in its entirety but, if there was no consultation, that is significant. I am not confident the ESFA will agree with me on that point but I think, with other things that happened, you have enough to go to the ESFA and ask for another hearing with a fresh panel.