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Secondary education

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Original poster

Sixth form appeal

11 replies

lin12 · 15/09/2021 16:28

Hi, has anyone ever had or won a sixth form appeal, due to being one grade lower than the entry requirements, that could help me please?
DD missed out by her English mark. I know every child had a difficult time but she had to deal with a lot of family loss, anxiety and had panic attacks before the English assessments. Is there any point in appealing her place or should we just give up?
Thanks

OP posts:
Orangejuicemarathoner · 15/09/2021 16:32

Obviously ask again.

Being turned down in the first round means very little. By now lots of students who have accepted places will have changed their minds about subjects and schools.

Nothing to lose by asking.

I would advise being very polite, and succinct. There is no time to plough through pages and pages of excuses and self justification

What has she done since she was turned down, to help show her commitment?

And be prepared for the answer to still be no, if the offer was as low as the school is prepared to go, and not based on numbers already enrolled

Orangejuicemarathoner · 15/09/2021 16:33

I would also add, explain what she has done to overcome her anxiety, and to make sure she doesn't get panic attacks before A level assessments

Original poster
lin12 · 15/09/2021 17:02

Thank you for your quick reply. We did ask again, unfortunately they still said no and that we would need to go through an appeal.
The school is the school she attended so they know all about her anxiety and what she’s doing/done to try to overcome it. I have an email from her English teacher stating that ‘in theory, if she found a way to manage her anxiety, she could achieve the grade needed in a resit’ so the school know she can work at that level! Do you think that might help if we do appeal?

OP posts:
CoastalSwimmer · 15/09/2021 17:20

Appeals can be successful if you can prove underperformance. The big drawback with sixth form appeals is that the admissions authority has 40 days in which to arrange an appeal hearing after you have lodged the appeal. By this time the school is within its rights to say so much of the course has been missed that it would be impossible to catch up.

BluebellsGreenbells · 15/09/2021 17:22

in as she not applied to other 6th forms?

PascowV · 15/09/2021 17:41

How far out was her English?

Orangejuicemarathoner · 15/09/2021 17:55

@lin12

Thank you for your quick reply. We did ask again, unfortunately they still said no and that we would need to go through an appeal. The school is the school she attended so they know all about her anxiety and what she’s doing/done to try to overcome it. I have an email from her English teacher stating that ‘in theory, if she found a way to manage her anxiety, she could achieve the grade needed in a resit’ so the school know she can work at that level! Do you think that might help if we do appeal?
in theory, if she found a way to manage her anxiety, she could achieve the grade needed in a resit

well, that does not look promising, does it. It looks like they don't think she has done enough

Original poster
lin12 · 15/09/2021 19:29

1 grade out.

OP posts:
LIZS · 15/09/2021 21:11

As in one grade from a pass or 8/9? Language or literature? Is she not in school at the moment?

admission · 16/09/2021 09:32

The school has set a standard that they believe is necessary for any pupil to achieve at GCSE which would then lead to a positive experience in their "A" levels. Given that the school know that the pupil well they must have concerns that your daughter will not be able to cope. I am also sure that the school, given what has happened over the last two years would have been as open as possible to accepting her into the 6th form if for no other reason that it would have been more funding for the school.
Yes you can appeal but it will take at least a month to get it set up. Unless the school have admitted pupils to the 6th form who achieved the same or worse results at GCSE then the probability is that the panel will not see a strong reason to admit.
I think that as a priority you need to find an alternate school or sixth form college that will accept your daughter because the odds are against you winning at appeal unless you have a strong case.

lanthanum · 16/09/2021 11:22

If she hasn't got at least a 4, then her sixth form programme must include more English study (same rule applies for maths). That means it's not as easy as the school saying that they'll let her off the English requirement, as they would have to provide that teaching - just for her.

Some sixth form entry requirements might be bendable, but having a 4 in maths and English probably isn't, even if the school is sympathetic.

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