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Secondary education

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Original poster

What happens after a school appeal?

13 replies

SausageDogFace · 21/05/2022 09:13

Can anyone with knowledge of the process tell me what happens after the hearing for a school appeal?

I am particularly interested in understanding at precisely which point decisions become "locked in".

Clearly on the day your appeal is either successful or not.

If the appeal is unsuccessful, then it is simple. There will be a letter telling you so within the prescribed time, and that is that (more or less; there is I think some arcane way of appealing the appeal, but let's set that aside).

But if the appeal is successful, what then? Does your child's school place automatically get swapped with no further input? Or does a guaranteed place appear at the new school, but since you still hold a place at the old school, you can change your mind? Or something else? Or does this even depend on Local Authority you are in?

I guess what I am asking is at what point does the opportunity evaporate for saying something like: "we are very sorry for wasting your time, but on reflection we do not want the place at the new school"?

OP posts:
axolotlfloof · 21/05/2022 09:16

The appeal will take up a lot of time for you, the school and the panel.
It's also pretty horrible hearing the school say why they don't want your child.
I wouldn't go through the appeal unless you are certain you want the place.
Our appeal was unsuccessful and upsetting so I can't answer your question fully.

Original poster
SausageDogFace · 21/05/2022 09:24

@axolotlfloof I think I understand your reaction, and I am sorry to evoke uncomfortable feelings. I was deliberately being circumspect above. There are good reasons - in a very fluid situation for our child involving input from professionals - which mean we cannot currently be 100% certain. But this might change, even over the next week or too. Hence the request for more information.

OP posts:
mamaism · 21/05/2022 09:24

It might depend on the LA, but around here, you would receive an offer of a place at the new school, and then it would be completely up to you whether to accept or decline it. You would have a set amount of time to decide. You'd be perfectly entitled to stick with your original offered school if you wanted.

mamaism · 21/05/2022 09:25

NB I think you get about 2 weeks to decide.

Decidinghisfate · 21/05/2022 09:31

In the LA I work for you cannot hold two offers. If your appeal was successful then your school place would be updated the same or following day as the hearing and your previous allocation would be gone. If you then changed your mind you would need to submit a new application with your rejected school as a higher preference.

mamaism · 21/05/2022 09:32

Interesting. So in your LA, out of interest, what would happen if you appealed for two schools and both were successful?

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 21/05/2022 14:15

I know several people who appealed for 2+ schools (non-qualification appeals, grammar area), won a couple, and were then able to decide which school to go with. In other words, they had more choice than if their dc had passed the 11+ in the first place. This is probably an unusual situation, and only really happens because our local grammars are not all full.

Decidinghisfate · 21/05/2022 15:49

mamaism · 21/05/2022 09:32

Interesting. So in your LA, out of interest, what would happen if you appealed for two schools and both were successful?

The lower preference would be discarded if both through the same LA.

ScootsMcHoy · 21/05/2022 16:27

We did a mid year appeal which was successful. The school phoned me that afternoon and dd started the next day. We had to go ten minutes early to buy a jumper from the office.

heliowotsit · 22/05/2022 07:26

In the LA I work for you cannot hold two offers

@Decidinghisfate Surely not? What about run of the mill waiting list offers? If someone has accepted an offer at their second preference school, but is later offered a place at their first preference school, are they not given a couple of weeks to decide whether to accept the new offer? Post-appeal offers should work the same way.

prh47bridge · 22/05/2022 14:00

heliowotsit · 22/05/2022 07:26

In the LA I work for you cannot hold two offers

@Decidinghisfate Surely not? What about run of the mill waiting list offers? If someone has accepted an offer at their second preference school, but is later offered a place at their first preference school, are they not given a couple of weeks to decide whether to accept the new offer? Post-appeal offers should work the same way.

Some LAs do withdraw the original offer immediately if they offer you a place at a higher preference. In my view this is a clear breach of the Admissions Code. Paragraph 2.13 is clear that an offer can only be withdrawn in specific circumstances. Getting an offer for a higher preference is not one of those circumstances. If, having been offered a place at a higher preference, parents decide to turn that down and are then told they can't have the original offer back as the place has been given to someone else, that should be an easy win at appeal.

It is, sadly, another case where some LAs prioritise administrative convenience over following the rules.

Decidinghisfate · 24/05/2022 08:38

Any local authority using certain databases will not be able to physically hold two offers. Once you've got that appeal decision the original offer is overridden. If it came to a test it would be interesting as quite a number of large LAs use it for both Transition and In Year. It does feel in some respects that admissions is driven by software rather than rhe software being led by Admissions Code. I've certainly encountered one LA telling families they can only make one In Year application each academic year because the system won't allow them to make a new application. They seem to struggle with changing preferences too.

prh47bridge · 24/05/2022 10:53

Decidinghisfate · 24/05/2022 08:38

Any local authority using certain databases will not be able to physically hold two offers. Once you've got that appeal decision the original offer is overridden. If it came to a test it would be interesting as quite a number of large LAs use it for both Transition and In Year. It does feel in some respects that admissions is driven by software rather than rhe software being led by Admissions Code. I've certainly encountered one LA telling families they can only make one In Year application each academic year because the system won't allow them to make a new application. They seem to struggle with changing preferences too.

That LA definitely needs to change its system. The Admissions Code is clear that parents can apply for any school at any time.

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