Grammar school appeal

[AlexiaR]

I wonder if i could ask for some advice/inspiration on how to write my child's grammar school appeal? They missed out form originally passing the kent test, by a few points. I have tried to evidence everything, in terms of presenting objective facts, to demonstrate their ability and suitability, but I am at bit of a loss as to how to put accross, effectively, how going to the grammar school would be of greater benefit to their all round education, and their future prospects, and in turn how they personally they would be of benefit to the school, by them going there? My mind has just become muddled, at this point and I don't know how to put these points accross clearly and succinctly without coming accross as over the top. Could I anyone possible provide a few examples, please?

Many thanks in advance.

You may find it unlikely but, as others have said, that is what happens. That is why, assuming there haven't been any mistakes, an appeal is about the balance of prejudice - whether the disadvantage to the child from not being admitted outweighs any problems the school will face from having to cope with an additional pupil.

The Admissions Code does not allow places to be taken away from other pupils following successful appeals, and I'm not sure how you think the pupil who loses their place would be chosen.

If an appeal is successful, the child concerned is admitted as well as those who already have a place. No-one loses a place. However, no-one will be admitted from the waiting list until the school is back down to PAN.

Yes. If the school argues that it doesn't have enough equipment in some lessons, the appeal panel will consider that. How much weight they will give it depends on the evidence.

Many thanks- will look into it.

In total, they passed the minimum mark, but didn’t get the minimum required, in one of the subjects, by a couple of marks.

Yes, she achieved the over all pass mark but fell short, by a couple of points, on one section. We are talking in Kent and I understand grammar schools, around here tend, to be over subscribed.

"cope"

o sure, we can "cope"

As I have explained, we "cope" by disadvantaging the entire class every lesson of every day of their school career, and adding hugely to the teacher workload.

I have taught in poorer countries where we "coped" by tying chairs together in tows, and putting 3 children on each pair of chairs

"coping" means delivering a poorer education to the detriment of everybody

no weight, the people sitting on the panel are not the people standing up in front of the class, of course they are not

No they aren't, but that doesn't mean they don't give such arguments any weight.

maybe you are right, maybe it could be even worse! Maybe they do think about it a little bit.

I have worked in a school with an extraordinarily high rate of appeals, especially after the normal point of entry (patents moving into catchment for the ‘next stage’ school). Overcrowding - of classrooms and communal areas - is the absolute core of the school’s argument not to admit, and has been very successful over many years. Yes, all classes were above 30, always, but there was an ‘absolute hard boundary’ at a couple of extra children per class.

Historically, the school had coped well with classes with just those extra 1 or 2, so appeals for those 1 or 2 were generally successful (or at least, from the 5 - 8 appeals, 1 or 2 were admitted).

Appeals that took classes over that level were almost never successful, because the overcrowding / lack of equipment detriment to the school was so great that it outweighed almost every detriment to the child.

She got the overall pass mark, but fell short by a couple of points, in one section.

Yes, I really do believe she is grammar school material. She is naturally academic and received zero tuition. This is in comparison to many of her peers, who got a just few more points than her and passed, but having been incessantly tutored for many years before hand. And that’s fine - and obviously I would never say that at the appeal itself, but people do what they need to do. However, it made me realise that she is more than capable at doing really, of off her own abilities, and that we have nothing to lose in appealing.

OP not all grammar schools in Kent are oversubscribed - some have numerous spare places who get filled by children just like your child who just missed out on a pass . Some places like Dartford and Tonbridge tend to be but nearby places like Maidstone often have places to be had at appeal at sone school depending on their popularity at the time - numerous if children in your child's position travel in that circumstance. There is a similar situation in East Kent as advised by a PP. Your appeal is much more likely to be successful if you appeal to a school that has places because you 'only' have to prove that your child is suitable for grammar. Hopefully you were given this advice by your child's school in October before the applications deadline but it might not be too late to put in a late application and subsequent appeal to a school that likely has places. There used to be a great website which indicated which school often had places/your chance of success at appeal called kentadvice.co.uk. It recently shut but you maybe able to access the information you need on Wayback Machine. Alternatively, if you give more of an indication on here of your general area (or even better schools) people may be able to give you more appropriate advice.

Can I just say that prh47bridge and patriciaholm are both experts on school admissions, so whether or not you approve of appeals, what they say is what the procedure will be in the appeal room

Quite. And anyone who wants to know more about the appeals process in England can find the latest admissions appeal code online. Panel members have to attend training which covers (amongst other things) the weighing-up of the cases for admitting and not-admitting.

The worst out come is that your child is accepted and struggles at the bottom of the class, far better to be top of the class at a comprehensive. Grammar school is tough the work load is high, accept the decision and make the most of the alternative school, either way it’s up to the parents to make sure the child has the best environment to do well.

@Crazykatie if there are grammar schools then the non-grammars aren't comprehensives, they are secondary moderns (no matter what they call themselves)
Which is why parents are all in favour of grammar schools until their dc fails to get in

In fully grammar areas such as most of Kent and Buckinghamshire, yes (and I appreciate this is where the OP is so is the case here), but in a lot of areas there are only a few super selective grammars, so the non selective schools are still classed as comprehensive.

I agree with others its really important to appeal for one of the schools which more often allows appeals because they have spaces. Have no idea where you are? sounds like you may be just outside Kent as you perhaps missed out on opportunity to have a headteacher appeal? In this area the schools which more often allow grammar appeals are Dover boys grammar, Barton Court, just in case that is helpful.

I think it will depend on where you live. In some areas of the authority over one third pass and in more disadvantaged areas less than 20% may pass. Also, if you are closer to London or the county border that will have an impact.

Where OP lives won't make any difference for an appeal.

@prh47bridge, I never expected to disagree with you on an appeals post. I’ve read your advice to many people.

But I am going to disagree here. The undersubscribed grammar schools in my neck of the woods (East Kent) rely on non-qual appeals to put bums on seats. This doesn’t go down very well with the local high schools, unsurprisingly.

If your dc is reasonably academic (high expected, but not necessarily greater depth) in some parts of Kent there is a very good chance an appeal will be successful.

Hmm. I agree with prh47bridge. This isn’t about where the appellant lives, it’s about the strength (or not) of the school’s case for not admitting. If the school is undersubscribed, it’s going to be comparatively easy for the panel to conclude that there’s no prejudice in admitting additional pupils and so appeals are much more likely to succeed.

I agree with @prh47bridge too, whose advice and knowledge on England's school appeals process is second to none.

Cope is a relative word, though, isn't it?

I can cope with classes of 32/33 in science, but the students don't get such a good experience. By Y11, it can get difficult to have the students moving around the classroom. There are certain practical activities I won't do once we've gone over 2 students per desk (i.e. 33 +) because I feel it's unsafe.

It's also too many for our DT rooms, and again impacts practical opportunities in those subjects.

We share equipment between classrooms, and the classrooms are equipped with more gas taps/sinks than we need.

We also try to have smaller sets at the bottom end of our GCSE years and a nurture group in Y7- but this isn't possible when classes are at 32 already.

I mean it's moot, because my school doesn't argue these points anyway- they are desperate for the bums on seats because of funding!

To be clear, I'm not disagreeing with the advice given, it's absolutely correct, and it sounds like in some areas of Kent, if relevant, an appeal has a good chance at being successful.