In Preparation for Appeal Panel Day

[Hye000]

So… like the title states… im attempting to mentally prepare myself for the day of the appeal. Im just wondering (& hoping im not the only one). Do you go in (Teams or face to face) with a written script maybe summarising what you have already said in your written appeal?? Is that what previous people have done?? Or do parents just wait for any questions posed to them from the presenting officer or panel and answer those. Are we expected to re-iterate what we already said… I just don’t know what’s expected and don’t want to end up being flustered if I’m expected to have a long speech prepared and end up in a tizz!!! 🫠 Send help!! 🤦🏽‍♀️

if any of this makes sense and anyone has experience or similar worries please

I have no experience of these appeals but I do have a similar dd whose mental health fell apart when she started secondary school. She spent time home educating and then started a different school on a reduced timetable in y8.

All schools are required to make reasonable adjustments for your dd under the Equality Act 2010. So if the worst comes to the worst and your appeal fails, the other school do have to provide her with a quiet space to eat, allow her to take a friend with her, etc.

I pick my dd up for lunch, on the days she is there over lunchtime. She can’t eat in school and nor can she use the loo. Unfortunately it means I can’t work many hours. It’s been a long saga. But they do have to accommodate - dd can eat in a quiet room with a TA, and can take a friend with her if she chooses (and if the friend wants to).

Just wanted to say that all isn’t lost if you lose the appeal. You can meet with the new school to discuss how they can meet DD’s needs. If you haven’t already, it might be good to do that before appeal so that you know what they actually can provide?

We thought my dd would be better in a school with her peers from primary but in the end that didn’t work as she was unable to cope when they made new friends (she couldn’t cope with the new people). She attends a smaller school now and is starting to make friends slowly although her severe anxiety would impact this in any school.

Don’t know if any of that is useful.

Yes, we had it last Friday. Hoping to get the outcome today 🙏🏽 scared to death of the outcome!!

Have you had your result yet op?