Group school transfer appeal advice MH

[Everton1985]

Sorry for long post.... I need some advice please DD currently in Yr 9 however not been in current school since February due to school based anxiety, toxic setting in school regarding pupils and teachers and also regular meetings with SENCO begging for alternative provision but said she didn't meet the criteria.

I originally put her in current school as was smaller and thought would help her anxiety which has been ongoing since primary school. However was took over by academy trust everything we saw from open evening was changed. We hoped for the best but the minute she stepped foot in there she struggled inc having no friends from primary thay she went to feeder school.

Since May I requested a transfer to feeder school in order for her to be with people she knows but mainly vocational options in upper school, therapy dogs, and excellent mental health support aswell as SEN as she possibly has ADHD waiting on assessment. I have given in medical letters and have her appeal next week.

It's a group appeal she's 5th on waiting list and I have to go in and state my case. I am terrified and will input all her past issues but do not know if it is enough. If not I haven't got a clue what to do from here.

Any advice I would really appreciate it.

So you’re appealing for a place in Y9 (or is she about to start Y10?) and there are 4 other appeals?

Obviously, as you already understand, you need to make the strongest case you can. Spell out why you believe this school will meet your child’s needs and support her in overcoming her anxiety and getting back to school at an important stage in her education.

What do the medical letters say? Letters confirming her struggles with anxiety and school attendance will be helpful, but what will help even more are statements from medical professionals saying that in their professional opinion she needs a place in this school and will be disadvantaged if she doesn’t get one. If you have a paper trail showing that you discussed the issues with the current school but they have not helped or been able to resolve the issues, that could help too. You can also pinpoint the other aspects of the school - such as vocational options - which will suit her.

As there are other appeals, you need to persuade the panel that yours is the strongest, so that if they decide the school can accommodate one more pupil, yours is the appeal they allow.

Thankyou so much for the advice she is going into year 9 so this is a big year. She has a medical letter from GP stating they have been treating her for last year and that they fully support the move in order to aid her mental health, a SENCO letter showing what has been tried within school setting but no mention of me begging for alternative provision last year but that's another matter.... A early intervention through Barnados with support for 6 weeks in Yr 7 to show we have tried avanues that have been unsuccessful. DD wants to do forensics and there is criminology along side the sciences. She was a top set student before she started to really struggle.

I'm worried how to respond on questioning regarding her anxiety and what if she struggles again which we cannot guarantee obviously but hope with the right support within school this can help her self esteem

In that situation, I think the best approach is to say that various things were tried at the previous school but didn’t work and the school couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything more, so it’s time for a fresh start. Then you can highlight the things about the appeal school that would particularly benefit your child.