Q. Do I have to attend the appeal in person? A.You are strongly advised to attend the hearing of your appeal. Appeals will be heard in the absence of a parent or a representative, but it is almost unheard of for such appeals to be successful. If you are unable to attend your appeal I can act as your representative.
Q. How long will it take for my appeal to be heard? A. The local authority has 30 working days or 6 weeks in which to arrange the date for your appeal. The 30 days are taken from the date they receive your Appeal Application Form. School holidays are not counted as working days. If you submit your appeal right at the end of the summer term you may have to wait until the end of September before your case is heard.
Q. Is there any advantage in getting my Appeal Application in early? A. Contrary to popular myth there is no advantage in submitting your Appeal Application Form early. On the other hand it should arrive by the date stated on the form.
Q. Can I send in extra evidence to support my appeal after I have submitted my Application Form? A. Yes you can. You should let the clerk know when you have received the evidence you wish to submit. The clerk will tell you if you are in time to send the evidence in or if you should bring it with you to the appeal. If you have to bring it with you, you need to photocopy it 8 times and give the copies to the clerk before your hearing. You are allowed to bring in extra evidence on the day of your appeal but it can only be a short document and not a long and complicated report as the panel would need time to digest this.
Q. Can I take a photograph of my child to the appeal? A. It is not usually a good idea to take a photo of your child with you to the appeal. You could get an adverse reaction from the panel that you might find upsetting and could put you off your stride. If your child has a particular physical trait or activity to which you wish to draw the panel’s attention because it forms an important part of your case you could take a photo which demonstrates this. If this is the case then one photo is enough. Do not take in a whole album!
Q. Can I take my child to the appeal? A. It is not usually a good idea to take your child with you to your appeal, especially a young child. Even the most confident child is likely to find an appeal a daunting experience. If you do want to take your child into the appeal room you must request permission beforehand.
Q. If I am unhappy about what happened at my unsuccessful appeal is there anything I can do? A. If maladministration has taken place you may have a case to go to the Ombudsman. Make a note of everything that went wrong and call me for assistance.
Q. My child is top of the waiting list. Is there any point in going to appeal? A. Yes. It is unlikely that places will be allocated from the waiting list once appeals have been heard. The independent panel may for example give places to 4 children who appealed. Even though your child is at the top of the waiting 5 children would now have to leave before you would be offered a place.
In addition your child may not stay at the top of the waiting list. If a child in the same age group moves into a house which is nearer to the school than yours, that child will placed higher on the waiting list.
Q. My child is near the top of the waiting for the school we are appealing for. Should I mention this at the appeal? A. No. The waiting list and the appeal are separate processes. The waiting list place of your child should not be mentioned by either you or any one else present at the appeal.
Q. Can I read out my speech at the appeal? A. You can, but it is not recommended. Your speech will lose impact if you are reading it and looking down at a sheet of paper. It is better to write an Aide Memoire and refer to this.
Q. Should I take my partner with me to the appeal hearing? A. Yes, it is usually a good idea. You will be able to support each other and maybe share the presentation of your case.
Q. I am about to move to a new area. The local school is full. Can I appeal for a place for my child before I have moved in? A. The Local Authority may not accept your application for a place until you have an address. You cannot go to appeal before you have applied for a place. If however you are allowed to go to appeal before you have moved in, the panel will need to be convinced that you are going to move into the area before they will consider upholding your appeal.
Q. If my Complaint to the Ombudsman is successful will my child be given a place at the school I want? A. The Ombudsman does not usually give you a place at the school. He or she can order a new appeal to be heard with a new clerk and a new panel.
Q. My appeal was unsuccessful. Can I make another appeal for the same school in a few months time? A. You cannot appeal for the same school within one academic school year unless your circumstances have changed.
Q. I have been offered a place at a school I do not want my child to attend. If I accept this place will this prejudice my chance of success at my appeal for the school I do want? A. Accepting a place at a school you do not want will not prejudice your chances of a successful appeal for a place at the school you do want. Everyone knows that a child has to go to a school and it is usually considered sensible to accept the offer. If you go to appeal having refused a place you could appear to be over confident about the result of your appeal. The panel may also think that you plan to send your child to an independent school if the appeal is unsuccessful. In either case the panel would not look kindly on your appeal. You may well be asked why you refused the place. You will need to be able to come up with a convincing answer. Reasons such as: “It is a failing school”, “The exam results are appalling” or “I refuse to let my child enter that school” will not find favour with the panel.
SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSFER APPEAL
"Many thanks for all your help. We had a successful outcome at the appeal today and were offered a place for William after Stage 1. Your input was invaluable - especially regarding the process and understanding the way that the panel would think." Karen Irons
INFANT CLASS SIZE APPEAL
“Penny provided valuable advice and support in our appeal to get our twin daughters into the primary school of our choice.” Mr and Mrs Brown
Berkshire
SELECTION APPEAL
“Without your invaluable professional help and advice our appeal would not have been structured or presented in the correct manner. We would have no hesitation in recommending you to anybody in a similar situation to ours.” Mr and Mrs G Spurrier 11+Buckinghamshire
SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSFER APPEAL
"I cannot begin to thank Penny enough for the help and support she gave me for my daughter’s appeal for Holt School, Wokingham. My daughter cried with happiness when she found out I had been successful. This is a matter with lifelong implications for my child and, whilst the experience was stressful, Penny’s support and advice gave me the strength to challenge the Local Authority for a place in a school where few are successful on appeal. Penny was able to indicate what information was constructive to present and what was irrelevant. I would advise any parent in a similar situation not to consider proceeding with the appeal without seeking support from Penny Bysshe." Melanie Headington Berkshire
Penny Bysshe.
School Guidance Consultancy
Orchard House,
High Road,
Cookham,
Berkshire SL6 9JT
Tel. +44 (0)1628 810696.
Email. consult@school-guidance.co.uk
