School appeals - help offered

Foreverinbluejeans

Thanks Savvy Sue - we are considering all of the scenarios that you have mentioned and the plan b's and c's and d's etc!!

JC9297

Foreverinbluejeans wrote: »

Hi All,

Thank you very much for your thoughts and opinions. in answer to your questions asked:

Poet 123 - Yes, the head mistress called me that morning. She was horrified by the fact that the teacher had locked the class room and confirmed that contextual swear words are used, however this was above and beyond what she deemed acceptable. She said that the teacher in question required 'additional training and support'. This teacher is head of science. She had the lesson done with the child protection officer present. The lesson was conducted in a totally different manner.

Peachyprice - This is one of, in my opinion, many failings by the school. It is not a knee jerk reaction to what happened in March, quite the contrary, I have persevered with the school in the hope that the situation would improve.

Balletshoes - no, not happy with the school in many aspects.

Teamlowe - I am looking at many schools and considering a school which would be an hours bus journey for my daughter but naturally I would like for her to attend a well performing school in our home town, as naturally I would prefer that she didn't have to travel that far every day. I will be appealing for 2 schools.

In brief, further details that will form the basis of my appeal as to why my daughters education and well being are affected if she remains at her current school are:

1. The science teacher in question will not engage with my daughter following the complaint. Neither professional or acceptable. He will not choose her if she raises her hand to ask a question etc...sometimes she doesn't fully understand the subject matter and needs to ask questions.

2. My daughter was in top set for all subjects apart from Maths. However in Feb, she showed me her maths book and said she was finding the work too easy and spent most lessons helping others because she had finished the work in no time at all. I compared her Y7 text book to her Y6 and she was working at a similar level in primary school. I called the school to question this and they said that they would trial her in top set. To cut a long story short, within 2 weeks she was working at a higher level than the pupils in top set and over the past few weeks has been'marking the work' of other pupils in her class. My daughter should be given more work rather than marking other children's work, surely?

3. The school received 'special measures' in its recent Ofsted report, for amongst other things the quality of lessons and work set.

4. She constantly has cover teachers in key lessons and is regularly not set appropriate work.

5. Regarding the science incident; i discovered at a recent parents evening that my daughers form tutor was actually unaware that my daughter was locked in a classroom whilst inappropriate swear words were encouraged by her teacher, even though the head assured me that she would get all the support she needed following the incident. How can her form tutor not even have been made aware? Where was the support?

I appreciate that I haven't gone into any great detail and I could be here all night!

My understanding from the local authority is that if the appeals panel deem my daughters need greater than the schools need not to take her based on being oversubscribed then they will have to take her. I may not have a case for appeal but I just want my daughter to have the best possible education and school life opportunities and I feel I have to try.

My gut tells me that she is not reaching her full potential and she tells me that she feels uncomfortable at school so I have to try my best. I always listen to my gut!!

Thanks again for your thoughts everyone.

Poet 123 particularly interested on your take seeing as you have appeals panel experience. Thanks

Am not sure about the email, you're not using it in your appeal are you?
These are all reasons that you don't want her at her current school, but you are not appealing against that school, your views about this school are irrelevant at appeal.
You have to have a good reason why she needs to go to the school you are appealing for, other than it is a better school.

susancs

The fact that the school is now in special measures means that it will be given extra funding, teacher training, LEA monitoring and mentoring support to improve. Usually these schools improve in a short space of time.

About 18 months ago a local secondary in our LEA area went into special measures and in last years GCSE results they outperformed two "good" schools that select partically on the basis of academic tests. The school was very over subscribed in this years applicants, with many parents disappointed that their child could not get a place in this school that is improving. I understand that few of the orginal staff are now at the school and the school was given funding that enabled them to pay the sort of salaries that attracted good teaching staff. They also received a good recent OFSTED inspection.

I just wonder if it might be worth seeing how the school improves before looking to move your daughter to another school. You may also find that the Science Teacher who behaved in a totally inappropriate manner during lessons and continues to do so by ignoring your child will not be in the school teaching next year. You won't know but often teachers are recommended to give a terms notice if they are not considered acceptable teachers.

Foreverinbluejeans

Thanks JC9297 and Susancs.

JC9297 if I don't approach any appeal with the points I raised above, what would be considered good reasons to try and convince any appeal board that it would be in my daughters best interests to move schools please?

Susancs - thanks for your info. The school got the ofsted inspection with special measures in Dec and to be honest outwardly appear to have 'swept it under the carpet'. We never receive any information or updates about it. The school is going to Academy status by the end of the year, so this may have a positive effect on the school. Lots to think about if the appeals process is unsuccessful and we decide not to send her to the school which is 20 miles away.

Thanks again

poet123

To succeed at appeal you need to show that the school would be able to provide for a need that is not being satisfied elsewhere and that it would be detrimental to your daughter if she did not move schools.

I have to be honest and say from what you have said it seems unlikely an appeal would succeed.

I do feel for you if you doubt that the school is academically suitable for your daughter, but I think your best bet would be to arrange an appointment with the head and air all your issues.

If funds permit you could also arrange private tutoring to stretch your daughter further in the subjects she excels in. I think you may find that there will be huge staff changes when Academy status is conferred and thus some of your problems will be resolved.

If your daughter is in year seven she has time on her side before GCSE options need to be thought about, so I would see how things go and not make any rash decsions in view of the big changes the school is about to undergo. You may find that twelve months down the line things are much better.

Personally, unless things were very bad indeed I would not consider such a long commute. As they get older extra curricular activities increase and the use of the school bus will be an issue especially in deep winter.

Take a deep breath and really think about how else you can resolve this situation would be my advice.

Foreverinbluejeans

Poet 123.

Thank you for your honesty regarding the likelihood of an appeals success.

All of the points you have raised, I have/am considering. It's such a hard decision knowing what to do for the best.

I have a long weekend of decision making ahead of me.

Thanks again - have a good weekend

Foreverinbluejeans

Hi All,

For those who are interested my appeal hearing was delayed due to the summer holidays. It was heard last Friday and I am thrilled to inform you all that I won!

lauhol1980

Hope people don't mind but thought I would give this thread a quick bump as national allocations day is rapidly approaching!! _pale_. Thought some people might be grateful for the advice in this thread. I am waiting to hear what school my DD1 has got but have everything crossed I won't require the info in this thread

poet123

Foreverinbluejeans wrote: »

Hi All,

For those who are interested my appeal hearing was delayed due to the summer holidays. It was heard last Friday and I am thrilled to inform you all that I won!

Thanks for bumping as i hadn't seen this. Well done, I am glad you had a positive outcome.

taliwillow

I have an appeal hearing in 3 weeks for my daughter to get into Foundation Stage. We appealed for our first choice school last year and didn't win that appeal. Our second choice and catchment school had pre school as a priority over catchment which is why we didn't get in. We recently found out that an appeal was put against another school with the same admissions policy in July 2012 and this appeal was upheld as it was considered against the admission code to give priority to children who have in some way paid you and as pre school children are funded, they had indirectly paid the school. Based on this appeal our catchment school has changed their admission rules ready for this year taking out the pre school admissions section. So I have put in an appeal on the basis that if the appeal was true in the case of the other school then surely it is for this school. I was feeling fairly confident that we would win as it seems fairly clear cut to me. But now I am getting little niggles of worry and wondering if there is any more evidence that I could provide to help the case?
Has anyone had any experience of this type of case and have any advice?
Thanks
Taliwllow