Secondary school admissions Appeal guidance notes

Some helpful information for Parents/Carers This leaflet has been published by the Borough of Redbridge, Children’s Services. It is designed to help parents of children transferring to secondary school who have not yet been offered their preferred school. Parents/Carers are advised that this Authority follows the current Department for Education (DfE) advice which, at the time this leaflet was prepared, reflects the School admissions codes and regulations, details of which can be found on its website: www.education.gov.uk

For additional help, the Admissions and Awards team is based at Lynton House, 255-259 High Road, , Essex IG1 1NN. You can call direct on the numbers below but, please note, our telephone opening times to the public are from 8.30am to 5.00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; on Tuesdays and Thursdays we are open to calls from 2.00-5.00pm:

• 11+ Transfer Admissions (moving up to secondary school): 020 8708 3562/3055/3140 • Secondary School Admissions (Years 7 to 11): 020 8708 3129 /3996 • Primary School Admissions (Reception to Year 6): 020 8708 3147/3127

Contents Page 1 Introduction Page 2 Some Basic Information Page 3 Arrangements for the Appeal Hearing Page 6 At the Appeal Page 7 Making Your Case Page 7 Reaching a Decision Page 8 After the Appeal

Introduction Choosing your child’s secondary school can be a difficult decision for you to make. In Redbridge most parents and carers get a place for their child at one of the schools they have applied for.

If you do not get the school you want, you can appeal for a place on statutory grounds (unless your child has been permanently excluded from two schools).

This leaflet is to help you understand the process and answers some common questions.

Schools which are responsible for their own admissions (as ‘admission authorities’), deal with their own appeals. You should write to these schools direct for information about their appeal process. The only exceptions are *and Trust* which both became an academy in February 2014 – appeals will be arranged and progressed by Redbridge Admissions Team only, not the academy schools themselves, for both these schools.

The secondary schools like this in Redbridge are listed below. For schools outside Redbridge you should generally contact the school direct or the local authority in which they are situated.

Secondary Schools which are ‘admission authority’ schools: Faith/Religious schools which Foundation & Academies: are Voluntary Aided & Academies: *Beal High School (mixed) – see above King Solomon High School (Jewish, mixed) (mixed) The (Catholic, mixed) Isaac Newton Academy (mixed) Trinity Catholic High School (Catholic, mixed) *Loxford School Trust (mixed) – see above (Catholic, girls) Mayfield School (mixed) (mixed)

1 Some basic information

How do I decide which school I would like my child to go to? The best way to find out if you like a school is to visit it. Do not reject a school based on other peoples’ opinion – what one person likes about a school someone else may not. It is best to make up your own mind. When children transfer from primary to secondary school, schools hold an Open Day usually in September/October of the preceding year. They may welcome visits from parents at other times but you should always telephone them first to make an appointment. For older age groups this is not always possible and you should contact the school to discuss. Visit our website www.redbridge.gov.uk

Each year, following the required Consultation process, the Local Authority agrees the admissions policy for our community secondary schools and a booklet is published by Admissions and Awards. You will find the current booklets on the Redbridge website (www.redbridge.gov.uk) or contact the relevant Admissions section to obtain the booklet which will help you apply, for example, the ‘Transfer to Secondary School’ booklet.

Do I get a choice? The law does not give you a choice of school but it allows you to “express a preference”. So, by requesting a place for your child in a school, you have expressed your preference. We will listen to what you want, and your child’s application will be considered according to the admissions criteria for each of your preferred schools, but we may have to tell you that, sorry, the school is full.

If you do not receive a place at the school you want for your child, you will receive a letter giving you information about why your child was not offered a place at the school. The letter will include information about appealing against that decision.

Before deciding whether to appeal, you will probably want to think about the school’s published policy for admitting pupils, your reasons for wanting your child to attend the school, your child’s view of what school they should go to and how strong a case you have.

You should therefore write to the relevant Admissions team at Lynton House telling them you want to appeal and name the school(s) – you do not have to go into details and give your case at this stage. You will then be sent the appeal form(s) with [these] guidance notes and the deadline by which your appeal form and supporting documents, if appropriate, should be received by the Admissions team. Please note that you cannot appeal for a school for which you have not made an application.

In accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code, you must complete a separate appeal form for each school for which you wish to appeal, for each child. If you would like to appeal for more than one school and/or for more than one child, you must tell us so that we can send you enough forms for you to explain your reasons for each school individually. The forms are also available on the website. However, this generally means that each appeal will be heard by a different appeal panel and on a different date and time, so not necessarily on the same day or in the same week and it is important that we bring this to your attention. Please note that in this case we will be unable to process any appeal request until you have submitted your completed appeal form.

Why would my child not get a place? All schools can admit up to a certain number of children, this is the “Published Admissions Number” or PAN. This number must be published and is agreed as part of the admissions policy. We must try to offer your child a place at the school you want. We will admit children to a school until the PAN is reached.

2 When we reach the PAN, we must refuse entry unless there are certain specific reasons, such as a child’s statement of special educational needs, which identifies a particular school. We can argue that admitting an extra pupil would “prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources”. This means that having an extra child at the school would harm the quality of education provided at the school.

What is a “catchment area”? The Redbridge local authority has a “catchment area” for each of its community secondary schools, and for Beal High School, Loxford School Trust, Mayfield School and The Forest Academy. A catchment area is an area around each school, covering a number of roads or parts of roads. If you are not sure in which catchment area you live, the Admissions and Awards team can tell you. Living in a catchment area does not guarantee admission to the school but it gives you priority above applicants who do not live in the catchment area. Proofs of residence are often required to verify catchment area priority and a residence check visit may be required. If you live in Redbridge, your child will only qualify for one catchment secondary comprehensive school.

My child took the tests but did not qualify for the Redbridge grammar school, can I appeal? Woodford County High School for girls and Ilford County High School for boys are the only maintained grammar schools in Redbridge. Admission is determined wholly on selection by reference to ability with priority given to those resident in the catchment area. Places are allocated at the schools according to the child's performance in the Redbridge selection tests. Appeals are possible for these schools but prospective appellants should note that there is no duty to comply with a parental preference for a selective school where compliance with the preference would be incompatible with established selection arrangements.

Arrangements for the appeal hearing

What can I do if my request for a school is turned down? If you are allocated a place at one of your preferred schools, any lower preference schools that you have requested will automatically have been withdrawn in accordance with the co- ordinated admissions policy.

Your child’s position on the waiting list can go up, that is, it can improve if vacancies arise and the number of children at the school falls below the admissions limit. However, your child’s position on the waiting list can also go down, or worsen if more children apply for the school and their circumstances match the admissions criteria closer than those of your child: for example, if they live closer to the school than you, within the same criteria.

Admissions will continue to be made to fill the school back up to its admission limit from the waiting list, taking children in order of criteria priority, as published.

If we cannot give your child a place at one of your preferred schools, we will tell you which other schools in Redbridge have places, if appropriate. If you take a place at one of these schools, your child’s name will stay on the waiting list for your preferred school until 31 August each year: this continued interest must be renewed annually, in time for the start of the academic year. Please therefore send us an In Year application from 1 July to 15 August.

If you want to appeal against our decision not to give your child a place at your preferred school, you will need to fill in an “appeal form” (please see the earlier advice on page 2 regarding appeals for another school or child), which should be completed in conjunction with these appeal notes. You can appeal for a place at any school for which you have already expressed a preference but were not offered a place. You must explain your reasons for

3 wanting a place at that school on that form, which you then sign, and on extra pages if necessary. You can get the form(s) from the Admissions and Awards team.

You will be given a deadline to return your appeal form which allows you at least 20 school days from the date of notification that your application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge your written appeal. Your appeal form must be the one supplied by Redbridge on which you have given your reasons for your appeal and is signed and dated by the parent/ carer. You may write on the form that you have attached documents for consideration.

What can I do if I think my child has special grounds for admission? If you think your child has special medical or psychological reasons for going to a particular community comprehensive school, ask the relevant Admissions team for advice. If there is strong evidence that it is necessary for your child to attend a particular school they may be given priority on the waiting list or sometimes be admitted. Please note that these exceptional medical grounds refer directly to the child on the application, not to other family members; however, on exceptional psychological grounds, it may be that your child is seriously affected by other people in some way.

You should tell the Admissions team in writing preferably when you first apply or as soon as possible, about any exceptional medical or psychological information that affects your child. They will tell you about the procedures you should follow. Please note that the procedure for placement on exceptional grounds can take at least 6-8 weeks or more.

Where applicable, it is possible for you to appeal on exceptional grounds as well as on statutory grounds, however, you should know that we would, with your permission, include and copy the information from your appeal on exceptional grounds to the Independent Appeal Panel, the Clerks’ Office, the Children’s Services representative and the legal team, as we understand that this information may be of a sensitive nature. The relevant information would also be disclosed to the school should your appeal on exceptional grounds be upheld.

When do the transfer appeals take place? The London Borough of Redbridge is the Admission Authority for 8 Community Secondary Schools: Caterham, Oaks Park, Seven Kings, Valentines, Wanstead, and Woodbridge High Schools; and the two grammar schools, Ilford County (for boys) and Woodford County High Schools for which candidates take a selection test (there is a common catchment area for these grammar schools which is described in the Transfer to Secondary School booklet).

1. For children transferring from primary to secondary school, once the offer letters are sent out on 3 March, parents have until 17th March to contact the Admission Authority to request an appeal form for the school(s) for which they wish to appeal.

Due to the high numbers of appeals requested for these schools, appeal hearings are booked as multiple appeals by school from early May until early July for on-time appeals, and some late appeals where they can be fitted in, depending on availability of appeal panel members and committee rooms. The Admissions team is given the availability by school for certain dates. After this time, late appeals will be heard no later than 30 school days from the date your appeal form is received in this office. We will write to you at least 10 school days before the date of your appeal, giving you the date and time of your appeal unless you have agreed on your appeal form to waive the 10 school days’ notice. A copy of your case history and appeal paperwork will be sent to you which will also be presented to the Independent Appeal Panel, the Clerks’ Office, the Children’s Services representative and the legal team.

4 2. For students wishing to transfer from one secondary school to another secondary school, once we have received your completed, signed, appeal form and documents where relevant, your appeal(s) will be heard no later than 30 school days from the date your appeal form was received in this office. We will write to you at least 10 school days before the date of your appeal, giving you the date and time of your appeal unless you have agreed on your appeal form to waive the 10 school days’ notice. A copy of your case history will be sent to you which will also be presented to the Independent Appeal Panel, the Clerks’ Office, the Children’s Services representative and the legal team, with a copy of the Authority's statement.

Return your completed, signed, appeal form(s) along with any documents that you feel may help your case, either: by post to Secondary Admissions, Lynton House, 255-259 High Road, Ilford IG1 1NN, or in person to the One Stop Shop at the above address, which is open from 8.45am to 4.30pm daily except for Wednesdays when it opens at 9.30am.

Will I be given the same information as the Independent Appeal Panel (IAP)? Each member of the IAP for your appeal hearing will have a copy of your “case history” as will all interested parties: the Clerk to the IAP, the Children’s Services presenting officer who presents this Authority’s case to the IAP and the legal team. Your case history is made up of: . Your appeal form; . Any extra information you have sent us; . Copies of earlier letters about your application and case; . Our reasons for not offering your child a place at the school (our case).

We will send you a full set of the same papers at least 10 school days before the hearing unless you have waived this right.

If you wish to provide any additional documents, information and/or evidence to the panel to support your case please do so at least 5 working days before your appeal if possible. Should you submit additional information, which the panel thinks may be significant, too close to the hearing date or on the day, the panel may need to defer your case to enable them and the Children’s Services representative time to study the papers. This is important because they will want to come to a fair decision based on a full understanding of all the information.

How will I know about the hearing – can I attend? We normally tell you where and when your appeal will be at least 10 school days before the hearing unless you have chosen to waive this right. It will be in private and you will be invited to be there. It is usually held at the Town Hall, Ilford High Road, during office hours. We do not usually advise you to bring your child as they should be in school and it could be distressing for them to hear some of the information being discussed, but it is for you to decide whether your child should attend the hearing.

Should I come to the hearing on my own? If you feel worried about speaking for yourself at the hearing, or if you feel at a disadvantage, you can bring someone to support you or to speak for you. This could be a friend, a neighbour or a member of your social or religious community.

Make sure that, if you require an interpreter to help you communicate your case, you give us this information on your appeal form and tell us which language you speak. You may prefer to bring a friend to help you. Please let us know.

It could also be • A locally elected politician, • Or an employee of the Local Authority such as an educational social worker, SEN Adviser or learning mentor, provided this will not lead to a conflict of interest.

5

It may not be an employee of the school in question or a member of the Admission Authority concerned.

The hearing is informal and it is not usual for parents to bring a solicitor, though they may do so at their own cost. You cannot get legal aid for these appeal hearings and legal costs could be high. It is important to bear in mind that the hearing is not intended to be a platform for a debate on the law.

What happens if I cannot attend the hearing? If at any time after you have been told the date and time of the appeal you find out that you cannot attend the hearing you should tell the Admissions team straight away, preferably in writing, so that this can be sent to the Clerks’ office.

The hearing can be heard without you there (‘heard in absence’) or you can arrange for somebody else to take your place at the hearing, but you should tell the Admissions team in advance and let them know their name and telephone number of this person.

If you cannot attend the hearing, but it is impractical to offer an alternative date, the appeal will go ahead and be decided on the written information submitted. If the Appeal Panel decides to defer your hearing, it may be some weeks before another hearing is arranged.

However, you are advised that failure to attend on the day of the hearing without advising the Appeal Clerk at the Town Hall in advance that you wish your appeal to be re-scheduled (or cancelled), may result in you being charged for the cost of the interpreter requested (where appropriate) to attend at the scheduled time to assist you with your appeal.

At the Appeal

How official is the hearing? It will be as informal as possible. Although the decision of the Appeal Panel is legally binding on the Local Authority, it is not a court of law. It is important to note that the Panel will be independent of us, the Local Authority.

Who will be at the hearing? In the London Borough of Redbridge, there are 3-5 people on an Appeal Panel: . There must be at least one “lay member” on the panel. This means someone without personal experience in the management of any school or the provision of education in any school (disregarding experience as a school governor or in another voluntary capacity). . There must also be at least one panel member who has experience in education; who is familiar with educational conditions in the Redbridge area; or who is a parent of a registered pupil at a school.

There will also be: . A clerk . A presenting officer from Children’s Services.

The clerk will make sure that the correct procedures are followed and will ensure that legal advice is provided if necessary. He or she will not take any part in making any decision, but will record what the Independent Appeal Panel (IAP) decides. In the London Borough of Redbridge, the Clerk is from Legal and Constitutional Services, which is not part of the Children’s Services.

The Children’s Services presenting officer is an officer of the Local Authority who will explain why your child has not been offered a place at the school.

6

Sometimes, if the IAP needs extra help on points of law, advice will be given by the Local Authority’s Chief Legal Officer.

What happens at an appeal hearing? Both the Admission Authority and parents are given an opportunity to explain their case without being interrupted.

This is what usually happens: . The Chair of the Appeal Panel welcomes everyone, introduces the other members and explains what will happen; . The Children’s Services presenting officer puts forward the Authority’s case; . You and the Panel members can question the Children’s Services presenting officer; . You put your case; . The Children’s Services presenting officer and the Panel can ask you questions; . The Children’s Services presenting officer sums up their case; . You sum up your case

Making your case

What should I tell the Appeal Panel? It is helpful for the Panel members to hear why you have chosen the school. Simply saying “It’s the one my child wants to go to” is unlikely to be enough. Of course each appeal is different and there can be many reasons for wanting a particular school.

Reasons provided in the past have included: . A brother or sister already in the school; . Strong family links, for example all your children have gone there in the past so you know the staff well; . The journey to the alternative schools offered may be difficult due to your work arrangements, or you may have to take other children to another school or nursery; . Health difficulties of family members other than your child; . A strong preference for a particular curriculum or specialisation such as music or a foreign language which is not available in other schools.

But, giving these reasons does not necessarily mean that your appeal will be allowed.

It is important for us to mention that relatively few appeals indeed are successful and usually only where there are exceptional circumstances, however, each appeal is heard on its own merits. As an example, the data in the Transfer to Secondary School 2014 booklet for 2013 appeals, showed that less than 8% of on-time appeals were upheld.

Reaching a decision

At the end of the hearings, the Appeal Panel will need time to make their decision, and they do this by a majority vote without parents or the Children’s Services representative present.

How is the decision made? The Appeal Panel’s job is to weigh up the arguments for and against your child’s admission taking into account your case and ours.

7 More information about this can be found in the DfE School Admission Appeals Code which is available from the Department for Education on their website. If you do not have internet access at home, you may visit your local library to access www.education.gov.uk

When will I know the decision? If the Appeal Panel is considering a large number of appeals about the same school, it will not make a decision about an individual case until all parents have had a chance to put their case forward. They may need more time to make their decisions. If there are appeals for the same schools over several days, a decision will only be made after all the appeals have been heard. The clerk will tell you if it will take longer.

Once the decision has been made, the Appeal Panel will send you a letter giving the reasons for the decision, within 5 working days if possible.

After the Appeal

What happens if my case is allowed? Your child will be given a place at your preferred school, even though it is already full.

The school will be told and arrangements will be made for your child to be admitted as soon as possible from your child’s and the school’s point of view. For children transferring from primary to secondary school this is usually at the beginning of the new school year.

What happens if my case is dismissed? Your child’s name will remain on the waiting list. His/her position will not change because of the appeal.

The Admissions team will tell you about other schools which your child could attend, if this is appropriate.

Please note that your appeal relates to one academic year. Repeat appeals relating to the same academic year, for the same school, are not considered unless there have been significant and material changes in circumstances relevant to the application.

Secondary Admissions March 2014

G:\Admissions\Danusia\APPEALS\SecondarySchool Appeal Notes 2014.docx www.redbridge.gov.uk

8