In this brief guide, we will look at the best reasons for school appeal, and go into some of the best ways to go about a school appeal.
Best Reasons for School Appeal
Here are some of the best reasons for school appeal:
- Lack of Consideration in the appeal process
- The best interest of the child
- Living close to the school
- The child having friends in that school
- The child being gifted enough for that school
- The similarity in the school ideology and that of the family
- Presence of new reports about the child’s proficiency
- Improvements in grades or performance
- Admission Procedure error
- Medical or social reasons
- Personal goals to attend that particular school
- The particular aptitude of the child-related to that school
Getting a child into a good school, or getting into a good school as a young adult, are some of the most important things for parents and the young adults themselves.
There may be instances where the parent or the student themselves find that they are not completely happy with the decision of the school admissions office, in which case it may be worthwhile to consider using your reasons for wanting to be in that school as reasons for a school appeal.
Sometimes the best reasons for school appeals can be the simplest ones, and the ones most applicable to your situation, which means that it is always best to stick to the truth, like if your reasons for the school you want are based on religion or difficult family circumstances.
In most cases, the school will consider reasons such as this to rethink their decision, as these are things that one cannot control and having their child go to the school that is best suited to their needs may make things easier for them.
Another one of the best reasons for school appeal is when you need the institution because it caters to some special need or health issue your child has, in which case you may find that appealing the school’s decision may be more beneficial and likely more successful as well.
When using this reason for a school appeal, however, you need to make sure that you consider the health matters only when they are significant enough, and in most cases, common ailments will not count as good enough reasons.
If the school appeal for which you are looking at reasons is related to admission in a selective school, you need to be aware of what academic attainments exist at the option you have apart from the school you wanted, and why it will not be good for the child. This distinction between the two places may provide you with adequate reason for the school appeal.
Depending on the academic performance of the child previously, one of the best reasons for school appeals can be when you might be able to argue that this school will enable them to reach their full potential, in which case the school might consider looking at the application again.
Another reason for school appeal may be to consider any co-curricular activities the child excels at, like an instrument or sport they are good at, which the school you want admission at might help with.
When looking for the best reasons for school appeal you need not only look at academic performance, but also the particular aptitude of the child and the school’s specialism, which are often related things and go hand in hand.
A major reason many people consider important enough for a school appeal is transport, and if you live too far away from other schools or if you have found yourself in a situation where transport to this particular school is best suited to your needs, you can use this reason as a possible one for a school appeal.
Another important thing to consider, and something that may well serve as one of the best reasons for school appeal may be the language in which teaching is done at this school, and if it is something that is necessary for you and your child, it can serve as good grounds to appeal the school’s decision.
Lastly, one of the best reasons for school appeal can also be emotional reasons, but not in the way that the child just really wants to go there, but more in terms of what is best for the child’s mental health.
It may be possible that they were bullied at another school nearby or perhaps they had a bad experience with the teachers there, it can also be that they simply found things too challenging because of the way things were done there. You can use any of these reasons to show the admission committee that you need there to be a healthy atmosphere for the child and therefore they need admission in this particular school.
Best Tips for a Successful School Appeal
Here are some of the best tips for a successful school appeal:
Make sure you have the school appeal form on time
The school appeal form is the most crucial piece of paperwork and you should always make sure that it is returned to the admission authority by the deadline set out in the form.
If you are not able to do so for significant reasons, make sure that you inform the committee of the reason and ask for a changed deadline specifically.
Be Clear about your Reasons for School Appeal
Whatever your grounds for a school appeal, you always need to be extremely clear about them, and this is not something that should be done haphazardly and without thinking.
Your reasons for school appeal can range from medical or social reasons to educational and logistical reasons and you may even have multiple reasons, but they should always be stated clearly and in descending order of importance and significance.
Supporting Information/Documents
Whatever your reasons for the school appeal, you need to always make sure that you provide any supporting information with your school appeal, and it is always best to provide the necessary documents that support your cause.
Get your School Appeal Application checked by others as well
The best chance of a successful appeal is where you can highlight that the admission authority’s decision does not follow the admission criteria on which it must be based, and for this reason, you need to ensure that your school appeal application is filled out properly.
Getting friends and family to check the application can ensure that whatever little mistakes you may have made might come into the light and you can correct them before you send it in.
Ask the admission authority for the necessary information
You should never feel hesitant to ask the committee or the authorities for the necessary information and make sure that you have all the information before you go for a school appeal.
Verify your information thoroughly
Always make sure that your information is verified and that you are working according to the correct rules and regulations.
Prepare a statement for the Independent Appeal Panel
This is just another stage in the school appeal, and you need to be sure that you have all your reasons clear to you and the necessary documents to support the reason. You may be asked to make a statement about why the child should go to this school in particular, and clearing your reasons beforehand can help with that.
Example of Appeal Letter for School Admission: 1
Here is an example of an appeal letter for school admission with appropriate reasons for the school appeal. This school appeal letter may be used by college students who would like to address their rejection from a college:
“Dear Dr Rice,
I am writing to appeal the decision of ABC University to reject my application for admissions beginning with the fall semester 2014. I realize that most admissions decisions are final, but I do have some extenuating circumstances which I believe would be worth a few minutes of your time to examine.
I know that the reason for the rejection of my application is the fact that my SAT scores were below the average typically accepted at ABC. There is a reason for my poor performance on the first SAT. My second SAT was a tremendous improvement over my first; however, I did not have the scores on my second SAT when the deadline came to submit my application to your office.
On the way to take my first SAT, my neighbour’s dog ran out in front of my car to chase a squirrel across the road. I applied my brakes but still hit the dog. I quickly helped my neighbour take the dog to the local vet; however, the dog died from the injuries. It was a horrifying experience. Nevertheless, I went on to the SAT test site and took the exam, but I kept tearing up during the test and had a very hard time focusing. When my scores came back, they were very poor. My verbal score was 490; math was 500 and the essay was 480 for a combined score of 1,470. Two months later I retook the exam and scored 670 on verbal, 690 on math and 680 on the essay for a combined score of 2,040.
As you can see, I am capable of far better SAT scores than those I made on the first exam. I ask that you reconsider my application taking into consideration these scores made on my second SAT. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I am available for a meeting any time at your convenience and can be reached via the contact information listed above.
Respectfully,
Mary Ann Jackson”
Example of Appeal Letter for School Admission: 2
Here is an example of an appeal letter for school admission for primary school, and this also showcases the reasons for school appeal.
“Parents’ Home address
Date: _____
To:
Mr Howard P. Glyn
Admissions Committee
Hasmonean High School
Holders Hill Road
London NW4 1NA
Dear Mr Glyn,
Re: Transfer to Secondary School – (Full Name of Pupil)
I/We am/are writing to appeal against the recent decision of Barnet Council [or other Local
Authority] not to offer my/our son/daughter (name of the pupil) a place at Hasmonean High
School and instead to offer him/her a place at (name of the school offered).
As you know, we are an orthodox Jewish family practising Judaism fully in accordance with
the Ethos of the School and therefore feel that Hasmonean High School is the only
appropriate state school in the area for (name of the pupil). We have made no alternative
arrangements for his/her education and clearly do not consider (name of the school offered) an
alternative or appropriate school for our son/daughter.
We hope that you will reconsider the decision and be able to offer (name of the pupil) a place to
study at Hasmonean in September, otherwise, we will have to resort to the formal Appeals
Procedure.
Yours sincerely,
(signed by parents)”
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we looked at the best reasons for school appeal and went into some of the best ways to go about a school appeal. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or comments you may have about the reasons for school appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Best Reasons for School Appeal
How do you make a successful school appeal?
Here is how to make a successful school appeal:
- Be aware of the system.
- Have good relations with the local authority.
- Consider legal representation.
- Always have your paperwork in order
- Make sure you are prepared for the fight ahead
- Make sure you know your rights.
- Living close to the school is also beneficial
- Always do the necessary research.
What grounds can you appeal a school place?
Here are two of the most common grounds for appeal at a school place:
- In cases where the school has applied its admissions procedures incorrectly, which is quite rare
- In cases where the harm is done to your child by not getting a place, there will be greater than that caused to all the other children by overcrowding.
What are the chances of winning a school appeal?
The chances of winning a school appeal are better when the person has a legitimate reason for the school appeal, and usually the average national success rate for normal prejudice appeals is 1 in 3.
However, the chances of winning a school appeal are better in the cases of School Appeals and there the rate is about 2 in 3, which means that the chances of success for school appeal increase by 100%.
What questions are asked at a school appeal?
Here are questions asked at school appeal in general:
- What kind of support does your child receive from friends and family?
- What is your child’s opinion on the Appeal?
- Why and how can this school meet your child’s needs as opposed to others?
- Is there a sense of danger to your child that would be alleviated by going to this school?
- Is your child’s health at risk?
Citations
https://blog.lawpack.co.uk/10-tips-on-how-to-make-a-school-appeal/
https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/choosing-a-school/state-schools/secondary-school-appeals
https://www.greatsampleresume.com/letters/personal-letters/school-appeal
