Specification of Services 2017 – 2018
SURREY SCHOOL APPEALS SERVICE
Name of Academy......Head Teacher......
Service contact ...... email::......
This contract is agreed and signed as follows:
I, the undersigned wish to add the following optional extras to this contract:
Accommodation (including refreshments) and panel members ¨
Panel members only: One ¨ Two ¨
Any optional extras to be agreed as required and confirmed in writing ¨
Academy ………………………………………………………………………………
Name ……………………………………………………………………………………
Position ………………………………………………………………………………….
Signature …………………………………………………………………………………
Date ……………………………………………………………………………………….
And
Surrey County Council Schools Appeals ServiceName ……………………………………………………………………………………
Position ………………………………………………………………………………….
Signature ………………………………………………………………………………
Date …………………………………………………………………………………….
The Surrey Schools Appeals ServiceMission Statement is:
To ensure that all parents receive a fair and equal admission appeal hearing for their child/children at the school of their preference, whilst remaining neutral.
To ensure that all regulations and codes are adhered to before, during and after the hearing.
To ensure that we fulfil our obligations to the Local Authority, Academies, Free Schools and their presenters.
To ensure that all panel members and clerks receive regular training and communication to enable them to carry out their role professionally, efficiently and effectively and within the law.
Function is to:
Offer independent and impartial advice to all schools using our Service on the admission appeals process
Offer independent and impartial advice on appeals to parents who have lodged admission appeals ensuring that parents feel that their appeals have been handled competently, fairly and within the law
Organise appeal hearings for all schools using our Service and inform parents of appeal decisions
Put together and dispatch appeal hearing agendas and papers to panel members, clerks, schools and parents within set time periods, which are outlined in the School Admission Appeals Code.
Contracted Provision: / On an as needed basis. No sign up fee
Academies must be signed up to use the Service and can then request at the appropriate time
Price: / See Schedule 1
Opitional Extras: which can be provided upon request, but for which there will be an additional charge
These extras are optional. The Surrey Schools Appeals Service will try, where possible, to tailor these to meet your school’s individual needs.
1 Accommodation and Refreshments
Appeals must be heard in private and we are able to offer the additional package: the appeal can be held at County Hall and the additional cost will include room hire, parking for panel members and catering. For costs see Schedule 1.
2 Panel Members
Alternatively, if you wish to arrange your own venue for the appeal hearing, the Surrey Schools Appeals Service can provide all three independent and fully trained panel members. For costs see Schedule 1.
3 Dealing with disputes
In the event of a challenge from parents following a school admission appeal the Surrey Schools Appeals Service will provide the Academy or Free School with one copy of the clerk’s notes if required at no additional cost and offer advice or deal with initial enquires regarding the complaint. However, if further support or help is required to deal with or comment on any aspect of a complaint, additional costs will be incurred by the Academy or Free School. See Schedule 1.PROCESS / PROCESS OF ORGANISING ADMISSION APPEAL HEARINGS
1 If parents express an interest in lodging an appeal against the decision of the governing body not to allow a place for their child, the school should inform the Schools Appeals Service (contact numbers available at the end of this pack) to agree arrangements.
2 Schools should advise parents wishing to appeal to appeal on-line or download the relevant documents from the Schools Directory on the Surrey County Council website (if agreed) or send the names and addresses of parents to the Surrey Schools Appeals Service, who will send them the relevant Appeal Form and detailed Guidance Notes.
3 At this point the school should advise the parent(s) to contact the Local Authority, if they have not already done so, to find out which school(s) in the area may have places available.
4 The parent(s) should return their completed appeal form to the Surrey Schools Appeals Service.
5 On receipt of the appeal form the Surrey Schools Appeals Service will:
a) Send a copy of the completed form to your School.
b) Check the form and lodge the appeal.
c) Contact the school to agree on a suitable date to hear the appeal.
d) Send the school a Governor’s Statement Proforma together with guidance notes.
6 Once a date has been agreed it is the School’s responsibility to prepare a Governors’ Written Statement. Guidance on what the governing body should include, when preparing their paperwork for appeal hearings, is available from the Surrey Schools Appeals Service.
The school retains the responsibility for ensuring documentation is complete and accurate.
It is important when preparing the written representations of the Governing Body that the school should include all the information and documents that will be relied upon during the appeal hearing.
Personnel / Angela Bridgman (Manager) tel 020 8541 9029
Melanie Moreton tel 020 8541 9121
(Monday – Wednesday)
Juliet Fussell tel 020 8541 9121
(Wednesday-Friday)
David Evans tel: 020 8541 9281
email:
Team tel: 020 8541 8092
email:
DUTIES / The Academy or Free School will: / Surrey County Council Schools Appeals Service will:
Practice / Pay the charges as set out in schedule 1 hereto.
Arrange for a Governor, member of the school staff or presenting officer to present the school’s case and be present throughout the hearing(s). The presenting officer must be prepared to answer detailed questions about the case being heard, including the admission arrangements and coordinated admission arrangements. An additional representative, may accompany the presenting officer to help with proceedings, but must only answer questions and cannot comment on the child, appellant or their case.
Unless agreed otherwise (see Optional Extras) find two independent and fully trained panel members to sit on the Appeal Panel and reimburse these panel members their expenses. There must be at least one Lay Person and one person who has experience in education on a panel. A member of the Governing Body at the school cannot be a panel member (* see note at end of section).
Inform the Surrey Schools Appeals Service of the names, addresses, telephone numbers and categories of the two nominated panel members.
Indemnify those panel members against any reasonable legal costs and expenses reasonably incurred by these members in connection with any decision or action taken by them in good faith whilst acting as members of the appeal panel.
Unless agreed otherwise (see Optional Extras) arrange accommodation for the hearing. (* see note at end of section).
Ensure that a suitable room which can seat at least 8 people around a table is available in which the appeals can be heard. Separate waiting areas will need to be available for each party, especially if grouped appeals are being heard.
Ensure that there is adequate parking provision for panel members, the clerk and all parents and/or representatives.
Ensure that refreshments are provided for the clerk and panel members. Lunch should be provided if the appeals are expected to go on all day.
If relevant, provide one black and white copy of the catchment area indicating the location of the school and, if practical, appellant(s) home addresses. This will be included in the papers and referred to in the Hearing.
Send a copy of the School’s Admission Policy and a copy of the Governors’ Written Statement to the Surrey Schools Appeals Service, at least 10 working days before the appeal date.
* If your school in unable to provide accommodation and panel members, alternative arrangements are available. Please see “Optional Extras”. / Organise all appeal hearings in a fair, equal, independent and professional manner ensuring all relevant and current legislation is complied with and in particular:
Send parents wishing to lodge an appeal the relevant appeal documents.
Upon receipt of a completed appeal form from parents, check, lodge and process.
Send you copy of any relevant completed appeal form upon receipt, together with a Governor’s Statement proforma and guidance notes.
Collate all appeal forms for each Academy or Free School.
Organise convenient dates for appeal hearings in conjunction with the relevant school.
Organise the required number (see Optional Extras) of independent and fully trained panel member(s), from the relevant categories, to sit on the Appeal Panel (this person(s) will not have any involvement with the Academy or Free School).
Organise for an independent and fully trained clerk to attend the appeal hearing.
Generate a running order for the day of the appeal. A copy of which will be sent to you.
Deal with any queries from the parent(s) with regards to their appeal.
Deal with your queries with regards to the appeal process.
Inform the parent(s) of the date, time and location of their appeal.
Reschedule appeal hearings due to cancellations by appellants or your school, as required.
Ask for any missing documents upon receipt of Governors’ case.
Send all relevant papers, including a copy of the Academy’s or Free School’s Admission Policy, a copy of the Governors’ Written Statement, copies of any accompanying papers and a copy of the parent(s) notice of appeal form and accompanying submissions to the parent(s), panel members, clerk and school within the time limits set out in the School Admission Appeals Code.
Notify panel members, clerk, the Academy or Free School and parents of the names of the panel members hearing the relevant appeal
Inform the parent(s) of the result of their appeal. Parents will be notified of results by a personalised decision letter. This letter will conform to the guidance in the School Admissions Appeals Code.
File and maintain all appeal documentation in case of future queries or correspondence.
Obtain legal advice before and during an appeal as required.
Review all procedures and paperwork regularly to ensure that they comply with current legislation.
Provide an Academy or Free School with statistics on appeals lodged, heard and results per academic year on request.
The Surrey School Appeals Service will indemnify its own panel member(s) against any reasonable legal costs and expenses reasonably incurred by these members in connection with any decision or action taken by them in good faith whilst acting as members of the appeal panel, in line with the School Admission Appeals Code.
SCHEDULE 1 - COSTS
These charges will apply for appeals for school places heard on or after 18 April 2017.
For the service detailed we will charge your school:
For each appeal lodged / £ 46This fee is nonrefundable and will be charged for every individual appeal lodged with the Surrey Schools Appeals Service.
Additional charges, as detailed below, will be made depending on the stage to which the appeal progresses before cancellation or completion:
Once the appeal hearing is arranged and the letter notifying parents of the date and time of their appeal has been dispatched, the following charge will be made: / £117 per appealIf the appeal is withdrawn by the parent(s) or a place is offered to the child by your school (settled) at this stage no further charge will be made.
For appeals actually heard by the independent appeal panel: / £69 per appealREASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS
Any additional costs incurred in making reasonable adjustments, eg interpreters, will be covered by the Academy or Free School as and when requested. The School Appeals Service will make the arrangements at no extra additional administrative charge but will recharge the actual costs incurred as necessary.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
1 Accommodation and refreshments - an additional cost of £15 per appeal
2 Panel Members - an additional cost of £11 per panel member per appeal and will include all their expenses and training
Invoices will be sent termly based on the above schedule after the appeals for your school have reached completion.
DEALING WITH DISPUTES
Cost for additional support and help on dealing with any dispute following a school admission appeal will be negotiated at the time and be dependant on the amount of support requested. Costs will be charged on an hourly rate dependant on the level of support required.
In the event of any legal action, taken by an appellant (eg judicial review) in relation to independent appeal panel decisions, legal costs will be shared between your Academy or Free School and Surrey County Council in accordance with the appropriate regulations.
In the event of a dispute it maybe necessary for an Academy or Free School to obtain independent legal advice.