11 Plus Exams Forum

Although not her strongest suit, my DD was expected to pass Maths. Unfortunately she bombed i.e. 22 points off the pass mark. There are no extenuating circumstances. She is in the top set for Maths but her school work was not strong enough that the HT felt able to appeal.
She desperately wants to study science at grammar and has had a career in mind for years. We have an excellent comprehensive that we would be very happy for her to attend and the HT has said she will support the application. It is badly oversubscribed and, although it is our nearest school, we are some way away from it. Our next nearest is not one I would wish her to go to. Before I go to the appeals section does anyone think there is any chance or, as I suspect, am I barking up the wrong tree. I don't want her to feel that I haven't done everything I can!

MasterChief wrote:Although not her strongest suit, my DD was expected to pass Maths. Unfortunately she bombed i.e. 22 points off the pass mark. There are no extenuating circumstances. She is in the top set for Maths but her school work was not strong enough that the HT felt able to appeal.
She desperately wants to study science at grammar and has had a career in mind for years. We have an excellent comprehensive that we would be very happy for her to attend and the HT has said she will support the application. It is badly oversubscribed and, although it is our nearest school, we are some way away from it. Our next nearest is not one I would wish her to go to. Before I go to the appeals section does anyone think there is any chance or, as I suspect, am I barking up the wrong tree. I don't want her to feel that I haven't done everything I can!

Think I have a good idea of the position you are in. On the east side of the river, but out of catchment for Valley. The choices can be pretty stark. Have you explored the possibility of a late entry to Medway testing.

Thanks for the reply DoK. Yes, east side. Great when DS went to MGS and within Valley's catchment, just! DD at East Borough which may help. I hadn't considered the Medway option, will investigate.

MasterChief wrote:Thanks for the reply DoK. Yes, east side. Great when DS went to MGS and within Valley's catchment, just! DD at East Borough which may help. I hadn't considered the Medway option, will investigate.

We have been in the same position. When DS took the test about 5 years ago, we were prioritised by post code in the Cornwallis criteria, and well within catchment for Valley, so were not to fussed whether he passed or failed. As it happens he passed comfortably and ended up at MGS.

By the time DD took the test 2 years later Cornwallis had changed their criteria and there was no chance of entry, and we had become out of distance on Valley, our nearest non-selective.

Accordingly, we entered her for both Medway and Kent. Fortunately she passed both well, and we ended up in the, what I still consider a somewhat unfair, position of at least 4 good GSs to choose from. But, if she had failed the tests the options were pretty frightening.

When I considered the appeal option 2 years ago the lowest mark I found out on here for a successful Kent appeal was around 105 (and that was a good few years ago) but they had what I would term jaw dropping extenuating circumstances.

DD was also out by 20 points in her NVR so I didn't bother with the hassle of an appeal. Medway is certainly an option but the journey isn't very straight forward to the girls grammar. Its a doodle to the boys grammar, perhaps even faster than getting to local grammars.

Don't take my word for this but I heard in 2011 everyone who appealed Valley got in, they added an extra form or something like that. With 4 grammar schools within about 2 miles of each other, its a hard choice with the non selective options in our area.