Pates not being very helpful

[mcs]

Hi,
I haven't been here for a while. Our son's appeal is next week and we have been trying to get some information about his raw scores from Pate's. The addmissions officer has not returned my husbands calls nor answered his request by email or post. This information will help us to determine what his standardised score would most likely have been, had he been given a fair crack at the whip. Is this information something we are entitled to (Capers? Etienne?) If so, does anyone know what we can do, as time is running out.

Thanks in advance.

[mcs]

Answering my own post here,
My husband has just received an email. No information, but a quick note promising to get back.

My nerves are in tatters

[capers123]

Hi,
I haven't been here for a while. Our son's appeal is next week and we have been trying to get some information about his raw scores from Pate's. The addmissions officer has not returned my husbands calls nor answered his request by email or post. This information will help us to determine what his standardised score would most likely have been, had he been given a fair crack at the whip. Is this information something we are entitled to (Capers? Etienne?) If so, does anyone know what we can do, as time is running out.

Thanks in advance.

Were you not given the standardised score when you had the results in Novemeber - 'indicitive score' I think it was called? I can't quite remember what we received in each letter. Certainly you should have access to this information, and if it doesn't get presented to you before the appeal, you can ask for a short adjournment to examine the info on the day.

The appeals I've recently been looking at (not Pates) have the raw and standardised scores for both tests sent out by the clerk for the appeals. All that tells us is if the child reached the pass mark or not, and how close they were. If they're a long way off, then there would have to be very very strong arguments presented.

While I've known parents argue that standardisation is unfair, on the whole it is fair (as most people here will agree). It could be argued that a child born on 1st May has a very, very small advantage over one born on 30th May (within the same month), but other than that, it's all even. The only exception tends to be for (very) premature babies, where the actual birth date is different from the maturity.

Good luck!

[Etienne]

I think you would have a right to the raw scores under the Data Protection Act, but you would have to state in writing that you are making a request under the terms of this Act, and the school would have the right to request payment of a fee first (not exceeding £10).

[mcs]

Thanks Capers and Etienne,
We have his overall standardised score, but we need both his raw and standardised scores for the second test, plus a bit more info. We don't think standardisation is unfair. Our appeal is based on events that occured on the day, which affected his performance.

The admissions officer has now replied to my husband, and hopefully, she is gathering the info we asked for.

[capers123]

The admissions officer has now replied to my husband, and hopefully, she is gathering the info we asked for.

Ah, that explains it. For information, the second test in Gloucestershire is often described as 'harder' than the first. As I understand it, it's actually the same level of questions. However, it's specially written each year for Gloucestershire using different question types to the 'standard' ones. Hence children who've been well tutored in the 'standard' type of questions may be flummoxed by kinds they've not seen before, whereas the relatively untutored are equally flummoxed by both. Anecdotal evidence suggests that untutored children may have scores for the two tests that are closer together than for the tutored. In general, though,there are often more missed answers at the end of the second test than the first due to tiredness...

[mcs]

Ah, that explains it. For information, the second test in Gloucestershire is often described as 'harder' than the first. As I understand it, it's actually the same level of questions. However, it's specially written each year for Gloucestershire using different question types to the 'standard' ones. Hence children who've been well tutored in the 'standard' type of questions may be flummoxed by kinds they've not seen before, whereas the relatively untutored are equally flummoxed by both. Anecdotal evidence suggests that untutored children may have scores for the two tests that are closer together than for the tutored. In general, though,there are often more missed answers at the end of the second test than the first due to tiredness...

That's interesting. I had no idea about the second test having a different format. Our son just said the first one was easier. He wasn't tutored, although he did some practice papers (one set that I bought from STR's , and the example questions I downloaded from Pate's web site - complete with errors!!)

Well, we have most of the info we asked for. Hopefully the admissions officer will send the rest tomorrow --Our appeal is on Monday and I'm already having trouble sleeping.

Thanks for all your help.

[Bougalou]

good luck mcs- hope you can get some rest, but I know it's easier said than done
bouga

[Tolstoy]

Wishing you and DS goodluck too.

I know you have Tommy's as a back up so try to think of it as a win win situation, it might help take the stress away a little.

[mcs]

I know you have Tommy's as a back up so try to think of it as a win win situation.....

Absolutely Tolstoy. I fell in love with Tommy's for all sorts of warm fuzzy reasons, but ultimately we have to do what we think is right for our son. In both temperament and academic ability, we believe that he belongs at Pate's.

Call me a bit of a 'hippy chick', but I'm a great believer in fate. I'm sure, whatever the outcome, he will thrive at either school..... Still waking up at 4 in the morning though.

Thanks for the support guys. I'll keep you posted.