Being young doesn't help at 11+ appeal stage

Consult our experts on 11 Plus appeals or any other type of school appeal

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
dejavu
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:01 pm
Location: bucks

Being young doesn't help at 11+ appeal stage

Post by dejavu »

Hi everyone.

We have just had a 12+ appeal for a none-existent grammar school place. Our Dd was born at the end of August and failed her 11+ - she got 118.

But when we came out of the appeal we got chatting to the LEA rep (a former HT of 25 years) and he said that in his opinion our Dd failed her 11+ appeal because she was so young!. He said that younger children get a couple of points added for the actual result. But that when it comes to the appeals, they are at a disadvantage. He kept on mentioning "means", but I wasn't sure what he was going on about. In effect, he said that at the appeals process, our daughter had a score of 118 and was born at the end of August, but according to this "means" adjustment, if she had got 118 and was born in Sept she would have gained 6 marks, and they would have passed her! I really don't know what to believe, after going through 3-4 years of appeals!

Sorry - don't think this post will help anyone - just make us even more confused!
many thanks
dejavu
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Post by mitasol »

It could be that the raw score for the September children are 6 marks higher (to get 118). He could be suggesting that they are unduly influenced by the raw score rather than the standardised score.

It's the only reason I can think of! :oops:
dejavu
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 9:01 pm
Location: bucks

Post by dejavu »

Yes - I think you are right. He kept on going on about the "raw score" - and the "mean score" and lost us completely (even though my husband is a geopyhsicist - he "lost" him completely with his explanatiion). And - you have to remember - we were in a "post-12+ transfer appeal haze" - so perhaps everyone ought to ignore this post - sorry.....
many thanks
dejavu
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Post by mitasol »

Good Luck. :D
capers123
Posts: 1865
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: Being young doesn't help at 11+ appeal stage

Post by capers123 »

dejavu wrote:But when we came out of the appeal we got chatting to the LEA rep (a former HT of 25 years) and he said that in his opinion our Dd failed her 11+ appeal because she was so young!
Odd. At appeals we tend to look at the standardised scores, as we don't have access to the tables used to do the standardisation. Hence no child is disadvantaged or advantaged due to quirk of birthday. We also tend to ignore any arguments to that effect. Sorry - I'll rephrase that: 'We also listen carefully to parents who raise any supposed indiscrepancy due to birth date, consider it fully, then decide that the standardisation takes care of any discrepancy, so ignore the arguement'.
Capers
Post Reply