appeal

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njg

appeal

Post by njg »

Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:15 am Post subject: results

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My daughter got 117 with her broken arm!
I`m really proud that she did so well considering.
Just hoping that our circumstances are extenuating enough for appeal. What do you think?
Fingers crossed.
Well done for everyone for surviving.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Dear njg

It rather depends on the strength of the case you put forward, including all the academic evidence.

You don't say what the other score was. 117+117 would suggest a stronger case than, say, 117+113.

Good luck
Etienne
njg

etienne

Post by njg »

Yes both 117.
She has good NFER scores from year 5 and they test them next week to put forward more evidence.
Predicted 2 level 5s - possibly 3. Maths is her problem area.
Do you think it is appropriate to put forward photographic evidence of her injuries?
Thanks for your advice.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Dear njg

I would advise you not to bring photographs. A letter from the GP or hospital would be more appropriate. What you need to focus on is why the broken arm affected her scores. Was it her writing hand, in which case why weren't special arrangements made? Was she in pain, in which case why weren't the tests postponed? Was her schoolwork affected, and will the school confirm this? An appeal panel will need convincing!

2 x 117 will help. A level 4 prediction for maths will not - if the school is prepared to predict a 4/5, that would be a bit better.

Just how good are the NFER results? Something around the 90th percentile will help make your case stand out. (If you don't know the percentiles, the school should be able to tell you.)

Best wishes
Etienne
njg

Post by njg »

Thanks for the advice.

We were between a rock and a hard place. We could have posponed the test but she was horrified at the thought and begged us not to. She was already quite stressed about the whole thing before her accident. We had to follow her lead.
She did manage well with her arm on a cushion, it was more the affects of the general anesthetic that meant she wasn`t herself in the 2 weeks leading up to the test. Also shock can manifest itself at different times and in different ways. When you`re already nervous about something it`s impossible to timescale these things - she still isn`t right now 2 months later so how could we have known?

Not sure about percentiles - will check, but 125 in VR and 123 in english.

Went through appeal last year unsucessfully so kind of know what to expect, but with different circumstances this time we just want to try our best.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Dear njg

I've only just started to explore your case (just as an appeal panel would), and am becoming uneasy! The usual rule of thumb is that, if parents decide to send the child in to school, then the child is well enough to take the test. A panel will probably take the view that you should be taking the lead, not the child.

If your daughter was suffering from the effects of general anaesthetic and shock, it is no good just asserting this. Have you got written evidence from the GP/hospital to confirm this? Will the school also confirm that they noticed these effects during the fortnight leading up to the tests, and that schoolwork was affected?

If not, then your best hope of succeeding is to say that your main reason for appealing is the academic evidence (assuming you can put together a strong academic case), and then to mention - fairly low key - "and by the way, she was recovering from a broken arm at the time of the tests - see attached letter from GP/hospital". If you start by making the broken arm your main point, and talk about it at length, it will come under intense scrutiny!

Just my advice
Etienne
njg

Post by njg »

We have lots of medical proof, letters etc.
Her teachers definately noticed a difference in the 2 weeks after her operation. She had several days off school because of this.

So presuming we include all the acedemic evidence you think we such just mentioned the accident as an incidental?

Thanks
njg

Post by njg »

Apologies for my bad typing in the last post!!!!!!
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi njg

Yes, I think Etienne is absolutely right on this. You are aiming to demonstrate her suitability for GS above all, so NFER results, academic evidence, etc all come first.

The arm is then a brief mention in your letter as "mitigating circumstances" as to why she couldn't quite perform on the day.

I think you should emphasise to the panel, if they ask, that your daughter was determined to take the test on time, and became distressed at the suggestion that it should be postponed. She had been in and out of school over the preceding 2 weeks, so it was a "judgement call" on the days of the tests. It was her own determination that persuaded you.

Sally-Anne
JuliaB
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:31 pm

Post by JuliaB »

Gosh that's a tricky one. If I was on an appeal panel, I would have sympathy for someone with an arm in plaster, for example you have to put your pencil down to scratch your nose. The fact that she had two consistent results I would have thought is good news. If she had say 117 and 110 that would be against your reasoning.

Good luck with it all, let us know how it goes

JuliaB
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