Any advice on appeal for twins who passed a GS test ?

[berks_mum]

Indiemom, you mentioned your DSs have passed Bucks grammars. For bucks grammars score is irrelevant. If they have passed both of them can go to the same school in Bucks. Just make sure you are in the catchment of your desired school.

[indiemom]

Indiemom, you mentioned your DSs have passed Bucks grammars. For bucks grammars score is irrelevant. If they have passed both of them can go to the same school in Bucks. Just make sure you are in the catchment of your desired school.

Yes I am aware that score doens't matter in Bucks as long as the student gets 121 or more provided they are living in the catchment area of the school they are applying for. No we are not in the catchment of any of the Bucks school, we needed to move to Bucks catchment by end of Sep which we were unable to do

[Guest55]

Indiemom - did you name any Bucks GS on the CAF?

[indiemom]

Indiemom - did you name any Bucks GS on the CAF?

No we didn't

[Etienne]

Thanks a lot for your response Etienne
Actually I was wondering what can we put forward to prove that the one who didn't get a place in the GS on 2nd March is of the same academic level or even better than the one who got admission (assuming that one has got admission and the other didn't due to the difference in points of 2.8 ). We have quite a few mocks at various independent mock exams providers, school reports as well as other high rated grammar schools results. Will they make a case for appeal ?

I'd be cautious about using other 11+ results (and even more cautious about 'mocks'):
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b50" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You could certainly argue that he was expected to score more highly than he did, using school reports or (ideally) a letter from the current school confirming this.
Any comparison between the twins (e.g. that they are of equal ability) would be better coming from an independent source such as the current headteacher rather than from you.

Actually what happened with DS2 who got lesser than DS1 in the local GS - he got worried and could not sleep the night before his first actual GS test (the local GS test was the 2nd one they appeared for), I tried to calm him down the whole night finally had to give him calpol. With that state he went for the first exam, he said that he was shivering in the big hall during the exam and by that evening he had high fever of 39°C. Next day we sent him to school as he was not having fever in the morning but school sent him back as it seems he started having 38°C temperature. The local GS exam was next day so I called up the GS and asked for suggestion, they said that they need a medical certificate from doctor dated the next day (the day of the exam) regarding DS2's health condition, based on that they will allow him to appear for alternate exam on a later date. I went to our GP surgery that evening, they said they can not issue any certificate for next day as the surgery is closed (the test date for local GS was Saturday) but were more than happy to write in those lines when the surgery reopens on Monday if DS2 is unable to attend the test on Saturday.

The test was at 8.30 am in the morning and we had to drop them off no later than 8 am. That means I had to take DS2 to out of hours surgery in local hospital very early in the morning to get a certificate to make sure that even if he didn't appear on Saturday he can still appear for the alternate date. As I teach both the boys, I thought it might stress out DS1 if I leave him in the morning before exam to take DS2 to hospital. So I decided to take both DS1 and DS2 for the exams. But while entering the gate we were to give a form signed off that the child which we did. May be I should not have done, don't know Do you think this can be put in the appeal as well as I have medical evidence from both school and surgery that DS2 was unwell (though I appreciate that I signed off the form that he is fine before the exam which can be used against us).

Two lengthy paragraphs ending with "I appreciate I signed off the form" could go down like a lead balloon!
Have you read the Q&As?

• • If your extenuating circumstances are not too strong (in the sense that there isn’t any convincing evidence to show that your child was affected) -
    
    ….. in this situation the best approach is to appear reluctant to ‘offer excuses’, to let the panel drag the information out of you bit by bit, if the opportunity arises, rather than to build it up as a major issue. Understate the point, or you risk diluting your case as a whole.
    http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[indiemom]

@Etienne

I just wrote lengthy thing to explain to you what actually happened, and wanted to know whether I should mention this or not.

No worries, I got the point -

a) no mention of mocks or other school performaces
b) do not mention the health issue unless asked
c) try to rely mainly on the recommendation from primary school's Head Teacher for the equal ability of the DSs.

Thanks a lot for the useful information.

I will keep my case ready on those lines, if at all required. Hopefully we will not have to go to that route at all. But I always believe in keeping back up plan ready

Thanks a lot again, this forum is great

[Etienne]

I just wrote lengthy thing to explain to you what actually happened .......

I know!
My point was how very difficult it would be to get these points across in a written submission - without finishing up with a tortuous explanation!

do not mention the health issue unless asked

Not quite! You could lay the bait, e.g. a single sentence "..... was not at his best on the day of the test".

There's a good chance the panel will spot this and ask you to explain.
Do not give the impression of offering excuses. (You could even say "I don't want to make excuses, and I did sign the form about his fitness, but ......."!)
Answer any questions very briefly, giving no more information than they ask for and seem interested in.

[indiemom]

do not mention the health issue unless asked

Not quite! You could lay the bait, e.g. a single sentence "..... was not at his best on the day of the test".

There's a good chance the panel will spot this and ask you to explain.
Do not give the impression of offering excuses. (You could even say "I don't want to make excuses, and I did sign the form about his fitness, but ......."!)
Answer any questions very briefly, giving no more information than they ask for and seem interested in.

Excellent advice Etienne , thanks a tonne. If at all I have to go through the appeal process, I will try to rehearse few time at homes what to say so that I am not nervous and be crisp to the point.