11 Plus Exams Forum

I have sent some confidential information to private and confidential are so would be grateful if you can have a look. Essentially I would like to do an oversubscription appeal to LG. I believe cut-off for LG is 124. My child is on waiting list but very little chance of getting in as he is no 60. I would like to build a strong case with your help.

My key arguments are:
- catchment
- academic excellence. predicted level 6's except for writing.
- bad day in exam as he did extremely really well in Bucks exam
- friends got place, family been there
- really wants that school as he excels in maths and science and this is area of their specialism. Other than music what else id LG's area of sepecialism. He loved it when he went to open evening.
-Have some weak extenuating circumstances so have submitted to private box for comment. Also submitted copy of head teachers letter for comment.

Is there anything else I can include?

Welcome!

- bad day in exam as he did extremely really well in Bucks exam

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b50" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- really wants that school as he excels in maths and science and this is area of their specialism. Other than music what else id LG's area of sepecialism. He loved it when he went to open evening.

Specialisms no longer exist, so I would avoid using the word.
However, see:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-Have some weak extenuating circumstances so have submitted to private box for comment.

We can only answer specific questions if you ask them on the forum. (How else are we to know whether too much private information is being revealed?)

I will make the general observation that weak extenuating circumstances shouldn't be part of your written case:

• • 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.
    
    For example, if there was a minor disturbance during the test, but no evidence in the invigilator’s report, I suggest it’s best to say little or nothing about this in your written submission or in your presentation. Someone is almost certain to ask during the Question & Answer session whether anything might have affected the 11+ result, at which point you can provide a brief explanation, adding: “I wasn’t sure how much this could be taken into account as there doesn’t seem to be any hard evidence ….. I do understand that some distractions in an exam room full of 10 year olds is inevitable …..”
    
    There might be a lot of sympathy on the panel for this sort of reasonable approach. The mistake most people make with extenuating circumstances is to overplay them – much better to underplay them!

Suggest you review the circumstances:
• Draw up a list, putting them in what you think might be their order of strength.
• Ask yourself what evidence you have to support each argument.
• Bear in mind that, where there are ongoing circumstances, one would normally expect school work to have been affected.
Then start pruning!

Also submitted copy of head teachers letter for comment.

It's well-intentioned, but I think it would have been better without 'hardworking', 'sport', 'prefect', etc.
It's not meant to be a character reference. Personal qualities would be useful for any school - they're not a requirement for grammar school!
• If the head is supporting your academic case (that the score should have been higher), then the focus should be on academic ability.
• If the head is supporting your reasons for wanting a place, why doesn't he say "..... excels in maths and science" and link this with the grammar school's strengths? (This argument would be much more effective coming from him than from you!)
See:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b48" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Many thanks for your invaluable advice I will see if headteacher will amend letter. Regarding the extenuating circumstances I do have evidence that my sons grades did drop during the period when we had the upheaval of house move and the sheer delay due to builders leaving us in the lurch. And we were then in temporary accommodation for a long time which meant we were not settled. His cat results were not as high as they could have been. But what I am wondering is this a reasonable argument or is it weak so should I not mention. But it was a great time of emotional and financial stress for the whole family and we as parents could not provide the support that he probably required at that time. Has anyone had experience of this and used it successfully in an appeal? Also what is sufficient evidence to prove that we were in transition. I can show building and planning progress sheets of when renovations started and when they were completed. THis will confirm that there was no electricity or heating so could not live there. I have pictures of the sheer mess. Is the latter too much?

the upheaval of house move and the sheer delay due to builders leaving us in the lurch.

I suggested you try to prioritise your extenuating circumstances. Are you inclined to think this point might be top of your list?

Has anyone had experience of this and used it successfully in an appeal?

I'm sure it would have helped in some cases, but it would depend on (a) how convincing it was, e.g. evidence of the impact on the child, (b) how receptive the particular panel happened to be, and (c) whether the (more important) academic case was persuasive.

we as parents could not provide the support that he probably required at that time.

Children can be more resilient than we think.
He "probably" needed support? Any evidence that he was affected?

His cat results were not as high as they could have been.

Yearly CAT scores can go up or down anyway, usually for no apparent reason. They are not as susceptible to ongoing circumstances as routine school work.
Have you had a school report since the disruption, clearly showing a marked decline in the quality of work during the period in question?

I do have evidence that my sons grades did drop during the period

Assuming this refers to curriculum work, and is a separate point from CATs, could we have the details (with dates)?

But what I am wondering is this a reasonable argument or is it weak so should I not mention.

Still weighing this up! When we've reached a conclusion, we can decide what to do about:

• • what is sufficient evidence to prove that we were in transition. I can show building and planning progress sheets of when renovations started and when they were completed. THis will confirm that there was no electricity or heating so could not live there. I have pictures of the sheer mess. Is the latter too much?

Thank you. All very good points. My son Also did say in the exam he wrote the answers incorrectly on the answer sheet (horizontally instead of vertically) and he realised later on and fixed it but got himself in a panic. If I mention this will this make him out to be careless? Which is something grammar schools don't want. But we are only human. It would panic me out never mind a ten year old especially under timing constraints.

Also he had a disturbed night before the exam. It was clearly nerves as he kept getting up saying he couldn't sleep. Do I mention this? I couldn't not send him in as he was not ill. Then the whole fiasco of going into the exam did not help. Parents were gathered around like a picket line and were not letting in the kids who actually had to sit the exam. It was very crowded. Should i mention? Or should I say as minor point. " not sure if worth mentioning as I don't have any hard evidence but ............." Maybe not in written but at presentation.

11+mum123 wrote:Thank you. All very good points. My son Also did say in the exam he wrote the answers incorrectly on the answer sheet (horizontally instead of vertically) and he realised later on and fixed it but got himself in a panic. If I mention this will this make him out to be careless? Which is something grammar schools don't want. But we are only human. It would panic me out never mind a ten year old especially under timing constraints.

Panic?
Isn't the 11+ all about working quickly and accurately under pressure?

Also he had a disturbed night before the exam. It was clearly nerves as he kept getting up saying he couldn't sleep. Do I mention this? I couldn't not send him in as he was not ill.

How would you prove this, and wouldn't many children have been nervous and not slept well?

Then the whole fiasco of going into the exam did not help. Parents were gathered around like a picket line and were not letting in the kids who actually had to sit the exam. It was very crowded. Should i mention? Or should I say as minor point. " not sure if worth mentioning as I don't have any hard evidence but ............."

General arguments that apply to other candidates tend not to be very effective.

I thought there might be more mileage in your first extenuating circumstance further up - but you haven't answered any of the questions I posed!

Apologies I am we to this and at this point of time very confused.

Here are the answers to some of the questions you posed:

1)I believe the upheaval of the moving of house is probably number two in terms of proirity primarily because of timing as it was at the start of 2015.
2) his performance in school essentially stayed stagnant for the two terms that we had this issue. That hopefully should be evidence that thereof been an effect on my son. As otherwise every other year was always a top performer. I have key stage one results which show all level threes except writing
3) my second extenuating circumstances is where I personally had health issues between July and August. I think that takes priority as it is nearer the exam but it fell during under the summer holidays so I cant prove drop in school work. But I have evidence for health issues gp letter, consultant letters from hospital, etc.
4) his CAT results were still considerably good even though of all the issues we had which proved that even under some difficult circumstances my son performed well. What I am trying to prove is he is an exceptionally bright boy where his Berkshire result does not show his full potential. We as parents could not provide the extensive support that perhaps other kids have.
Also what is the view of an appeal panel on tutoring. It is reality that most kids are highly tutored. We couldn't do so because of our financial situation at the time.

2) his performance in school essentially stayed stagnant for the two terms that we had this issue. That hopefully should be evidence that thereof been an effect on my son.

It's still not clear to me what the evidence is. Does the end of year report highlight the lack of progress?

I personally had health issues between July and August. I think that takes priority as it is nearer the exam but it fell during under the summer holidays

Very sorry to hear about the health issues - but if everything was resolved by the start of the autumn term, why would the 11+ have been affected?

his CAT results were still considerably good even though of all the issues we had which proved that even under some difficult circumstances my son performed well.

I've explained that CATs aren't so susceptible to ongoing circumstances.

Also what is the view of an appeal panel on tutoring. It is reality that most kids are highly tutored. We couldn't do so because of our financial situation at the time.

I think appeal panels are well aware that admission authorities generally don't approve of tutoring.
It's not possible to prove a negative anyway!


Not seeking to be critical here - just trying to give you an idea of the searching questions you might be asked (or which could be going through the mind of an appeal panel).

I may be missing something but if you moved house at the beginning of 2015, how does that have an impact on your son in his 11+ which assumedly took place in the Sept before the house move?

I think she meant 2014, KCG. (I have the advantage of some background information!)