11 Plus Exams Forum

Hey just looking for some advice on realistic probability success of a selection review, not spoke to head yet and year 5 report a little ambiguous as all 'working at expectation' but end of year 4 was all 4a? DS was diagnosed with diabetes at the beginning of October and nurse confirms would definitely been in a state of high blood sugar and is happy to write a report on effects this would have on cognitive skills during exam and period before? I genuinely believe he is up to Grammar or I wouldn't even consider but am I barking up the wrong tree with a selection review?

You need to ask the Head for several things:

* What were his/her recommendations?
* How well did children with similar recommendations do?
* What are the KS2 predictions?

Why not send for a review pack and see the sort of information the Head needs to provide?

What were his KS1 levels?

Welcome to Appeals!

We don't have a Y6 prediction, but to be honest, 'working at expectation' in all key subjects in Y5 would probably rule out a successful review. That's my guess.
I suspect they'll be looking for something equivalent to 'significantly above expectations' in Y5 & Y6.

As G55 suggests, they'll also look at KS1 levels, and in how realistic the school has been with its recommendations.

Worth studying the differences between reviews and appeals. Have you followed the links in Sally-Anne's post?
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=48535" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He was 3c for writing and 3b for maths and reading at the end of year 2?

Thank you Etienne, I have looked at the difference between Review and appeal, my thinking was appeal doesn't have to look at mitigating circumstance and review does, I kind of feel if headteacher recommendation and diabetic consultant support doesn't get me through a review it's unlikely an appeal would have any further sway?

I don't want to be the voice of doom, OP, but our experience of a few years ago was that an appeal panel didn't really have the necessary level of understanding to factor in Type I diabetes as an extenuating circumstance.

My advice would be to concentrate on answering the academic questions which Guest55 and Etienne have posed and not getting too hung up on the diabetes.

I have looked at the difference between Review and appeal, my thinking was appeal doesn't have to look at mitigating circumstance and review does, I kind of feel if headteacher recommendation and diabetic consultant support doesn't get me through a review it's unlikely an appeal would have any further sway?

I wouldn't agree with that. If you present diabetic evidence to an appeal panel, it should be taken fully into account. (I remember Rob's case, and think he was exceptionally unlucky with the panel he had. This could also have happened with a review panel, if there had been one at the time.)

The main issue is that I don't (yet) see sufficient academic evidence for review purposes.

Previous experience on here suggests that review panels like to see consistent progress.
Appeal panels are less likely to get hung up on 'linear progression'!
- but they will almost certainly want to see 'significantly above expectations' for Y6, and to understand any apparent discrepancy between Y5 and Y6.

Isn't the issue not that he has type 1 diabetes but that at the time he sat the test he was almost certainly diabetic but not known to be. I am as sure as I can be that would have an effect on his score. Was he exhausted/ thirsty/ loosing weight at the time of the test?.

Thank you moon unit that is exactly right we did not know he was diabetic when taking the test we ended up in hospital on the 25th September so only 10 days after testing, nurse has confirmed that ketones and high sugar would have had a huge impact on his cognitive skills, he had no tutoring at all as I strongly believed this was a test based on ability not practice, im incredibly proud he got so close whilst being ill that I just can't stop thinking what if?

If that doesn't count as an exceptional circumstance I will lose faith in the system forever.
Very well done to your son. 113 is an amazing score under the circumstances.
Do you know if he needed to nip out to the toilet during the test?
I don't live in Bucks so don't really understand how the selection review/ appeal system works but I really do wish you the very best of luck with it.
My dd has a very close friend who is type1 diabetic. Has spent a lot of time with us. When the sugars are high it's so noticeable.
I hope your son is getting excellent care. It's a big thing to adjust to aged 10.