school did not rate my child as suitable for grammar

[Sally-Anne]

This is still a mystery to me, particularly when children in lower sets and with lower SATS scores were on the list. Another parent said that the teachers were monitoring (though not marking) the familiarisation papers and used them to assess the children. Are they allowed to do this?

I am beginning to smell quite a few rats here, rather than just one.

I have come across quite a few Heads who simply don't seem to have Read The Flippin' Manual this year. There was some confusion among Heads early in the autumn term on the new recommendations process, and there is definite evidence in a couple of cases I have come across of Heads using the most inappropriate factors to evaluate children.

What were her marks on the familiarisation papers?

[Rob Clark]

Hi Sally-Anne,

Sorry to butt in, could you just clarify what the HTs ARE meant to use for the basis of their recommendations for GS? It would be really helpful.

My understanding is that they’re supposed to use a combination of factors including: SATs KS2 predictions, CAT scores (if the school does them), school work, reading age…

Is that right? Have I left anything out?

[Guest55]

Rob,

I would also look at the aspects that are difficult to 'measure':

How much help do they need to get going on a task? [I don't mean specific support for SEN]

Do they learn quickly?

Can they work independently?

There is a difference between a child that can produce work with lots of help and a child producing the same level of work with minimal teacher support.

[worriedmum1]

Which brings me back to the mystery of this rating - the Head said to me that they only thought the children at the top of the top set were suitable for grammar and then I found out her recommendations had included most of the children in the same ability grouping as daughter and some of the children in lower sets. Grrr......

[worriedmum1]

My daughter (same one in this thread) attended a 'mock' test session ran by ********** Education in Beaconsfield on the Saturday before the test itself and scored 123. She didn't attend any of the courses themselves but I thought it would be a good idea if she had an extra test session. If I reveal this to the panel how would they react? Would they be negative and see this as evidence of additional preparation, or would they see it as proof she could really do it? Given the amount of preparation and tuition many children have, it seems pretty minor. I would be interested to hear views. The tutor who ran the session is prepared to write a letter. The papers were not commercially available but were commissioned especially for the test sessions themselves.

[Guest55]

I would not use this as no-one knows how Bucks do the standardisation process and so this results is not helpful to your case. Concentrate on the academic evidence - hopefully when you see the case papers you will see how accurate the Head's predictions were ,,,,

[Sally-Anne]

I agree with G55. The panel can have absolutely no idea what the standard of the paper was, nor how the standardisation was done. Unforutnately it therefore has no more value than a test paper administered by the parent in the child's own home.

[worriedmum1]

Just caught last note from S-A asking about familiarization paper scores - they varied between 64 out of 80 to 72 out of 80, so fairly respectable given the troubles my daughter was having out of school at that time.

[huntlie]

The Year 5 scores seem low to me - a 4a , 4b, 4c most certainly would not be enough to be supported for Grammar School here in Sutton, for example! My GD got a 5b in Writing, 5c Reading and 4a Maths, and the Head told my son that she was 'likely, but not certain' to get in to Grammar school. In past years, so far as we know, it has been absolutely 100% the case that only those in top set for everything have 'made it.' Unless your stystem is much easier than ours, your daughter sounds 'average' rather than 'Grammar School' to me.

[Guest55]

Huntlie that is not a very useful comment when appeals are so close!

Bucks GS select the top 30% - most children (about two thirds) will have 3 KS2 level 5s but it depends how these Year 5 levels were obtained e.g a one off test.