Feedback from todays' 11+ appeal

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Ambridge
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:46 pm
Location: Bucks

Feedback from todays' 11+ appeal

Post by Ambridge »

My husband and I arrived 20mins early into the main reception at BCC (Aylesbury) and were asked to take a seat. All around us were 'appealers' and we were all chatting (not many seats though). There were many appeal teams (10+???) and some were running very late, the clerk from each appeal team appears from time to time to tell you how late your particular appeal is (put maximum money on your car park ticket).

Ours was about 15mins late in the end which wasn't too painful. Our clerk was very nice and escorted us from the main buiding to our annexe quite a distance away in the wind and rain. On the way we handed her our two school books (for the end of the appeal) and asked her if she wanted copies of what my husband was about to say, (he just read off a set script) She seemed grateful for this.

We entered a small room and around a table which fitted 8 max were the three panel, the LEA person and the clerk. The clerk handed out our speeches to everyone and they immediately disregarded the original paper work and studied the new script whilst the LEA guy went through the legalities as to why our son is not currently being offered a place at a selective grammar school.

The panel then asked us to present our case and my husband, quite slowly for once, read his script, I had a horribly dry throat on his behalf and a real heavy beating heart!!! They all followed the script as he read it and he read the whole thing without being interrupted.

There were two men (retired) and one woman (retired but also a school governor). They were fine.

The questions....

No-one told me about this one...

Did your son have tuition????

Or this one..

What did you think of the catchment upper/secondary schools in your area when you visited them?????

Then the questions were ok-ish and the panel questioned us in turn...

Why didn't the head supply a letter about a particularly distressed child during the first exam (which formed part of our mitigating circumstances)

How nervous was our son before the first exam, before the second exam, what was his reaction after the exam

(My son is head boy and represents the school in its anti bullying stance so they asked...)

What does the school do with regard to anti bullying and how does your son support this issue??????

Are any of his friends going to the grammar?

(We moved from another area into Bucks two years ago)

How did he cope with this transition and were there any differences in teaching etc.

(A strange one...)

In our speech we spoke about our rankings, 11 ranked which included our son, 7 passed and 2 passed who were not ranked, but none of the three had noticed or could find the relevant page until I pointed it out, that this was the scenario - good or bad - aren't they the experts ????

General extra curriculum questions about what he does outside of school.

Well, that's it, done and dusted...if its not to be well so-be-it!!

xx
GM
Posts: 42
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:20 pm

Post by GM »

Hi Ambridge,

I cannot believe the panel asked you so many questions. We were in Aylesbury too yesterday and we are luck because we are the first case in the morning, so no delay at all. Was your case over 30 minutes? My one was about 35 minutes.
Bubbly

Post by Bubbly »

Hi Ambridge

Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone. We have our appeal in Aylesbury on Friday. Again I am surprised you were asked so many questions. I will have to prepare further in case similar questions are asked to us.

Thanks again

Bubbly
Ambridge
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:46 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by Ambridge »

Hi GM

In all we were about 15 mins late going into the appeal, the LEA took 2 mins summing up the case, my husband took 6-7 mins with his speech and we were questioned for 5-6 mins so the whole lot took 18 mins max including looking at the books.

Fingers and toes crossed for you GM, we've done our best! Soooo glad its over, hate this 'in limbo' situation.

xx
dissapointed mum
Posts: 116
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 2:05 pm

Post by dissapointed mum »

Thanks Ambridge for your very detailed appeal experience.
Regarding the question about looking at secondary schools in your area, what did you answer? Were you negative about the schools or pretty positive about them. Not sure how I would answer that one, as I am not over enamered with our local secondary schools.
Oh boy, everytime someone else has an appeal ,there seems to be more things to think and panic about.
Best of luuck to you, hope all has gone well.
DP
Ambridge
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:46 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by Ambridge »

Hi disappointed mum

Don't be anxkous, its ok, the panel were just regular people, our head is far more scary!!!!

Secondary/upper schools - ours is not great for our son, so I just commented that the tour around it was fine, the head did a good talk and it was... fine - our head commented in her notes that our son would thrive in a selected environment so quoted that at the end.

They could make of it what they wanted....I think keep the whole thing positive and keep going back to quotes your head has made, not your own opinions assumptions.

Good luck and it is really not as scary as I imagined.

xx
Guest

Post by Guest »

A Practical Tip!

If your appeal is anything but first thing, park in the Long Stay Car Park, which is about 200 yards before County Hall on the left, as you approach from the Wendover direction.

It does cost £2.00, but who wants to be worrying about a car park ticket at a time like this?

Sally-Anne
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Feedback from todays' 11+ appeal

Post by Etienne »

It has to be understood that panel members feel under pressure to ask something! Hence the "filler" questions. General questions about the child are harmless (e.g. extra-curricular activities).

The important questions are about extenuating circumstances or the possibility of extenuating circumstances, and anything that might be linked with evidence of academic ability. These are the only questions that should matter when it comes to the decision-making.
Ambridge wrote:Did your son have tuition????
See separate thread

What did you think of the catchment upper/secondary schools in your area when you visited them????
A filler question. To ask parents' views in this way is so irrelevant to a selection appeal that in my view it's an improper question that shouldn't really have been asked.

Why didn't the head supply a letter about a particularly distressed child during the first exam (which formed part of our mitigating circumstances)
Relevant, worth asking - to see what the response is!

How nervous was our son before the first exam, before the second exam, what was his reaction after the exam
Could be checking for extenuating circumstances (was he in such a dreadful state he fainted?), but probably a "filler".

(My son is head boy and represents the school in its anti bullying stance so they asked...)

What does the school do with regard to anti bullying and how does your son support this issue??????
A "filler"

Are any of his friends going to the grammar?
A "filler"

(We moved from another area into Bucks two years ago)

How did he cope with this transition and were there any differences in teaching etc.
Relevant. There might be extenuating circumstances affecting his academic progress.

(A strange one...)

In our speech we spoke about our rankings, 11 ranked which included our son, 7 passed and 2 passed who were not ranked, but none of the three had noticed or could find the relevant page until I pointed it out, that this was the scenario - good or bad - aren't they the experts ????
I'm speechless!

General extra curriculum questions about what he does outside of school.
"Fillers"!
Etienne
Ambridge
Posts: 374
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:46 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by Ambridge »

Thanks Etienne for your interpretation, I only mentioned our questions in the hope that others will be more prepared..

Its amazing, we have been in limbo for 6 weeks or so, have had the appeal and are still in limbo - no wiser if we have succeeded or not!!!!

We didn't like the 'have you had tuition' question at all but am also worried now about the rankings questions. We thought the panel would think we were being candid by talking about the rankings and the fact the head had done quite well in her predictions but instead we ended up explaining what page to look up to see that two unranked pupils had also made the grade - on reflection I am not sure this was a very bright move at alll??

Well, have made a decision not to analysis the appeal anymore, will be back in touch when we have a result whatever it may be, we're ready for it, that's for sure!

x
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