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Consult our experts on 11 Plus appeals or any other type of school appeal

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bodie
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:48 pm
Location: Bucks

Help gratefully received

Post by bodie »

Would really appreciate any advice - very new to Bucks and this whole appeals process. My son has just received his results and achieved 120 and 114. I believe he is bright enough to have passed and he was very confident that he had passed. Problems - he is currently at a private school where he took the tests - they are fairly unsupportive of the whole 11+ process and although I have a meeting with the head teacher later in the week I am not sure I will be able to rely on his support. We moved into Bucks area in August 2008 and our son ended up at private as we didn't know where we would be living until a week before we moved - rented for the first year. We moved from 70 miles away so he left all his friends in primary school that he had been in since age 5 - very traumatic for him and we subsequently moved again in August this year although still in Bucks. As a family we have moved three times in last 3 years and twice in last year so it does take its toll. His dad has also been working abroad off and on for the last year which has been difficult for the family. Son joined new school in Aug '08 and found very difficult to settle in so much so that I nearly moved him but thought that would be even more traumatic. I fear his reports at this current school have not been brilliant and even though I'm paying through the nose for his education he has not achieved his potential at this school due to the upheaval we have all been through. I'm going to speak to his previous Head Teacher and hope she will be able to write somehting positive - any advice on my best approach.
Bodie
chad
Posts: 1647
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:49 pm
Location: berkshire

Post by chad »

Hi bodie,

You will see that there are many 'views' of your posts but no replies as of yet...... your questions are not general and so I am sure that other forum members will be thinking it would be best to leave for our resident appeal guru's to answer.
Just thought I would post to reassure you that someone with knowledge of the Bucks area will reply (they are quite busy at the moment).
I am sure that the upheaval of moving will be a 'mitigating' circumstance especially if you can show that it affected his general school work. High KS1 Sats results would be a good start as would his 'levels' when leaving his primary school...... have the present school done any Cats tests?
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Thanks for stepping in and holding the fort, Chad. S-A and I are both overwhelmed at the moment with various commitments.

I don't see a problem with your extenuating circumstances, Bodie, so it all hinges on how much academic evidence you can assemble.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/11plus ... rs.php#b11

The 120 is a good score, but 114 will raise some doubts.

If it's as difficult as you fear to come up with enough academic evidence, you may need to think seriously about an educational psychologist's report.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/11plus ... ers.php#b3
Success is not guaranteed, but it just might tip the balance in your favour.
Etienne
bodie
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:48 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by bodie »

Would like some advice please, met Head Teacher today who is moderately supportive as DS has struggled settling into school when joined in sept '08. He submitted score as a 2:3 as he believes he has ability but currently not the effort being displayed. He will be all 5s at end of KS2 - previous head teacher will also write more supportively and will also predict 5s from her knowledge of him. DS did do well in Maths, English and Science in recent exam and has a reading age of 15 years. CAT score VR 115. His other score in 11+ was 114 - have we got any chance at appeal? Any advice would be appreciated - not sure we can afford the Ed Psych report
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Bodie
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Dear bodie

You must have a chance with a score as high as 120. We know that around 72% of cases with 120 succeed. That's an average, of course. Is yours a stronger or a weaker case than the 'average 120 case'? - Probably weaker, because of the second score and the CAT VR. The head seems only moderately supportive.

You do have the level 5s (but so do most appellants), and there's an excellent one-off reading age.

If the panel take the view that 120 is a better indication of your son's ability, then you don't need much in the way of extenuating circumstances. If, on the other hand, they're concerned about the 114 score, then I'm not sure your extenuating circumstances are particularly strong. Why would settling in problems a year ago affect reasoning ability in October 2009 - when progress in Maths, English and Science has been so good this term?

If you're lucky, the panel might conclude that the 114 was just a fluke result.

I wish I had some easy answers for you, but I don't. It's a decision that could go either way.

There's also information we don't yet have: how exactly the head words his statement of support, and how accurate his '1' and '2' recommendations have been in terms of those children qualifying - has he been overestimating or underestimating their ability? If he's been quite strict, then 'moderate' support suddenly starts to look better!
Etienne
bodie
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:48 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by bodie »

Thanks very much for your feedback. I should get the summary sheet from the Head teacher early next week so will have more idea. He did say, like you, that a move a year ago was not great in the way of extenuating circumstances although we did move again - in the same Bucks area 6 weeks before the 11+ which could have had an effect.
Interestingly very few kids from this school passed this year - much less than usual, there was also very little preparation for it - two very short sessions - not sure whether it would be worth mentioning that the school seems fairly anti 11+
Bodie
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Primary schools under the LA's control are instructed not to do any preparation apart from the official practice papers.

Although you know about the 2:3, you won't find out about the head's overall recommendations until you get the appeal papers (about a week before the hearing).

Good luck!
Etienne
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Bodie
Etienne wrote:Although you know about the 2:3, you won't find out about the head's overall recommendations until you get the appeal papers (about a week before the hearing).
Some Heads are happy to part with the information now if a parent requests it. You would need to ask for the success rate by each recommendation, i.e.

1:1 Total, how many qualified, how many didn't, and the same for each recommendation below.
1:2
1:3
2:1
2:2
2:3
3:1

Sally-Anne
bodie
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:48 pm
Location: Bucks

Post by bodie »

Thanks both for the feedback - it doesn't look good does it, Does the Head submit something else apart from his summary sheet which I will send in with my appeal?
Bodie
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Usually it's just the summary sheet. It includes reports on curriculum areas. There's a space for any alternative tests done in school, strength of support, any extenuating circumstances, etc.
Etienne
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