Would love your opinion on whether we have realisitic

[costagirl]

grounds for appeal. Son has not been offered CRGS or KEGS as score was nowhere near high enough. He's been offered our first choice secondary which is a good school. However, he is VERY keen for us to appeal for CRGS (his first choice.) There are substantial medical reasons for his 11+ score not reflecting his ability.

I'll try to be brief...

V bright child from pre-school age. IQ tested by Ed Psych friend when he was 7 (130)- but no documentation of that, did it out of interest. High achiever throughout school, long way ahead of peers. In Year 4, age 9, he suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and was critically ill for several days. Wasn't expected to survive at one point. Made an incredible recovery, though it ruptured again 5 months later and had to have further surgery. Has been under the care of Gt Ormond St since Jan 2011. Missed most of spring term that year, but was back by Easter. Confidence took a huge knock from everything that had happened. Since then attendance has been excellent, apart from hospital visits/stays. He is never off 'sick' but obviously has been up and down to GOSH a lot.

Academic performance still v good but had taken a bit of a knock. At the time of taking 11+, was on heavy duty neuro meds as suffers severe headaches from the brain trauma. Neuro meds affected focus, concentration, speed. His 11+ score was 281, way below performance in practice tests. The 11+ coordinator at CRGS was really helpful and told me his VR paper showed high marks first 3 sections, then abrupt 'drop' as he'd missed out most of last section. (Can;t remember how many sections there were.)

This has been the pattern in tests at school - very high marks for page/section 1,2,3,4 and then either 'stops', or 'can't find the rest of the pages.' Has just had 6 hours of neuro psychological profiling tests at GOSH to see if any neurological issues. BUT since coming off the neuro meds at Christmas, his scores at school have shot up. Level 5A English, doing Lev 6 paper. Scored 48/50 Grammar test, Lev 5 Maths. His performance is now back on a par with where he was pre aneurysm. Loves school,loves learning, wants to go to grammar.
I'm in two minds. Part of me agrees with him, that he should be at grammar school, and that he did well to score 281 under the circumstances! Now that he is off the meds and his scores have shot back up, he is a very high achiever once more. He is very feisty and wants to appeal on medical grounds. The other part of me thinks that if we don't stand a cat's chance in **** because of his score, just accept it. I would so appreciate your thoughts. (He is happy with secondary offer and understands that an appeal would prob be unsuccessful, but is still adamant he wants to try.)

[pheasantchick]

How will you feel if you don't try? Nothing ventured, nothing gained! You know if you don't win, you have a good back plan.

(Ps. Have you read section B on the appeals page. It's got good info, including a section on medical evidence).

[tigger2]

I would definitely give it a go...nothing ventured and all that.......Always worth a try !

Best of luck
Tigger

[costagirl]

Mmm, thanks. If his scores hadn't shot up this term since changing medication, I don't think I'd appeal. But they have, and he is more like the v high achieving lad he used to be. Hmm, know nothing about appeal process, best read up on how to start! If Etienne or anyone else in the know reads my thread and thinks score of 281 is prohibitively low, please let me know as don't want to waste time on a lost cause.

[Etienne]

If Etienne or anyone else in the know reads my thread and thinks score of 281 is prohibitively low, please let me know as don't want to waste time on a lost cause.

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a36" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He is happy with secondary offer and understands that an appeal would prob be unsuccessful, but is still adamant he wants to try.

That seems to me a very reasonable approach.
The advice I usually give is "no matter how good a case you may have, it is very unwise to go into an appeal expecting to win. Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst."

Appeals tend to be unpredictable - you can never be entirely sure what might happen.

There appear to be exceptional reasons for underperformance on the day - to counterbalance that underperformance you need as much academic evidence as possible to convince the panel of his very high ability. Focus on that, and let the medical evidence simply speak for itself.

Good luck!

[costagirl]

Thank you. Better start reading up on how we go about this.....

[Amber]

I used to work with brain-injured children, including those who had had brain surgery. The range of issues affecting their learning is pretty well-documented and indisputable. This isn't one of those slightly iffy areas, but absolutely clear-cut in my opinion; children can be high-flyers one minute and lose concentration totally the next, which sounds like what happened in your son's exam. Surely a panel could not ignore this kind of thing, if it's backed up by strong academic evidence?

[Etienne]

....... if it's backed up by strong academic evidence?

The clue is in those words.

Also important to focus on 'Why this particular school?'
(A36 c)

[costagirl]

Thanks ladies. I'm going to start gathering test scores, proof of academic achievement this term AND from last term to show the difference. Also got a letter from our Head congratulating him on recent progress - English score went from 4B last term (when he was on the meds) to 5A this term. Am hoping this kind of evidence will be relevant. thanks so much for your comments.

[instantsunshine]

costagirl have you asked the Head about whether s/he will support you in an appeal? Strong support from the current school would certainly help you. My DD went for a "Review" in Bucks when she missed the 11 plus score & our Head Teacher wrote a fantastic report for DD and also included in it the "extenuating" circumstance (which were nothing like as serious as yours) which affected DDs performance at time of testing. I then did what Etienne/Sally-Anne advised & didn't touch them myself in the review papers but just referred the panel to the HTs report. I also printed off some of the advice in the appeals section of this forum for the school to look at prior to writing the report on the basis that they may consider it useful as guidance about what to address. Good luck - win or lose you seem to have a great approach to this.