Non-Qualification Appeal in Kent

[TheWhiteQueen]

We are appealing to two Grammar schools in S.E Kent for our daughter due to non-qualification. Her test results were:

VR - 138 Non-VR - 141 Mathematics - 100 Aggregate Score - 379

I am about to send the application to appeal and have been gathering evidence but before I do I have a few questions I haven't been able to find the answers to.

1) Regards letters supporting the appeal, her class teacher and her set teacher have both written letters supporting the appeal but my concerns are:

a) Neither are on headed paper (does this matter? Should I ask them to re-do them?).

b) The Head Teacher has not commented or put his name to either letter (although he fully supports the appeal). Does this matter? Does he need to write a letter or comment or put his name to their letters?

c) She has already increased from a 4a to a 5b in writing since the teacher wrote the letter at the end of February. Should I hold off sending the appeal letter until her Parent/Teacher consultation on 27th March to get up-to-date levels? Or is it important to get the letter sent off in advance of the deadline 16th April?

The levels and predictions are written as follows -
READING (assessing comprehension of text) 11 years and 9 months (previous levels were much higher than this at 13.7 - this is a new test and the reading age now seems disappointingly low). I have included her last report in the appeal as it shows her higher, previous reading age. The letter goes on to say 'her reading test scores fluctuate between 4a and 5c although she has made progress since her last assessment and will comfortably achieve a level 5 in May'.
WRITING - 'Assessed at a consistent level 4a across a range of genres, and that by May, her assessments will have increased to a level 5'. Molly has just taken a writing test and achieved a level 5b. Should I ask the class teacher to re-write the letter to include this result?
MATHS - At the end of Y5, Molly was assessed at 4c, however in December 2012 Molly was assessed at 4a. She has made rapid progress this year. She has good mental maths skills and scores on average 18 out of 20 in weekly mental maths tests and 19 out of 20 in skills quizzes. Her teacher is confident she will achieve level 5 by the SATS test in May

I would greatly appreciate any feedback regards my questions; especially the question regarding holding off the appeal application to get up-to-date levels at her PT Consult on the 27th (assuming that is what will happen?) as well as the Head Teacher showing his support. I would also appreciate your thoughts on her current levels and any further advice would be welcomed

Anxious times!

Thank you.



http://www.kent.gov.uk/education_and_le ... laces.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Etienne]

Welcome!

1) Regards letters supporting the appeal, her class teacher and her set teacher have both written letters supporting the appeal but my concerns are:

a) Neither are on headed paper (does this matter? Should I ask them to re-do them?).

The panel will wonder about this. The letters really ought to be on school notepaper, unless there's a very good reason why not!

b) The Head Teacher has not commented or put his name to either letter (although he fully supports the appeal). Does this matter? Does he need to write a letter or comment or put his name to their letters?

It's not essential (but in this situation it adds to the importance of the letters being on school notepaper). You could tell the panel that you established that the headteacher fully supports the appeal, but left it up to the school to decide who did what.

c) She has already increased from a 4a to a 5b in writing since the teacher wrote the letter at the end of February. Should I hold off sending the appeal letter until her Parent/Teacher consultation on 27th March to get up-to-date levels? Or is it important to get the letter sent off in advance of the deadline 16th April?

I'm not sure which deadline this is. There are two deadlines - one for returning the appeal form (which could be as early as later this month), and one for late evidence (usually a week or two before the hearing). You ought to return the appeal form on time, but there shouldn't be any problem about late evidence.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a7" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would greatly appreciate any feedback regards my questions; especially the question regarding holding off the appeal application to get up-to-date levels at her PT Consult on the 27th (assuming that is what will happen?)

You can certainly return the appeal form, simply stating "full details of case and evidence to follow".

I would also appreciate your thoughts on her current levels

The higher, the better!
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck!

[TheWhiteQueen]

Thank you for the reply. I shall heed your advice and return a simplified appeal form with further details to follow.

I do have another pressing question:

We are appealing to two Grammar schools as one of them (which we favour) is heavily over-subscribed and so **** is unlikely to get a place. I understand we submit two forms and two lots of evidence; does it matter if they are identical? Do they go to exactly the same people? Will there be two seperate hearings?

Any further advice on appealing to two seperate schools?

[buzzybee]

Thank you for the reply. I shall heed your advice and return a simplified appeal form with further details to follow.

I do have another pressing question:

We are appealing to two Grammar schools as one of them (which we favour) is heavily over-subscribed and so **** is unlikely to get a place. I understand we submit two forms and two lots of evidence; does it matter if they are identical? Do they go to exactly the same people? Will there be two seperate hearings?

Any further advice on appealing to two seperate schools?

I would also be interested in the answer to this re 2 different schools. Thank you!

[Etienne]

Do they go to exactly the same people?

If you mean to exactly the same panel, probably not.

Will there be two seperate hearings?

Usually, yes.

I understand we submit two forms and two lots of evidence; does it matter if they are identical?

No.

Some parents are more concerned about two different cases!
See:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... school#c23" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;