Selection Review Advice- Bucks

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SPROUT
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 9:36 am

Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by SPROUT »

Hi - New to the forum so looking for some advice.

DD scored 115 in Bucks, was expected to pass. Discussed Selection review with Head who fully supports the review. HT has always indicated that DD is highly able and recommended a grammar school route.

What I'm not sure on is the likelihood of success as 6 points of 121..(cynical..). Some of the raw data going into the form is :

Headteachers Rec: 2:1
Current Performance Reading 5B, Writing 5C, Maths 4A
Predicted July 2016: Reading 5A, Writing 5B, Maths 5C

What are they looking for in the selection review ? is it just academics or should we also be adding additional info ie sports teams, etc, attaching a school report (excellent).

No extenuating circumstances - she messed up her NVR on the day, no explanation or excuse here - got 136 on verbal, 103 on maths, 85 NVR.

Thanks,
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Guest55 »

Welcome -

My thoughts - the maths is also below 121 so an additional concern.

The predictions need to be in the correct format - the review form explains that - levels don't exist now.

Focus on academics - anything else is irrelevant.

Your chances of success depend on how realistic the HT's recommendations were - did other 2:1s qualify? How do the HT's comments compensate for two areas being below 121?

I'm sure Etienne will be along to comment later.
Dollydripmat
Posts: 332
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Dollydripmat »

Hi Sprout

Have a look at my thread from last years appeal. It might will give you a few helpful ideas as we were successful with a score of 115. Main things for me , I added an extra piece of paper, with anything that I felt academically made her stand out, also noting that she was an a well rounded child, attending many extra curricular activities. I also photo copied on colour her end of Y5 report and using a highlighter ,I highlighted any comments that were relevant to her academic ability , ie my daughter loved classic books and her teacher mentioned this in her report about understating quite complexed literature at the age of 9. If the Y5 report isn't as good as you wanted it to be omitt it. We had no extenuating circumstances at all, I felt we had to acknowledge her low unexpected score, we didn't want to make excuses , we just mentioned being very young in her year group may have added to her first time exams nerves , etc we did mention also that she really wanted to pass and go to Grammar school adding pressure in the day...I can't remember word for word but something like that. Please feel free to pm me if you need anything more detailed . I got all my resources on here, everyone was fantastic with helping, I owe my success to many posters on here that gave me invaluable advice. Good luck, dollyxxx
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Etienne »

Welcome to Appeals! :D
SPROUT wrote:What I'm not sure on is the likelihood of success as 6 points of 121.
We've already provided the review statistics for last year to give you a rough idea:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... aneous#e34" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
What are they looking for in the selection review ? is it just academics or should we also be adding additional info ie sports teams, etc,
Guest55 has given you the answer.
Reviews are broadly similar to appeals with regard to the sort of evidence needed.
In the Q&As we've been very clear:
    • b) Don’t spend time saying how wonderful your child is at extracurricular activities ............. Non-academic extracurricular activities won’t influence a panel’s decision.
No extenuating circumstances
You realise the possible implications of this for a review?
    • For a review, the headteachers manual does state “The SRP [selection review panel] will normally expect there to be strong evidence of both high academic ability and exceptional reasons for underperformance in the tests.” [our emphasis]
      http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... aneous#e33" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


It looks as if you've a lot of reading to do! :)
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=44245" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
    • Hope you won't need our help, but we will be available if you should need assistance with reviews/appeals.
      Please do some reading first of all, before asking questions on the forum.
      Start here.

      See also this thread.
Once you've finished reading, if you still have unanswered questions, do please let us know.

Dollydripmat wrote:I also photo copied on colour her end of Y5 report and using a highlighter ,I highlighted any comments that were relevant to her academic ability
Unfortunately the panel will almost certainly be provided with the most economical photocopies (i.e. black & white), so any colour will be lost, and any highlighting will finish up as an ugly smudge! :(
Etienne
Dollydripmat
Posts: 332
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Dollydripmat »

Interesting Etienne, I thought at review they are given the envelope which I put all documents in and it's opened up there and then at the review panel. I thought it was the appeal where the extra photocopies were necessary . Possibly what I did was incorrect? Dollyxxx


It's helpful that you're raising these points, Dolly.

I've added to the Q&As:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a53" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I'll move our discussion to the general thread on reviews/appeals in Bucks (so that we don't take over Sprout's topic! :lol:)
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... ly#p542929" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks

Etienne
SPROUT
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 9:36 am

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by SPROUT »

Thanks for all the advice - all very informative - have read the info & still have 2 questions -

1 - Does there have to be extenuating circumstances for a successful selection review - I'm sure if there are this adds weight to the selection review form and your case- but I am aware of others who have had success in selection review previous the year on academics alone....although these could be in a very small minority.

2 - DD passed the Slough Consortium 11 + exams 2 days later - should I include this in the Bucks Selection review form, both are CEM Durham type. In the guidance it mentions that this may not be tactically advisable to do so, but is this not in favour of our argument on academic ability ? I really don't know how a panel of HT on the selection review board would look at this, but in my mind it would add weight to our argument.

Thanks as always for any advice re: the above.
Tolstoy
Posts: 2755
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Tolstoy »

I had a good look at last years reviews postee and I noticed if you have very good academic evidence like Dollydripmat or had just missed the pass mark, rags etc then mitagating circs not necessary. Also look at BB22s list.

In other cases the mitagating circs need to be backed by the head teacher's review form.

Will be interested to see what others have experienced.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Etienne »

1 - Does there have to be extenuating circumstances for a successful selection review - I'm sure if there are this adds weight to the selection review form and your case- but I am aware of others who have had success in selection review previous the year on academics alone....although these could be in a very small minority.
I agree with Tolstoy. I have long queried whether review panels apply their rule consistently in borderline cases close to 121 (or for exceptionally strong academic cases).
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=41358" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
    • A12 (iii) Did Review Panels follow their own stated rules? For example, the headteachers' manual refers to a normal expectation of 'exceptional extenuating circumstances'.
      How many successful reviews actually had exceptional extenuating circumstances? How was 'exceptional' defined? (This is an extraordinarily high threshold, and it seems improbable that even a majority had exceptional circumstances!)
      If this rule wasn't strictly applied, how could the process have been consistent?
The lower the score, however, the more likely it is that they will expect to see corroborated extenuating circumstances, if not exceptional extenuating circumstances.
2 - DD passed the Slough Consortium 11 + exams 2 days later - should I include this in the Bucks Selection review form, both are CEM Durham type. In the guidance it mentions that this may not be tactically advisable to do so, but is this not in favour of our argument on academic ability ? I really don't know how a panel of HT on the selection review board would look at this, but in my mind it would add weight to our argument.
The "tactics" are more relevant to an appeal. I think the issue for a review is entirely to do with comparability.
Although the same provider (CEM) was used, that doesn't make the two tests comparable.
121 in Bucks was presumably designed to achieve whatever instructions were given to CEM, e.g. to qualify around 30% of candidates, plus an allowance for 'tourists' who have no intention of taking up a Bucks place.
111 in Slough is designed to ....... ? How was the standardisation done? Review panel members are very unlikely to know.
I suspect that the argument will carry no weight.
Etienne
Dollydripmat
Posts: 332
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:19 pm

Re: Selection Review Advice- Bucks

Post by Dollydripmat »

The extenuating circumstances is a really difficult one to know. We didn't have any and with a 115 score and 1:1 HT assessment and L5A reading (plus two other L5)at the end of Y5 we did manage to be successful , although the at the time I really didn't feel we would be as I was very worried we had no extenuating circumstances. Another friend who's DD got 109 did have very strong extenuating circumstances ( end of y5 two L5's) was not successful at review , I thought she would have . It does end well as she did go to appeal and won. It isn't impossible it's a long road she gave an excellent case at the appeal. Dollyxxx
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