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FAIRNESS OF APPEALS

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:31 pm
by Guest
Hi All,
I have been reading through the appeals, and there appears to be a lot of inconsistencies which I do not understand.Some have had sucessful appeals with faily low marks ,whilst others with 118 -120, have had failed appeals.Why is this? Does anyone know?
Is it to do with the child's overall performance in school?
I feel there should be a set standard and fairness, because it must be doubly disappointing for a child to come so close and still be turned down at appeal.
What do others think? Also I wonder how the children with sucessful appeals feel when they start their grammar schools , ie will they feel 'pressured' academicallyto perform, knowing they got' in 'on appeal .

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:04 pm
by Guest55
The evidence is that pupils that get in on appeal do well -

Most teachers will look more at the NC test levels than at the VR score - as I've said elsewhere I would worry more about someone with 3 level 4s than a VR less than 121.

If your child gets in on appeal they deserve their place and should never be made to feel any different.

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:10 pm
by Guest
Etienne wrote:Let me give as an example "John". John scored 114, has a "2" recommendation, middle 25%, predicted 4/5s for KS2. Horrendous extenuating circumstances, ongoing for 1-2 years, affecting 11+ and depressing curriculum results, but thankfully now at an end. Parents say that John is actually very bright. He achieved straight 3s at KS1. His school reports before the extenuating circumstances are exceptionally good. He has a VR CAT score of 129 in September of year 3, and 130 in September of year 4. His current academic achievements may not be impressive, but there is plenty of evidence of high ability.

Then there is "Janet". Janet scored 120 and 114, has a "1" recommendation, top 25%, predicted straight 5s for KS2. Janet shines in class because she is so hardworking and enthusiastic. All her subject reports put the emphasis on how diligent she is. If there is a criticism, it is that she works slowly. Her previous CAT VR scores are 114 and 110. There are no extenuating circumstances. The panel conclude that Janet achieves her results through sheer hard work, is not quite as bright as her school thinks, and that 114 - or perhaps the average of the scores, 117 - is a better indicator of her ability than 120.
Would it be inconsistent for a panel to uphold John's appeal but not Janet's?

Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:25 pm
by Etienne
Perhaps I could have thrown in for good measure that the OOS from Janet's school was 25% accurate, the one from John's school 95% accurate. :D

No doubt there were other facts as well.
Very difficult to judge cases without hearing all the evidence and reading all the papers .........

Re: FAIRNESS OF APPEALS

Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:37 pm
by hugh
Anonymous wrote:Some have had sucessful appeals with faily low marks ,whilst others with 118 -120, have had failed appeals.Why is this?
For all the reasons in Etienne's example.

If appeals were based purely on score, there wouldn't be a need for a panel; they'd just lower the pass rate.

Appeals are to sift through the boderline cases to decide which children are most suitable for grammar school. How successful you think they are at that perhaps depends on whether your own appeal is successful or not.

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:49 pm
by Guest
Hi Hugh,
thanks for all the replys, I don't have a problem as my own child passed very well,I was rather concerned about the' very borderline ' cases who did not have successful appeals.
I now know that the panel looks at the child's overall performance at school, and circumstances which may have led to the child performing badly. I still think it's so sad for a child to fail at appeal when their score is so close to 121. However,I take on board your comments re 'not lowering the pass mark'