Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

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monson
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:30 pm

Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by monson »

Hi please can anyone offer any advise on an appeal for Poole Grammar School. My son scored 292, pass mark required 294! He is gutted. He works so hard, he is way above average at school, currently level 7 maths, level 6 English. I want to appeal and try and get him a place at the school.
Things have been difficult at home in the last 4 weeks. Dad left me pregnant and I was then very unexpectedly admitted to hospital very ill with pre eclampsia, I end up having a premature baby, who then developed jaundice. I was in hospital for just over 2 weeks and no other parent to support our son. My son was passed from Nan to friend etc while I was admitted. It has been a very emotional time as you can imagine. Dad hasn't seen the children. I just wondered wether to try and explain all what's happened and the fact that my son did miss a few days from school at the time and I wasn't there to support him when needed. My son said himself its hard to concentrate on the test with everything that's been going on at home. I feel terrible, like I've let him down. I need to do my best to fight for this place. He is more than capable of grammar school, he is high achieving in all subjects and especially high in maths.
Can anyone offer advice of where to start with appeal? What evidence do I need? What are the chances of winning the appeal? I want to get everything needed as soon as possible.
Many thanks for any replies x
Tinkers
Posts: 7243
Joined: Mon May 16, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by Tinkers »

That does sound like quite a traumatic time.

Firstly, did you still put the school on your CAF, as you can't appeal for a place unless you've been refused a place.

The best place to start is here.
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you still have questions, then head over to the appeals section of the forum.
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... m.php?f=35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
quasimodo
Posts: 3854
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by quasimodo »

I am so sorry for what you have been going through.Can we assume you are in receipt of pupil premium ? I appreciate with all your other difficulties gathering evidence will not be an easy task.Could you please confirm the sats levels are correct namely level 7 in maths and level 6 in english and this is information from his state school ?

http://www.poolegrammar.com/the-school/ ... l-process/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am sure Etienne with her expertise will try to guide you in the right direction.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
monson
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:30 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by monson »

Thankyou for your replies. Yes I did list Poole Grammar as first choice for school place in September, I believe I will get the refusal in the next week or 2, which is due to him missing by 2 marks. I live very close to the grammar school so am in catchment.
Yes my son is entitled to pupil premium as I am now a single parent. It's been a really tough time at home and I just can't help that feel in 11 years my son has never had all of these traumatic incidents happen let alone around the same time. I feel so responsible that he didn't pass.
Yes levels correct. These are levels that my son is currently already working at now. SATs will only go upto level 6 so his predicted SATs will be level 6. Currently in school he is already working through level 7 maths.
I'm just so worried about what I need to do and that they will just say no, when he really would be a high a achiever and a credit to the grammar school. I have to get this appeal for him.
What are the chances of winning an appeal? Will the amount of evidence matter? Do I need to send my maternity/hospital notes etc?
Thank you again for any advice x
quasimodo
Posts: 3854
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:47 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by quasimodo »

Can the moderators move this into the Appeals section ?
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by Etienne »

So very sorry to hear what you've been through.

There's a lot of reading to do. Most of your questions will be answered in the Q&As (plus questions you haven't even thought of yet! :)).
Tinkers has provided a link above.

I think the evidence of all your extenuating circumstances will speak for itself, so let's prioritise what else will be needed:

First of all, read Start here as well as the Q&As.

Secondly, make sure you gather as much academic evidence as possible:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thirdly, don't make the mistake of overlooking to give specific reasons for wanting a place at this particular school:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... -school#c2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fourthly, see the Q&As for advice on how to put together a letter of appeal.

You have plenty of time, so there's no panic. The deadline for submitting an appeal is usually near the end of March.
If you're not ready by then, just write "details of case to follow" and send in the form.

Come back to us if anything is not clear. :)
Etienne
monson
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:30 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by monson »

Thank you very much for giving me all the links, I am currently reading through them! I'm sure I will re read them a number of times.
I suppose I'm worried that the panel will feel like the circumstances are not worthy of appeal? Like I'm using an excuse. Would these circumstances be worth of appeal of very slightly not hitting the mark?
I feel nervous already, the process looks very daunting and I know I only get one chance to get it right.
Im not even sure if my sons school are allowed to support appeals with letters etc, I will be asking them to help tomorrow.
I just wondered because evidence is required will I need to get some kind of hospital report from someone to explain what happened and the effect it has had on home life? I worry about this as I'm not sure anyone from the hospital would be allowed to provide written letters for a specific person.
Would it also be worth mentioning that my sons teacher of year 5 left at Xmas term and then they had various teachers the rest of the year? Does it make any difference that my son does not learn verbal reasoning at all at school? He's had never had any tuition, extra lessons or even practice papers because I was physically not home to do them at the time, so his results are purely from the top of his head without adding all the other things going on at home.
So many questions and I think I'm panicking that I won't get much support or evidence from school/hospital and it will just come down to me writing my plea and reasons with only my word to believe.
Does receiving pupil premium make any difference?
Thank you again for any replies, all info and options are greatly recieved x
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by Guest55 »

monson - I'm sorry to hear what you have been through.

I do think you need to speak to your Primary school as levels aren't used any more nor have they been for nearly three years. They need to give predictions as a score of 110+ [or between 110 and 120] for the KS2 tests. Writing needs to be 'greater depth' I think or whatever they use but not levels.

I hope you get a lot of support from the school and they write an academic-focused report.

You've found the best place for help :)
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by Etienne »

monson wrote:I suppose I'm worried that the panel will feel like the circumstances are not worthy of appeal? Like I'm using an excuse.
No!
Would these circumstances be worth of appeal of very slightly not hitting the mark?
Yes!
I just wondered because evidence is required will I need to get some kind of hospital report from someone to explain what happened and the effect it has had on home life?
The discharge letter? Perhaps a letter from your GP (although there will probably be a charge).
Would it also be worth mentioning that my sons teacher of year 5 left at Xmas term and then they had various teachers the rest of the year? Does it make any difference that my son does not learn verbal reasoning at all at school? He's had never had any tuition, extra lessons or even practice papers
You have more than enough extenuating circumstances! :)
The biggest risk is that you're not going to focus on the points I listed in my previous post.
Does receiving pupil premium make any difference?
Yes, it's probably worth a sentence - but you're still too focused on extenuating circumstances.

A quote from the Q&As:
    • You might win an appeal with strong academic evidence but no extenuating circumstances.
      You cannot win an appeal with extenuating circumstances but insufficient academic evidence.
Etienne
monson
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:30 pm

Re: Appeal help please! 2 marks off. Poole grammar.

Post by monson »

Thank you again Etienne. I will try and get a letter from my health visitor just explaining what's happened at home and being in hospital.
I have asked my sons school for letters of support. His class teacher is happy to write a letter but has written me a note asking wether there is just a standardised letter or what needs to be included?
What should I ask the class teacher to include that is going to help my case? What kind of thing shall she write? Other than current levels what else will greatly help? Does the teacher write about the circumstances or just purely about the acedemic side of things?
Thank you again for any replies x
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