What to do? A series of unfortunate events!
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:58 pm
Last year my daughter, a late developer due to cross-lateralism, took her 11+ test . On the morning of one of the tests she discovered by accident that her great grandmother had died, and was distressed at the news. She came home from school with a fever and was kept from school the following day. BTW I'm not suggesting that the bad news caused the fever, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was stress induced.
The results came back with a fail. The school said that the VR paper had almost reached the required pass mark (110) but the NVR paper was just average. The school said never mind, wait until you get the SATS results, and if her improvements continue at the present exponential rate, consider an appeal. Had she passed, she would have been able to apply to a Grammar School within catchment, and another sibling attended Grammar school that was out of catchment.
At the end of the summer term we were given her SAT results. It seems that her teachers had considered her expected grades to be level 4s, but infact she scored level 5s in english and science, with a level 4 in maths.
Considering the advice from the primary school, we contacted our local Grammar School and said we would like to lodge an appeal due to the extenuating circumstances. As this was by now mid-July, we were told to return an appeal form by return of post, which we did, but the appeal would now not be able to be dealt with until the schools return in September due to the Summer Holidays.
September came and we heard no more. Concerned, we rang the Grammar School to be told that they knew nothing about the returned appeal paperwork. Now there were no places left, only a waiting list! We were given the option of taking a 12+ and to be placed on a waiting list that already had 8 people.
As an appeal at this stage seemed very difficult to stage considering the impossibilities of calculating for the upset during the 11+ and the fact that her primary teachers had originally only given a prediction of level 4 SATs, we opted for the 12+.
Even now disaster was close at hand. Three days before the first test she contracted a non-specific fever requiring antibiotics. Whilst still under medication she still took the exam, only two days later to have to return to the doctors with a worsening illness that turned out to be Scarlet Fever. After another course of the now correct medication and a period of convalascence she took the NVR paper.
We were very pleased to receive the results letter which confirmed that she had passed the exam with an aggregate score of 231 (pass 220), but due to oversubscription she was now placed on a waiting list.
It seems very hard to accept, but I'm told that my chances of appealing against the oversubscription are zero. Then it struck me that the 12+ test has served as proof that the original 11+ test circumstances are now worth appealing about.
Can I appeal about the original 11+result? If so, to which Grammar School, as there are 2 possible Grammar Schools that she could attend? In Lincolnshire you get the 11+ results before you can make your secondary schools application, so would I have to appeal to both schools as I originally was unable to apply for either?
No doubt both headmasters will hate me, but can an appeals panel force them to find my daughter a place? Are there rules about maximum pupils per square foot of classroom that would prevent form sizes rising to 31?
BTW the NVR score increased by 21 points!
The results came back with a fail. The school said that the VR paper had almost reached the required pass mark (110) but the NVR paper was just average. The school said never mind, wait until you get the SATS results, and if her improvements continue at the present exponential rate, consider an appeal. Had she passed, she would have been able to apply to a Grammar School within catchment, and another sibling attended Grammar school that was out of catchment.
At the end of the summer term we were given her SAT results. It seems that her teachers had considered her expected grades to be level 4s, but infact she scored level 5s in english and science, with a level 4 in maths.
Considering the advice from the primary school, we contacted our local Grammar School and said we would like to lodge an appeal due to the extenuating circumstances. As this was by now mid-July, we were told to return an appeal form by return of post, which we did, but the appeal would now not be able to be dealt with until the schools return in September due to the Summer Holidays.
September came and we heard no more. Concerned, we rang the Grammar School to be told that they knew nothing about the returned appeal paperwork. Now there were no places left, only a waiting list! We were given the option of taking a 12+ and to be placed on a waiting list that already had 8 people.
As an appeal at this stage seemed very difficult to stage considering the impossibilities of calculating for the upset during the 11+ and the fact that her primary teachers had originally only given a prediction of level 4 SATs, we opted for the 12+.
Even now disaster was close at hand. Three days before the first test she contracted a non-specific fever requiring antibiotics. Whilst still under medication she still took the exam, only two days later to have to return to the doctors with a worsening illness that turned out to be Scarlet Fever. After another course of the now correct medication and a period of convalascence she took the NVR paper.
We were very pleased to receive the results letter which confirmed that she had passed the exam with an aggregate score of 231 (pass 220), but due to oversubscription she was now placed on a waiting list.
It seems very hard to accept, but I'm told that my chances of appealing against the oversubscription are zero. Then it struck me that the 12+ test has served as proof that the original 11+ test circumstances are now worth appealing about.
Can I appeal about the original 11+result? If so, to which Grammar School, as there are 2 possible Grammar Schools that she could attend? In Lincolnshire you get the 11+ results before you can make your secondary schools application, so would I have to appeal to both schools as I originally was unable to apply for either?
No doubt both headmasters will hate me, but can an appeals panel force them to find my daughter a place? Are there rules about maximum pupils per square foot of classroom that would prevent form sizes rising to 31?
BTW the NVR score increased by 21 points!