Bexley test, missed by 1 mark

partygirl · Post by **partygirl** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:26 am

Hi,

I don't know much about Bexley but my DD failed the Slough Grammar exams last year by one mark too. I appealed and won so it is worth giving the appeal a shot.

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Partygirl

testbuster · Post by **testbuster** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:07 pm

How dare the HT refused to back an appeal? It doesn't matter whether she 'believes' in the 11+ or not, she is paid by the taxpayer and hence ultimately by you, the parents. It's her job to do the best for the children in her school, not follow her personal political beliefs.

My DS used to have a HT like that. We changed schools.

toy · Post by **toy** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:10 am

Thanks partygirl and testbuster, I'm definately going ahead with the appeal, I wish I know where to begin.

sallyj · Post by **sallyj** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:32 am

Dear Toy,we were in your position last year-missed by two marks though-we appealed & won

It's a slog,your emotions will be all over the place,but it can be done. We wouldn't have known where to start without the wonderful help & support of this site.
There is a mass of information on appeals on here,& what you can't find or don't understand, just ask.
Good luck,Sallyj

toy · Post by **toy** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:44 pm

Thanks Sallyj for your response.
Had a meeting with the class teacher who said she wasn't surprised that he missed by a mark because my son is laid back. She showed his work to me to support the fact that he is very able and doing better than his friends that passed, he just does not put in the required effort.
I contacted Bexley today only to be told that the review can only come through the HT.
I don't know what else to do if HT insist on not getting involved.

testbuster · Post by **testbuster** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:50 pm

Surely the HT is meant to support the pupils. How about going to the chairman of governors, who is her employer?

Post by **Etienne** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:02 pm

It doesn't apply to toy, but there are some LAs that go so far as to instruct their headteachers not to support 11+ appeals.

testbuster · Post by **testbuster** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:05 pm

Etienne wrote:It doesn't apply to toy, but there are some LAs that go so far as to instruct their headteachers not to support 11+ appeals.

In that case you wonder why they bother having grammar schools - or do you mean in neighbouring boroughs? A certain per centage always get through on appeal. Sometimes I wonder why these people are involved in education, they don't always seem to have the best interest of the children at heart.

wonderwoman · Post by **wonderwoman** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:11 pm

I wonder if they ask HT not to get involved to make it fairer. Perhaps the appeals panels can then just judge on the evidence given. I imagine that would put everyone in the same boat and no one could say they got help from HT because they are chairman of PTA etc.
Just a thought.

Post by **Etienne** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:41 pm

I think wonderwoman is right in some cases. I hear that my own LA strongly discourages primary heads from turning up in support of individual pupils at appeal because it can be perceived as being unfair (but it does have a standard format for all heads to make written representations).

However, there are some non-selective authorities bordering selective LAs that do not want co-operation with 11+ appeals for purely political reasons, and a headteacher may come under pressure from the LA and perhaps their own chair of governors as well. Parents have a right to exercise choice in what they believe to be their child's best interests - and one would have thought this should be above politics.

To return to Bexley, one would have hoped an individual headteacher would always put a child's interests first, whatever their own political views, if that is the issue here.