11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi

Hopefully someone can give some advice re whether eductational ability is enough.

Our headmaster fully supports our appeal and I have started on a letter (based on your template) see below, but our headmaster thinks the extenuating circumstances are weak and should be left off.

Will the educational stuff alone be enough.

Thanks



Dear Panel Members
We would like to submit this appeal on behalf of our child XX for your consideration on the following grounds:

Academic Evidence
Attained 120 and 119 in the 11+ without tutoring

Recommended as a 1-1, and expected to pass with 131-141 by school

Appeal highly supported by the head teacher, current Y6 teacher and previous Y5 teacher

High grades for achievement – please see attached copies of last 2 years reports which predict high level 5s for KS2 in Maths, English and Science

VR scores of 129 in 2007, 135 in 2008, and 133 in 2009

Level 3 for KS1 SATs

Top set in top group for Maths and English (the school streams the core subjects of Maths and English into ability sets)

Selected to represent the school in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) competition

On the Gifted and Able register for Reading in 2008/9, in previous years has been on the register for Maths, ICT, Science and PE

Reading age of 16+ from latest tests

Extenuating Circumstances
During the period of the 11+ his father was suffering from a skin complaint that required frequent visits to the bathroom during the night disturbing the household’s sleep patterns.

For the second test XX did not hear the 5 minute warning due to his reduced hearing when concentrating, tied to his total deafness in his right ear.

I hope that the above extenuating circumstances would be sufficient to explain the small shortfall of one point from the target of 121 in his results and his academic results to be sufficient to reassure you that, should he be successful in this appeal, he would be able to succeed in the grammar school environment.

Thank you for the time taken to consider our appeal, we look forward to meeting with you and answering your questions in the near future.

Hi Feeling Down

I am inclined to agree with the Head for the most part. You have very strong academic evidence indeed, including high previous VR scores that suggest that the 11+ result is not representative of his ability. You also have very little to prove on 120/119.

I would quite definitely leave out the bit about Dad and the disturbance in the night time, and not even mention it at the panel hearing.

You could mention the deafness/5 minute warning at the panel hearing when you get the standard question "did anything happen on the days of the tests?" Play it right down though.

I would remove the statement "without tutoring" in your first line, and also the "in previous years" part of your reference to the G&T register - it begs the question of why he was taken off it in 4 subjects!

Sally-Anne

Hi Sally-Anne

Thanks for the advice I will make the changes.

I've seen before on the Forum that "No tutoring" is a no-no, why is this?, surely it's important that this is not an artificially boosted score and that others who should have come lower down the curve have been artificially pushed up. It's not a discrete score the 11+ result but a slice at a certain %.

I will follow your advice but just wonder what the reason is

Thanks

Hi Feeling Down

850 appeals, all of those parents claiming that their child wasn't tutored and a multi-million pound tutoring industry in the county ...

It is simply that so many parents claim at a hearing that "my child wasn't tutored" that panels have become very deeply sceptical about it.

There is also the question of what constitutes "tutoring". Employing a tutor? A few sneaky extra lessons at school, teaching VR under another name? Home tutoring by a parent? A pack of shop bought practice papers?

It is very tough on parents appealing for a child who genuinely wasn't prepared for the test in any way beyond the familiarisation process.

Sally-Anne

"My child wasn't tutored."

Irrespective of the argument, you should - ideally - be able to prove everything you claim at an appeal. (I'm afraid panels find that a lot of people tell fibs!)

How do you prove a negative?

Well, we went for the appeal last Wed (20th) and the wait for the letter is killing me - still not got it today (Mon) - Is this usual?

In the appeal itself we went through our summary of DS's academic results to which the panel commented things like "Yes, they are self evident" and "stand for themselves", but then they proceeded to really push the point about why he did not get 121.

To which we had no extenuating circumstances, as mentioned previously, so all we could do is go with a "we don't really know approach".

They asked about his outside interests (fortunately he does sport 4 or 5 times a week) and what he has read this year.

They also picked up on the fact that he is deaf in one ear and asked if this had affected his test score to which we could only again truthfully answer that we didn't know - how do you prove a negative?? We have never gone down the path of whether he should be registered disabled as we have never seen him as this.

They didn't really probe his academic record at all so we're hoping that this was beyond question!, but who knows what was in their mind.

Will post again when we get the all important letter.

Sorry never came back with the final appeal letter which may help someone next year (if we are successful this year!!!! ). Here is the body of the text.

As you can see if you follow the thread we dropped the weak extenuating circumstances following the advice of the forum and Headteacher.



Dear Panel

We would like to submit this appeal on behalf of our child for your consideration on the basis that his results in the standardised VR tests (11+) are not a true reflection of his academic achievements and potential.

His Headteacher in the selection appeal summary sheet comments “DS is not just able, but exceptionally able and displays more ability than almost every other pupil who has been offered a grammar school place from our school this yearâ€

Feeling Down wrote:Well, we went for the appeal last Wed (20th) and the wait for the letter is killing me - still not got it today (Mon) - Is this usual?

I'm afraid that it is this year. The backlog of appeals has meant that letters are taking much longer to arrive than normal. (In most years the wait is not more than 2-3 days.)

If you don't hear tomorrow you can ring Appeals and they will certainly send you a copy of the letter first class, or they might be willing to email it to you.

Sally-Anne

A couple of years ago we didn't receive our letter. I called Appeals, they would not email it to me but did put another copy in the post, we never received the original letter so not sure what happened to that!

The wait is awful, but as Sally-Anne says do call tomorrow if it has not arrived and get a copy, hopefully they will email it to you.

Hope wrote:A couple of years ago we didn't receive our letter. I called Appeals, they would not email it to me but did put another copy in the post

One would hope that, now they ask for an email address on the Appeal form, the system might be dragged screaming into the 21st century.

I have just heard the result of a friend's appeal that took place last Tuesday, so letters are taking the full 7 days to arrive, I'm afraid.