Dyslexia Appeal

[Ruth]

This is my first posting on this site though I have found it very helpful over the past few weeks to view the advice and experiences of people in the same painful position as myself. We we going to appeal on Friday and are using our daughter's recently diagnosed dyslexia as the basis for our case. She achieved 114/118 in her 11+ test and we will be submitting an Ed Psych report which states categorically that she will have been disadvantaged by the time constraint and pressure of the 11+ test. We had her privately tested though with the school's support as they had recognised her literacy problems from year 2 but had more pressing SEN children to have tested. Because of her dyslexia she does not have very strong school reports (her own lack of confidence in her abilities has contributed to this) and is predicted to get 4a/4a and 5c in her SAT's though these were predicted before her diagnosis and she will now, hopefully get extra time. Importantly, she did get 126 in the VR test taken at school in November 2006 and 120 in 2005. Though for some reason she wasn't ranked with a 2:3 prediction. We notified County of her suspected Dyslexia in the Summer and were offered the opportunity to hold up the test dates until they had received the Ed Psych report. We discussed this with the school and read the Bucks Disability Discrimination information regarding 11+ and made the decision that there was little point in making her wait as the chances of her getting extra time for mild dyslexia was extremely unlikely. The headmaster told us that he had never known of extra time being given in these cases.
The school are giving us their full support.
If anyone has had a similar experience of this situation or advice to give us it would be very much appreciated. We will also share our experience of our Appeal on Friday.

[Guest55]

Welcome!

She would have got extra time in the 11+ - it is unfortunate the Head did not know this!

The panel will have to decide if the extra time would have closed the gap - I hope you get a knowledgeable panel!

Did the Head say why she wasn't ranked?

[Ruth]

The Headteacher said he thought it was a mistake that she wasn't ranked which will be our approach in the appeal. I am interested that you say she would have got extra time have you direct experience of this situation?
Thanks for responding.

[Guest55]

My child got extra time in the 12+ plus a break in the middle and sailed through by miles -

Our 11+ appeal was unsuccessful and it was based on the fact that extra time should have been given. The LA rep agreed extra time should have been given but Head did not ask for it and we did not know she hadn't until too late!!

Extra time was given for KS2 NC tests after we appealed though!

[Ruth]

Thanks for this encouraging information. Was your child diagnosed with severe dyslexia? What was their score for the 11+ appeal. I haven't been able to find very much inforation about other cases of dyslexic children's appeals.

[Guest55]

VR 117 so similar to your child - our child's special needs include dyslexia - I think if I was preparing Appeal now I would pick out the types that are found difficult and show the proportion of questions that this would be.

[Ruth]

Thanks Guest 55, I will take your advice. It will have been the vocabulary questions which will have been difficult and the ones which require a lot of reading. She is capable of understanding both sorts but the time limit and pressure makes her head 'fizz' as she describes it.
I am not looking forward to Friday.

[Susie]

We have our appeal soon and our son also suffers from dyslexia. Unfortunately we didn't have him tested until after the exam and therefore he didn't get extra time.
What was the outcome of your appeal.