11 Plus Exams Forum

Having read the notices, I feel more strongly than ever it is time for a change to the whole system. Having gone through the 11+ with two children, I am more convinced than ever the system is wrong. My second daughter scored 120 in her vrt, and we went to appeal at Aylesbury. Thankfully, our appeal was successful. But I wonder how we would have felt if we had been among the 10% of parents of children with that score who are not successful. I understand there are around 1000 appeals. How much does it cost to hear these appeals? Surely, the first stage could be handled by a report from the school and an indication of the school's support. After this, any unsuccessful appeals could then go to panel. I do not believe that my husband or I really added anything substantial to the information already available to the panel. The county only offered "she failed to reach the required level of 121". I feel greatly for people who are unsuccessful. I know that the two unsuccessful (so far) appeals from our school were for children who would thrive in a grammar school - or better still a good comprehensive.

The appeal system isn't fair. It's a lottery at the end of the day..

Some people on this group Failed appeal I would have put my house on successful appeals.

The 11+ also isn't fair, and can fail the grammar standard kids.

Some people will say the Nfer VR tests are a fair indication of the potential of a Grammar Child. But try saying that to someone who child scored 120 and didn't get a place. And someone who scored 112 113 gets a place via appeal.

Surely more factors should be used when offering places.

Dear pr

There used to be a Review Stage in Bucks - but it had to be scrapped so that all the appeals could be fitted in before the 1st March.

Perhaps the time and money spent on the appeal sysytem would be better spent on adding 2 x NVR to the 2 x VR - it would give a more balanced picture of the child's ability.

I'm afraid a local authority couldn't do this ................. not unless the government repealed the statutory right of appeal contained in The School Standards & Framework Act 1998.

Etienne wrote:Dear pr

There used to be a Review Stage in Bucks - but it had to be scrapped so that all the appeals could be fitted in before the 1st March.

I would have thought that having the review stage would cut down on the number of appeals and the time taken for them.The review appeal was simply a matter of sending off the appeal form as you do now within a 2 week period.To my knowledge and experience children scoring 120 with strong support from the school got offered a grammar school place at this stage.If this system still existed,my daughter would have been offered a place, as it is ,we're heading for the omdusman.

The best system is the one that you think will give you the result you want .....

I used to hear appeals when the Review Panel was operating, and there were still plenty of cases unsuccessful at review, coming through to appeal with 120 and strong support.

A review would certainly weed out the most compelling cases (not necessarily those with 120 and strong support) and reduce the number of appeals, but the problem nowadays is with making timely arrangements. All those who go unsuccessfully to a review would still be entitled to an appeal. There is no obligation on the authority to have a review stage - there is a statutory right of appeal.

In Bucks the results come out in late November. Parents have around 2 weeks to submit an appeal. The appeals office works flat out throughout December to make all the arrangements, so that appeals can start at the beginning of January, and finish before the first round of allocations on 1st March. They don't know in advance how many appeals there will be. The assumption is 900-1000 - it could be less, it could be more.

If there were a review stage, parents would have a two week period to apply for review starting late November, reports would have to be obtained from schools, arrangements would then have to be made for specific cases to be scheduled and papers to be distributed, the review panel would then meet over a period of time to consider 100s of cases, results would have to be issued, and then the appeals process could start ..........

How would all this be fitted in with appeals between late November and 1st March?

No doubt someone will suggest having reviews and appeals simultaneously. It would be chaos!

Or how about telling those unsuccessful at review that their appeals will be late - after the first round of allocations? They would like that!

Remember that under the "old system" 11+ appeals started after Easter. When the National Allocation Day was introduced, Bucks to their credit brought the appeals forward to January to meet the 1st March deadline. But it meant that the review stage had to be cancelled .......