successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

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reallyhoping
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:34 am

successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by reallyhoping »

Sorry to bother you all as I know every one is caught up with their own stresses

I wonder if anyone can help

I need to make an appeal as my duaghter passed the grammar school but was not offered a place on National Offer day

There are extenuating circumstances

which include difficult home circumstances
premature birth she was born at 29 weeks gestation but no marks are awarded for prematurity it would seem on the standardised marks
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by T12ACY »

Morning! I don't have much to offer at this early hour but just wanted to say you are in the right place for very good advice. Your daughter (on here you will find her referred to as DD) has qualified which is great so you need to appeal that she passed but wasn't offered, which believe me is quite different to battling the non qualification side of things too!

Do read the 'Over subscription' section from the 'appeals' tab at the top of the page, and also the 'Feedback' Sticky at the top of the 11 plus appeals section.

Good luck :D
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
Bailey
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2011 12:27 pm

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by Bailey »

You definately need to read the Q&A section, then start to build up an evidence of why your dd needs to go to that particular school. Look at the things they offer and specialise in that would especially benefit your dd.

Other with more knowledge than me will hopefully be along soon!

Good Luck
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by hermanmunster »

Hi reallyhoping, which area are you in? Was it because of score or distance that you did not get offered a place?

If it is score then you will need to look at the qualification appeal info, if it is the distance the oversubscription. From memory (try using the search facility - I'll have a look when I've got the plumbers organised) - there have been discussions about prematurity in the past.
Sometimes it can make a difference even at this age, for example if they are in an academic year ahead of the one they would have been in if they had been born at term IYSWIM.
However it is quite difficult to argue too much down this line if the child has been doing well at school (which you will want to be arguing :wink: ) as being prem is not likely to explain why there is a sudden "blip" on the exam day, as you say there may be other circumstances to explain that..
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by Etienne »

Premature birth is discussed here:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 35&t=15025" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(scroll down to no. 16)

As Herman suggests, you need to be careful about whether or not it supports your argument.
Etienne
reallyhoping
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:34 am

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by reallyhoping »

Thank you very much for all the replies. It is comforting to know that there are others out there ready to offer really good advice

this is why I was not sure whether to push prematurity as she has been doing well at school

at the time there were extenuating circumstances i.e marraige breakdown

also DD was required to sit two exams on one day

any advice on this would help me thank you so much
T12ACY
Posts: 800
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Kent

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by T12ACY »

Just to reiterate what hermanmunster said. Some will depend on the area you are in. For example in Kent it is normal for in county DC to take 2 tests each day over 2 consecutive days, but for out of county to do all 4 of them in a single day :shock:

Is there a reason why DD took 2 exams in a single day, was this too much pressure and why. To be fair I would say that if it is the norm where you are then the panel would be likely to think everyone had the same stress.

Reading what you have initially said it sounds as though DD passed the test to be offered but another reason meant your application was rejected. Although you then go on to say there were extenuating circumstances. This confuses me a little as if she passed you wouldn't need to focus as much on ability or the extenuating circumstances for anything other than a need for that particular school.

It helps to know why she didn't get a place. Was it score or distance, or something else? (not sure what else there is.....)
Money can't buy you happiness, but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by hermanmunster »

As GS have differing oversubscription criteria then we can't really comment further without knowing which school it is. If it is a score based criteria then you need to look at why she didn't get a higher score, and if it is distance then why that school should be the right one for her. Also where she is on a waiting list?
reallyhoping
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 4:34 am

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by reallyhoping »

Thank you again for your reply.

It is a GS in Surrey and the letter only said that DD was not awarded a place due to over subscription. Although she passed there were others with higher scores and she is quite close to the pass mark

It would be unusual for a child to sit two exams for different schools on one day in Surrey and the stress of this forms the basis of the appeal. The GS offered her a chance to do the exam with other girls who were ill at the time of the original date. However the other selective school did not have a date set aside for those who were unwell on the day and they insisted that she sat the exam on the same day as the GS and advised that there would be no other date allocated



However there are also other circumstances involving home life.

I will of course focus on why she requires a place in the Grammar school but these were additional points in order to help strengthen the case

As far as I know we will not know waiting list positions until April 1st

Thank you once again
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: successful appeal chances for Grammar schoool

Post by hermanmunster »

OK sounds like you have to find and present the evidence as to why she should have scored higher - that is where you need academic evidence from her school showing that she would be expected to get higher scores and also evidence of extenuating circumstances as to why she didn't - be careful with these though, it is no good presenting excellent flawless record from school despite problems at home and then attribute the 11 plus problems to the same home issues.

It is obviously different if she was doing very well at school and then the school noticed (independently ) a drop in performance when say a member of the family was very ill or something like that.

re taking 2 exams on on one day - still not clear about this - were either of them indies? how many other children had to do 2 exams?
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