appeals submissions

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:00 pm

Tired Mum wrote:Hey Love.... I feel like that too. You are not alone- keep your chin up, take a deep breath and read through it all again. Have you covered everything? Re-read the appeal section and also somewhere today a lady did a great post which went into detail about what the appeals panel looked at.. Check that one out.

Honey, we (and quite a few others) are in this nightmare with you and we are all frightened and sick to our stomachs BUT all any of us can do is our very best for our children.

Keep checking here for support

I'm checking on you too TM! HAS IT GONE YET?

Jenny

Not sure what advice you're looking for - the only major post today was by Etienne and was very case-specific. Let us know more and I will test my encyclopaedic knowledge for posts for the last 18 months!

Sally-Anne

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:05 pm

Could it be the post by Ambridge? is from thursday though..

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=2336

Tired Mum · Post by **Tired Mum** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:14 pm

Catherine wrote:Could it be the post by Ambridge? is from thursday though..

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=2336

Yipee! Thanks Catherine... sorry for misleading you Mother but yes this is the one.

Sally-Anne, just about to photocopy it. I have a nice folder and a padded envelope. Will be delivering by hand tomorrow.

So frightened though the real fear and stomach churn is just untrue! what if I've mucked it up, left something out etc. etc. etc?????? Have read and re-read it and apart from a couple of tweaks it is the same as the version I wrote on 5th March

. BUt able to add letter from Young Writers to supplementary information - she is now a 'published poet' (OK so there may be thousands of them) Yipee

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:23 pm

So frightened though the real fear and stomach churn is just untrue! what if I've mucked it up, left something out etc. etc. etc??????

You will, I promise, survive. I did, and so have lots of others, and so have the children. There are enough of us around this Forum to start a "Failed Appeal Survivors" Club.

Hope you don't have to join though!

Well done for getting the envelope ready - looking forward to that wonderful post that says "I DID IT!" sometime tomorrow.

Sally-Anne

Appeal Mum · Post by **Appeal Mum** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:39 pm

LMAO!
Can you put my name on the waiting list for the "Failed Appeal Survivors" Club?
There isn't any strict distance rules is there?
Do I have to put this club down as my first choice to ensure membership?
What if I fail at getting into the "Failed Appeal Survivors" Club? can I appeal?

AM

Tired Mum · Post by **Tired Mum** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:56 pm

For Mother .....

Ambridge

Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 66
Location: Bucks
Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:06 am Post subject: Info from a failed appeal-eee

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Didn't think I could ever be of use to this forum - my son missed the 11+ cut off by one mark and we failed the appeal but...I have spoken to a number of appeal parents who live nearby but do not attend my son's school (our head is very anti 11+ and has not got a child through appeal in 4 years) who have all been successful and...

We went into the appeal with our heads support (of sorts) which comprised two sheets of A4 on headed school paper which waffled on about 'what a nice boy' 'she strongly supports him' 'in her professional opinion' etc. Nothing concrete about his academic ability at all. My husband prepared an A4 side speech which contained various recent results of school tests my son had sat. The school were not willing to release any results to us on school headed paper, 'we don't do that here'.

After failing the appeal we applied for the appeal papers, the panel clearly stated (2-1) that the school had failed to provide any actual proof of academic ability which would prove he could cope at grammar school, and, on reflection, they were right.

Locally, three kids failed by 3/4 marks and in my opinion, are not as bright as my son (well I would say that, wouldn't I!!), however, they were supported by a head who values the 11+, 'appreciates the system' and sent his appeal-ee parents in with as many recent exam/assessment results as he could find, letters from form teachers specificially relating to actual work completed, letters from language teachers/students who had taught them, letters from governors (in some cases), so these parents staggered in with headed bits of paper with actual academic proof of the childs ability and 11 out of the 12 kids passed (of which I knew 3), one with only 115. The parents only had to say a little speech about mitigating circumstances and what he liked outside school as everything else was in front of the appeal panel on school headed paper.

My point is ...proof of academic standards is absolutely vital. If your child has been asked to attend a maths course, a French course, an interschool science course. marks from recent mock exams, any class assessments, notes from other teachers confirming academic success in writing, poetry, get all of these type of things confirmed on school headed paper, the appeal needs to be academically individualised, any teacher who agrees they have academically shone in their particular lesson, get them to confirm it in a note. I was completely stunned by what I saw from a head who knows what is required and knows how to influence a panel properly.

We didn't (and children in our school next year won't) stand a chance with our feeble bits of paper and our appeal speech, don't fall into our trap, if the school are approachable, hassle them - big time. Tell them what you have is insufficient, you have had advice from an ex-panel person, whatever you have to say, do it, stagger into that appeal with academic evidence, however small and of course, masses of good luck to you all.

xx

PS Life has now returned to normal for us but we licked our wounds after the appeal result for many weeks. Comments initially like 'I can't believe your son failed the 11+' and then 'I can't believe you failed the appeal, if anyone deserves to be at a grammar school, your son does' don't bovver us at all now!!!!

It is the people on this forum who share their experiences - good and bad that really are helping. Mother have a read of this with a strong coffee and a sweet biscuit.

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:10 pm

Tired Mum

Well done for finding Ambridge's post. But a strong cup of coffee and a sweet biscuit? That is hardly in the pioneering spirit of the "Everything Else" section, is it now?

Several glasses of Bison vodka (disgusting hooch from Poland for the uninitiated) and lashings of chocolate is what this calls for!

Mother...

I endorse every word that Ambridge has written, and it reflects my own experience from start to finish. Take heed and take heart!

Sally-Anne

Post by **Etienne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:26 pm

Before we get totally inebriated

, important to remember that Ambridge was talking about an appeal against non-qualification.

Mother's appeal is against oversubscription, so there is no need for academic evidence. Her child is already over the qualification hurdle.
Evidence is still important, but if her case is essentially about the difficult journey and what's on offer, she can compile that herself (bus/train timetable or car journey times, copy of what's on offer from school prospectuses or websites, etc.).

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:34 pm

Etienne wrote:Before we get totally inebriated

Too late Etienne! - as just posted on "Everything Else":

Dame Sally-AnneRecoveringFromHugeHangoverAndAmazedStillAliveLetAloneStillPosting

Sally-Anne

Post by **Etienne** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:37 pm

Sally-Anne!!!

And I thought we were the sober ones.

Have you too been corrupted by "Everything Else"???

appeals submissions

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