11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi, we're based in Bucks and my son got 118 & 116. The teacher approached us at school and has advised that the school will strongly support an appeal if we decide to go ahead with one. We do need to speak to the headteacher but she did say they have graded him as a 1-1 (not sure what this means if anything?)

He's currently working at a 5a in maths, 5c in english and science, reading age is 16+ and spelling age 15+. He has been tutored since April this year (about 6 months).

I don't feel like we have strong extenuating circumstances but I will tell you what we do have to see what you think - he was signed by a football acadamy in May this year and a week after he signed they broke off for a summer break with training once a week and no matches, on September 12th they started back training properly which involves a 60 mile round trip, training for 1 1/2 hours, 3 times a week in addition matches on a Sunday up to 2 hours drive away. This in itself was a lot for him and the whole family (we have 2 other children) to cope with and get used to in the early weeks with the exams falling 3 weeks after he started the training in ernest. On top of that my eldest started secondary school in Sept and my youngest primary school full time so a lot of focus was put on them two, my youngest also has a disablility and getting her dressed and ready for school on time in the first half-term proved difficult - my son gets exteremly stressed at the thought of being late for school and in hindsight I'm wondering if he was not in the calmest frames of minds on the mornings of the test (this can in no way be proven though).

I realise that they may feel that he will not cope with Grammar school whilst doing the football but I feel that he is now used to the training and we as a family have settled into a routine which works.

Just looking for some thoughts really on whether to appeal and whether the circumstances we do have are worth mentioning

Thank you

Welcome!

You really need to start by reading the Q&As:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
In section E, for example, you will find an explanation of a 1:1.
You will also see that it's probably not a good idea to mention tutoring.

If I were you, I wouldn't say anything about extenuating circumstances in your written appeal. Wait for the hearing, and just answer any questions as briefly as possible. In section B of the Q&As we advise:

If your extenuating circumstances are not too strong (in the sense that there isn’t any evidence at all to show that your child was affected), the best you can do is to appear reluctant to ‘offer excuses’, to let the panel drag the information out of you bit by bit, if the opportunity arises, rather than to build it up as a major issue. Understate the point, don’t overstate it, or you risk diluting your case as a whole.

I do think it's worth appealing with 118. Based on last year's statistics, you probably have something like a 50/50 chance of success.

Your case is likely to be decided on the basis of academic evidence. Good to see the 5a for maths. It would have helped to have some high alternative reasoning scores. Note carefully what we say about academic evidence here:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for filing a report in the feedback section.

Good luck!

No problem - your advice and the information on this site was invaluable. I will let you know how we get on but Thank You for your help x

Unfortunately our appeal was unsuccesful was expecting this and am surprisingly calm about the whole thing I think it was the not knowing that was stressing me out more than anything. I think from reading the letter they made the decision that they were not suitibly satisfied that he would be academically suitable to a grammer school (this could be standard wording though) there really was nothing else we could have provided so nothing more we could hae done. Anyway its funny how life has a way of putting things in perspective in the same post we received confirmation that the changes we wanted made to our DD's Statement of special needs are being made and at the end of the day that its far more important. I have know doubt my DS will flourish at the secondary school my eldest son goes to and will now consider the 12+ if thats what he wants.

Like you say the cream will always rise to the top

Good luck to everyone else ***

Hi Crackers

I really am sorry to hear that. I know things will turn OK for you.

Sturman

Hi Crackers

Commiserations from me too, and I am so glad that you also had some good news today to offset the disappointment.

From all the evidence you provided I feel sure that he will be at the very top of his year group in the Upper School, which is not a bad place to be at all.

As you say, there is always the 12+, and later on, the opportunity to transfer into the 6th form at a Grammar School.

Sally-Anne

Sorry to hear your news, though you know you did all you could and things do have a strange habit of working out sometimes...looks as though this is already starting to happen! Best of luck.

Commiserations from me too, Crackers. I really admire the way you've taken this. Your case merited serious consideration, and I suspect it was a borderline decision.

I'm sure your son will do well wherever he goes.

Sorry to hear of your sad news but fantastic that you have managed to get changes to your daughters statement, I know how hard and frustrating that can be.

The way you have taken the news is admirable.