BUCKS Appeals
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
-
Guest
Mike
I have just re-read your post about the two scenarios. Are you suggesting that child two does not deserve to get through? I hope not!
My daughter had a horrendous cold and sore throat (she got 120) and for a whole week was suffering. She had constant headaches too, and was up most nights till midnight complaining - so we dosed her up every day (except one day when she was too ill to go to school) and sent her in.
We saw her headteacher today, who will back us all the way. They can remember her sitting there with piles of tissues and a vicks inhaler!! Our daughter was predicted by the school to get in the high 130s. She is a whizz at 11+ questions and is a really bright child - grammar school is definitely the place for her. We wrongly assumed we were doing the right thing in sending her in!
The headteacher also said we had no option but to send her in to do the exams - otherwise she would have got a NIL for that paper. Others are telling me we should not have sent her in - that she could have done it much later in the week. We believed her, and still have to stick by her decision on that.
I am dreading the appeal - I do not want to come over as a gushing pushy parent, but at the same time want to stress that she should be at a grammar school.
We will take reports etc from the school, but I really don;t believe I should have to do it, as all I want to say is 'she was ill'!!!!
Can you or someone else advise me please??
Thank you!
PS A friend of hers who really is not suited to Grammar, and the teachers have said so too - passed with 121!!! (An August birthday!!!)
I have just re-read your post about the two scenarios. Are you suggesting that child two does not deserve to get through? I hope not!
My daughter had a horrendous cold and sore throat (she got 120) and for a whole week was suffering. She had constant headaches too, and was up most nights till midnight complaining - so we dosed her up every day (except one day when she was too ill to go to school) and sent her in.
We saw her headteacher today, who will back us all the way. They can remember her sitting there with piles of tissues and a vicks inhaler!! Our daughter was predicted by the school to get in the high 130s. She is a whizz at 11+ questions and is a really bright child - grammar school is definitely the place for her. We wrongly assumed we were doing the right thing in sending her in!
The headteacher also said we had no option but to send her in to do the exams - otherwise she would have got a NIL for that paper. Others are telling me we should not have sent her in - that she could have done it much later in the week. We believed her, and still have to stick by her decision on that.
I am dreading the appeal - I do not want to come over as a gushing pushy parent, but at the same time want to stress that she should be at a grammar school.
We will take reports etc from the school, but I really don;t believe I should have to do it, as all I want to say is 'she was ill'!!!!
Can you or someone else advise me please??
Thank you!
PS A friend of hers who really is not suited to Grammar, and the teachers have said so too - passed with 121!!! (An August birthday!!!)
Dear Guest
If your headteacher is saying your child would have got nil points for not turning up, she/he should be shot. Her/his statement is grounds for appeal in itself. Ask them to put it in writing!!
If the child turns up to school, yes the head is obliged to make the child take the test, however they could have rang you prior to taking the test to take her home. If not in school, they can take the test at a later date.
If the school say she is academically suited to a grammar school, you have to prove why she didn't perform on the day.
Good luck
Patricia
If your headteacher is saying your child would have got nil points for not turning up, she/he should be shot. Her/his statement is grounds for appeal in itself. Ask them to put it in writing!!
If the child turns up to school, yes the head is obliged to make the child take the test, however they could have rang you prior to taking the test to take her home. If not in school, they can take the test at a later date.
If the school say she is academically suited to a grammar school, you have to prove why she didn't perform on the day.
Good luck
Patricia
-
Guest
Hi Patricia
Yes - it's true. We had a meeting today with the Head, and she categorically stated that they only have the one chance to do the paper and if they do not turn up then they will 'fail' that paper.
I feel that I am caught between the devil and the deep blue sea here.
I don't want to get on the wrong side of them as they are doing us a letter to back up our daughter's appeal, but I do want to inform them that they were wrong.
We don't have a doctor's letter as we didn't go to the doctor (who would for a cold/flu???). She was off for the day before the first paper though.
A friend of mine who is a governor of another shcool has also told me we should have had a pack from the LEA with all the info in it re sickness etc, and that we should also have had a pre 11+ meeting a few months prior to the exams - we did not!!
Any suggestions as to what we should do???
Thank you!!
Yes - it's true. We had a meeting today with the Head, and she categorically stated that they only have the one chance to do the paper and if they do not turn up then they will 'fail' that paper.
I feel that I am caught between the devil and the deep blue sea here.
I don't want to get on the wrong side of them as they are doing us a letter to back up our daughter's appeal, but I do want to inform them that they were wrong.
We don't have a doctor's letter as we didn't go to the doctor (who would for a cold/flu???). She was off for the day before the first paper though.
A friend of mine who is a governor of another shcool has also told me we should have had a pack from the LEA with all the info in it re sickness etc, and that we should also have had a pre 11+ meeting a few months prior to the exams - we did not!!
Any suggestions as to what we should do???
Thank you!!
-
Guest
Dear Guest
Look up...
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/schools/docum ... 1_plus.pdf
section C - sick children
Patricia
Look up...
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/schools/docum ... 1_plus.pdf
section C - sick children
Patricia
-
Mike Edwards
I was suggesting that a bit of a cold the weekend before the test was a trivial reason for an appeal.
I am sure that every parent of every child who "should" have past and are going through appeal will justifiably or not try to manipulate the system to best suit themselves. How ill does a child have to be before you take him/her to the doctors? It seems odd how ill a child becomes with hindsight after they have taken the test and not passed it!!!
I would be far more interested in your opinion of child one, unfortunately you have chosen to overlook her.
As far as my own personal experience is concerned here in the Wirral, there is a flu bug going around at the moment, not only are children coming down with it but so are teachers, leaving some schools short of staff. I am recommending to all of our parents that if they believe that their child is too ill to take the test then they should obtain medication from their GP (don't parents do this anyway??). They should then withdraw the child from the test and inform the headteacher in writing giving the reason why. There will then be a medical record and a school record available if the matter were to go to appeal.
It is the LEA that sets the test not the school, check with the LEA for alternative test dates, there will almost certainly be some arrangement for children who were unable to take the test.
I am sure that every parent of every child who "should" have past and are going through appeal will justifiably or not try to manipulate the system to best suit themselves. How ill does a child have to be before you take him/her to the doctors? It seems odd how ill a child becomes with hindsight after they have taken the test and not passed it!!!
I would be far more interested in your opinion of child one, unfortunately you have chosen to overlook her.
As far as my own personal experience is concerned here in the Wirral, there is a flu bug going around at the moment, not only are children coming down with it but so are teachers, leaving some schools short of staff. I am recommending to all of our parents that if they believe that their child is too ill to take the test then they should obtain medication from their GP (don't parents do this anyway??). They should then withdraw the child from the test and inform the headteacher in writing giving the reason why. There will then be a medical record and a school record available if the matter were to go to appeal.
It is the LEA that sets the test not the school, check with the LEA for alternative test dates, there will almost certainly be some arrangement for children who were unable to take the test.
-
Guest
Mike
Of course - I can totally understand your point re a cold the weekend before!
In case two - a very genuine reason.
However - in my case (and the school know she was ill as she had been off the day before the first test), I sent her in as we did not know she could do the test at a later date. If we had known that we would have kept her off for both tests as she was not herself. No one told us the tests could be done another time - and I will forever blame myself if my daughter does not get the education she deserves because I made her go to school when she was ill. As a mother I have always said - oh you'll be fine , just do your best! How I wish that just week I had said stay at home and we'll get over this then you can do your tests.
Even today when we saw the headteacher, she told us they could not do the test another day. I didn't argue as up till a few mins ago I had not seen actual proof of this and did not want to appear argumentative.
Our daughter can do these tests with her eyes closed (when she is well!!), she always got high 80s - 100% in practice papers (inc the pre test papers) so we will just have to wait and see!!
Only big problem now I see is that as she is so disorganised in her work - will the head mark her down on attitude to work????
I will ask tomorrow!!!
Of course - I can totally understand your point re a cold the weekend before!
In case two - a very genuine reason.
However - in my case (and the school know she was ill as she had been off the day before the first test), I sent her in as we did not know she could do the test at a later date. If we had known that we would have kept her off for both tests as she was not herself. No one told us the tests could be done another time - and I will forever blame myself if my daughter does not get the education she deserves because I made her go to school when she was ill. As a mother I have always said - oh you'll be fine , just do your best! How I wish that just week I had said stay at home and we'll get over this then you can do your tests.
Even today when we saw the headteacher, she told us they could not do the test another day. I didn't argue as up till a few mins ago I had not seen actual proof of this and did not want to appear argumentative.
Our daughter can do these tests with her eyes closed (when she is well!!), she always got high 80s - 100% in practice papers (inc the pre test papers) so we will just have to wait and see!!
Only big problem now I see is that as she is so disorganised in her work - will the head mark her down on attitude to work????
I will ask tomorrow!!!
To Mike,
I think that you are very harsh with parents here. Some parents may use a minor problem to try to get their child through, but I think that being unwell can affect a child’s performance dramatically. I noticed this while I was tutoring my son. He had quite a few sick days during this time, and although he was moving around and playing, he wasn't able to concentrate. I tried to make him study, but his results were poor, well below what he was normally achieving, he was getting frustrated, and it was best to give up for the time being.
A cold may not be as dramatic as having a terminally ill sibling, but it may affect a child performance just as much.
I think that you are very harsh with parents here. Some parents may use a minor problem to try to get their child through, but I think that being unwell can affect a child’s performance dramatically. I noticed this while I was tutoring my son. He had quite a few sick days during this time, and although he was moving around and playing, he wasn't able to concentrate. I tried to make him study, but his results were poor, well below what he was normally achieving, he was getting frustrated, and it was best to give up for the time being.
A cold may not be as dramatic as having a terminally ill sibling, but it may affect a child performance just as much.
-
Essex mum
I'm sorry but I disagree. It cannot possibly effect a childs performance as much as having a termially ill sibling, we are talking the common cold here. If a child is well enough to go to school, they are well enough to sit the exam. If you would not send your child to school as he/she is unwell enough, then they are not well enough to take the exam and arrangements should be made for them to sit the exam on another day.
