Is it worth appealing PHSG

[kmtdevon]

Shocked this morning that DD has not got into either of the Plymouth gs. Is it worth appealing? Don't as yet know how far off the mark she was but her reading age is 15years+ and her spelling age is 13years. She's in top set for maths at her school which was rated as outstanding in recent ofsted report. She has no real mitigating circumstances are her academics enough? School heard 8 appeals last year and two were successful.
Her sister already attends school although we are out of the area. Any clues? Thanks

[TraffordMum]

Hi, kmtdevon. I'm sorry that your first post was made in unhappy circumstances, but welcome to the EPE site.

Have a look at http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals which gives you lots of information about appealing. Hopefully at some point in the next few days you will find out how many marks your daughter missed a grammar school allocation by (or, indeed, whether she scored highly enough but was unlucky on distance) and you can start planning your appeal case, should you decide to go that route.

[kmtdevon]

Hi, have gone done the appeal route for PHSG; waiting for appeal date but not sure whether I have enough academic evidence and whether social reasons are compelling enough.
Academic evidence is only SATs predicted and optional year 5. High level 5 predicted in Maths and already doing KS3 at primary school. Year 5 optional SATs for English 5a. NFER reading age of 15+ and spelling age of 13years 11 months. Excellent support and report for appeal from HT at primary stating she should be offered place at GS
Mitigating circumstances are weak she was ill the day before the maths paper and was away from school (have attendance record from school).
Social reasons very confidential but require that both DDs see their father regularly and he works at weekends but lives close to the GS and so this would enable him to see them as required. We live some distance from the school.
Eldest DD already attends the GS. Places are allocated on the passmark not on distance and youngest DD failed by 6 marks. She is 25th on the waiting list although I know that the appeals panel take no note of that. The school allowed 8 appeals last year and 2 were successful.
I will give some details of the social reasons in the confidential box.
Have read the Q&A on appeals but still unsure as to whether my points are strong enough or have enough evidence to back them up.
Advice please!!!

[Etienne]

Hello, kmtdevon, and welcome!

I'm afraid no one can really answer your question (apart from your appeal panel).
All we can say is 'the more evidence - and the more compelling it is - the better'.

The situation is summed up here:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/general#a36" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The academic evidence you've mentioned looks quite good. Ideally I would have liked to see some alternative evidence of VR (although this is of no consequence if she scored very highly in the 11+ VR).

It would help to have some proof that father works at weekends (but you may already have this in hand).

[kmtdevon]

Hi, DD has appeal next week for PHSG and I've just received admission authority papers. Appealing against non-qualification and oversubscription. The 11+ here is on a NVR test and a Maths test and then there is a short English composition as a tie-break. On appeal a 'secondary selection panel' looks at the test results and English composition, and report from HT and advises the Independent Appeals Panel as to whether they feel the candidate is GS material or not. It states their conclusion 'will be offered as advice to the Appeal panel as advice in order to assist them to reach their conclusion as to whether the child will thrive at GS .
Year 5 optional SATs = Maths 4c, Reading 5a and Writing 4c
Predicted by HT for Year 6 = Maths High 5 (DD improved a lot in Maths and was moved into the top set this year), Writing 5 and Reading has been tested at level 6 only one of three in the school. NFER reading age 15years+, spelling 13years 11 months. HT report states DD will do extremely well at GS and supports appeal.

Assessed on the written composition by review panel as overall level 3! HT's comment was 'that's ludicrous' and is supplying some school work as evidence.

How much notice is the Independent Appeals Panel likely to take of this advice from the review panel? As it seems unlikely that DD would achieve 4c in optional SATs writing 8 months earlier and devolve to a 3 and then suddenly recover to a predicted 5 for year 6 SATs.
Basically, what carries more weight? The review panel or the HT and SAT scores etc?

Any ideas?

[Etienne]

Basically, what carries more weight? The review panel or the HT and SAT scores etc?

There's no automatic answer. Panels are often on the receiving end of contradictory information, and it's entirely a decision for the individual panel as to which bit of evidence they find most compelling.

If the headteacher has written something as strong as 'that's ludicrous', and provided evidence to the contrary, I think any appeal panel would certainly sit up and take notice!

[kmtdevon]

Thanks for that Etienne, is it worth pointing out at the appeal that as DD's school is a small rural school the HT actually teaches my DD so she does the 'teacher assessment' part of the SATs score too?
Also, I note from the new SATs English assessment guidelines that HT's should not put students in for the optional level 6 test (which she has for my DD) unless the student is already working at or achieved (5a year 5) that level.

This site is a sanity saver that's for sure!! I'm supposed to be revising for my law finals and can't concentrate on anything but DD's appeal.

[Etienne]

I wouldn't perhaps want to draw attention to 'small rural school', but it's well worth mentioning the other points, including the fact that the head knows your daughter really well because she's been teaching her!

I'm afraid appeals do tend to take over people's lives .......

Good luck!

[capers123]

I'm afraid appeals do tend to take over people's lives .......

and the panels lives

Kmt... I note the 'Law Finals'. Although you probably wouldn't, don't forget that the appeal hearing is informal, even though it is set in a legal framework. Legalese isn't needed in appeals - we welcome everyone, whatever their level of legal knowledge.

Finally, can you get the 'ludicrous' in writing from your head? It would certainly be noticed!

Good luck.

[Looking for help]

and the panels lives

.

But the panel members choose to be there , the appellants don't.

It seems that the best route is to provide as much academic evidence as possible as well as as much evidence about why the school you're appealing for is the one that your child needs...don't forget that bit, it is equally important