11 Plus Exams Forum

hello and many thanks to all who post on this forum at least. you do not feel so alone.
my problem is I do not know how much information to put down on my final appeal paper Iam supported by school and will try to get up to date letters of latest academic achievements it is true to say we have had a terrible year in some ways my father died over two years ago so that left my 88 year old mother alone three hundred miles away in a deppressed state I was commuting to manchester at least every month so last summer put mothers house on market and moved her to dorset got her settled in nice home nearby but it closed after two months so mum had to move back with us again so she always has to have my sons room so he has to move in to harrys! room like the film. under the stairs which is far from ideal as the computer is also in there so son gets no peace we are a family of six children .
then it all starts to sound like a bad dream my husbands brother died from liver cancer and then we heard his sister also has terminal cancer she also stayed with us in june last year diedin januarymonths .meanwhile still going to manchester for sale of house . then two of our daughters annouce late summer they are both pregnant one at home one away six weeks apart
bit of a shock even though one thirty and the other mid twentys i would have liked to have spent time with my youngest carefully looking at pracltice papers but it was not to be we did try a couple of times he seemed to be doing very well my last three children went to grammer and my youngest son is very bright but missed by ten marks could the tension in the family been a factor not in his own room mother away alot
feel really guilty thatwe should have given him more tutering ect sorry this is so muddled the stress is begginning to build big time but how would Iwrite down every thingthat has happened to our family over the last few months I feel Imay not be believed I have a letter from doctor confiming some of the points any advice would be most welcome.
lucy

Hi Lucy,

Read through the useful Q&A by Etienne


The main thing to show is academic evidence - level 5 predictions for KS2 NC tests and comments on reports about 'very able' etc.

Can the school say his work has slipped because of all the stress at home? A statement to that effect would help -

Keep posting - we will help all we can.

Hi Lucy

What a bad time of it you've had - although some lovely news in amongst it as well.

First of all, the great majority of you letter needs to be about academic evidence. The more, the higher quality, the better. I would go for 85% - 90% academic, 10 - 15% personal circumstances.

The actual events themselves are not important information - you must give the briefest description of them possible. What the panel will want to know is what impact it had on your son in the immediate days and weeks before the test. Has his health suffered? Has his performance at school dipped demonstrably? Have the teachers commented on him seeming different, less happy?

If you have evidence from the school or the doctor of the impact of the disruption on him it will count for far more than a long series of sad events.

See what you can do with that, and come back to us for more help any time.

Good luck
Sally-Anne

If you came to an appeal than my panel was taking,and said all that, (making sure that you emphasised the lack of peace, lack of preparation for the exam, that your sister-in-law was in a terminal stage when the exam was taken, and that giving really good, strong academic evidence, then you might well win the appeal. But that's my panel, not yours, and as I say, that academic evidence would have to be top notch.

You must take all evidence, including doctors letters - better, send most of it in advance but keep one or two back for the day to be presented with a 'I didn't think you'd be interested in this, but I brought it anyway'.

Good luck.

Lots of good advice for you, Lucy, from Guest55, Sally-Anne, and Capers.

You do have to demonstrate that, under normal circumstances, your son's academic ability is so high that he would have secured a qualifying mark.

Secondly, as Sally-Anne and Guest55 have so wisely pointed out, it's not so much the traumatic events but the effect on your son that needs to be established.

Regards

Dear Etienne sally anne guest55 and capers
thankyou so much for your replys I dont think I would have had a clue how to do the appeal letter without such great advice ithink i would have made to many excuses and not focused on academic evidence our appeal is on the 15th june. Im a complete wreck Im not going to write all reasons
that are mitigating just say there are personal reasons why our family life was very stressfull at the time of the 11plus and be prepared for any questions i was suffering with depresion but I dont want to put that in writing to the panel
thankyou all again
lucy

LUCY wrote: i was suffering with depresion but I dont want to put that in writing to the panel

You don't have to put it in writing (but remember, we do consider the paperwork before hand), but make sure you bring it up during the appeal and describe how it affected your child.

Good luck

Capers