Head's recommendation, disability and age (Bucks)
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:42 pm
Hello
I'm new to posting on the forum, but have found it very helpful in the past. I'd be very grateful for advice on how to proceed now.
My DD has missed the mark with 110 in the Bucks 11+. The head has rated her 3 for suitability, 2 for effort.
I know that on this face of this it looks awful, but we would like her to be considered for GS. We think that her score was affected by her dyspraxia (low processing speed, we asked for adjustment but it was not granted). The headteacher's rating we put down to her age (August baby) and her disability.
We have an Ed Psych report that shows high VC on WISC score (96th centile) and high average PR score (75th centile). She scored 123 for verbal in the 11+, 110 for maths but 81 for NVR, and can only think that the huge difference between that score and the PR score can be explained by needing extra time. Of course all three measures were affected by her relatively very low processing speed (WISC 25th centile, with one score at the 16th centile). She has a strong reading age and has shown huge improvement in the numeracy attainment assessments over 18 months, after we used alternate methods at home (not pen and paper).
We have been through appeal before three years ago under the old system, when our DD got 112, and succeeded at appeal, again with the evidence of disability. She is now thriving and undoubtedly in the right environment. However, in her case the Head's rec (same head) was 2,1. This is a November born baby, and far more extrovert child. However, her reading age was lower than the younger's both in absolute terms and age adjusted. Her Year 5 results were very slightly higher, but even 6 weeks into this new school year the younger's results (now 5c, 4a, 4a, all 5s expected) have surpassed what the older child had at the end of year 5.
The school was unable to implement any of the Ed Psych's recommendations for support. They made recommendations for private activities for us to consider outside school (the Dore programme, Horseriding for the Disabled), none of which was in line with the Ed Psych's recommendations. The class teacher was not willing to act on the OT's suggestions about seating DD so she faced the board directly (she had just adjusted the seating plan) and did not think allowing her to use a pen of her choice (also recommended) to write before she tidied up her hand writing was a good idea. She did have a more sympathetic teacher the next year. The school has been in special measures, with particular concern about maths progress.
I cannot see that DD's needs both for challenge and appropriate support will be met in our catchment upper.
Please can you advise what you think of this as a case. I'd appreciate advice about what (if anything) to say about the head's recommendation, and the school's response to her disability and its special measures status. Is it reasonable to think that that head's recommendation hasn't taken her youth into account?
I'm also baffled about whether we should apply for review (complex case, will they have the time to consider it, but surely heads with access to an ed psych's advice will understand the issues) or wait and go straight to appeal (don't find the idea of the delay and uncertainty of a place appealing at all, and wonder if a lay panel will have the expertise to assess the case properly).
DD is lovely. She wants us to appeal. No tears, just philosophical, but I fear she has faith in me to deliver as I did for her big sister. Can I pull it off with a 3.2?
Thank you very much. It feels strange putting this down openly, but then again, I've learned so much from this forum and I hope others will learn from whatever responses follow here.
I'm new to posting on the forum, but have found it very helpful in the past. I'd be very grateful for advice on how to proceed now.
My DD has missed the mark with 110 in the Bucks 11+. The head has rated her 3 for suitability, 2 for effort.
I know that on this face of this it looks awful, but we would like her to be considered for GS. We think that her score was affected by her dyspraxia (low processing speed, we asked for adjustment but it was not granted). The headteacher's rating we put down to her age (August baby) and her disability.
We have an Ed Psych report that shows high VC on WISC score (96th centile) and high average PR score (75th centile). She scored 123 for verbal in the 11+, 110 for maths but 81 for NVR, and can only think that the huge difference between that score and the PR score can be explained by needing extra time. Of course all three measures were affected by her relatively very low processing speed (WISC 25th centile, with one score at the 16th centile). She has a strong reading age and has shown huge improvement in the numeracy attainment assessments over 18 months, after we used alternate methods at home (not pen and paper).
We have been through appeal before three years ago under the old system, when our DD got 112, and succeeded at appeal, again with the evidence of disability. She is now thriving and undoubtedly in the right environment. However, in her case the Head's rec (same head) was 2,1. This is a November born baby, and far more extrovert child. However, her reading age was lower than the younger's both in absolute terms and age adjusted. Her Year 5 results were very slightly higher, but even 6 weeks into this new school year the younger's results (now 5c, 4a, 4a, all 5s expected) have surpassed what the older child had at the end of year 5.
The school was unable to implement any of the Ed Psych's recommendations for support. They made recommendations for private activities for us to consider outside school (the Dore programme, Horseriding for the Disabled), none of which was in line with the Ed Psych's recommendations. The class teacher was not willing to act on the OT's suggestions about seating DD so she faced the board directly (she had just adjusted the seating plan) and did not think allowing her to use a pen of her choice (also recommended) to write before she tidied up her hand writing was a good idea. She did have a more sympathetic teacher the next year. The school has been in special measures, with particular concern about maths progress.
I cannot see that DD's needs both for challenge and appropriate support will be met in our catchment upper.
Please can you advise what you think of this as a case. I'd appreciate advice about what (if anything) to say about the head's recommendation, and the school's response to her disability and its special measures status. Is it reasonable to think that that head's recommendation hasn't taken her youth into account?
I'm also baffled about whether we should apply for review (complex case, will they have the time to consider it, but surely heads with access to an ed psych's advice will understand the issues) or wait and go straight to appeal (don't find the idea of the delay and uncertainty of a place appealing at all, and wonder if a lay panel will have the expertise to assess the case properly).
DD is lovely. She wants us to appeal. No tears, just philosophical, but I fear she has faith in me to deliver as I did for her big sister. Can I pull it off with a 3.2?
Thank you very much. It feels strange putting this down openly, but then again, I've learned so much from this forum and I hope others will learn from whatever responses follow here.