bucks appeal 117 ?
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Thanks for your imput Etienne.
I had initially thought that he did have a 3:1, but found I'd made a mistake when I picked up the summary sheet from school in November :-
" I've never been so pleased to be wrong!
Son is ranked as a 2:1, 3 x level 5's, reading age 16+ and spelling 11yrs 3 months, top 25% for Maths & English and G&TR for History. No Cat scores mentioned which is probably just as well!
Lovely comments (academic!) from Sc, Maths, Eng teachers and a "strongest possible support" from HT. I might sleep tonight! "
I posted the above, but on the wrong thread....it was in the early days, when I hadn't quite learned the ettiquette of this fantastic site!
From your reply, I gather that it would be wise to leave the OoS out of my "presentation" & if the subject comes up, to try to fit in, as you advise, that a third of the qualifiers were below my son....and to hope they don't ask too many further questions!?
Strange to think that this time next week it'll all be over one way or another.......I feel that I've learnt so much along the way - but also that I'm the one about to sit a very important exam now! - scary!!!
many thanks,
Camden
I had initially thought that he did have a 3:1, but found I'd made a mistake when I picked up the summary sheet from school in November :-
" I've never been so pleased to be wrong!
Son is ranked as a 2:1, 3 x level 5's, reading age 16+ and spelling 11yrs 3 months, top 25% for Maths & English and G&TR for History. No Cat scores mentioned which is probably just as well!
Lovely comments (academic!) from Sc, Maths, Eng teachers and a "strongest possible support" from HT. I might sleep tonight! "
I posted the above, but on the wrong thread....it was in the early days, when I hadn't quite learned the ettiquette of this fantastic site!
From your reply, I gather that it would be wise to leave the OoS out of my "presentation" & if the subject comes up, to try to fit in, as you advise, that a third of the qualifiers were below my son....and to hope they don't ask too many further questions!?
Strange to think that this time next week it'll all be over one way or another.......I feel that I've learnt so much along the way - but also that I'm the one about to sit a very important exam now! - scary!!!
many thanks,
Camden
Glad to note the 2:1. 
You've got some good academic points there. Agree that it's best not to initiate any discussion about the OoS (but that probably applies to most appellants anyway).
The only remaining issue is whether the panel will accept that your extenuating circumstances bridge the gap between 117 and 121.
Good luck!
You've got some good academic points there. Agree that it's best not to initiate any discussion about the OoS (but that probably applies to most appellants anyway).
The only remaining issue is whether the panel will accept that your extenuating circumstances bridge the gap between 117 and 121.
Good luck!
Etienne
I've been to our appeal hearing today & as I've been reading with an eagle eye, for weeks now, for any useful snippets of information from anyone who went throught it before me - thought I'd do a "this was my experience post" for those of you who still have an appeal to come!
I went to the appeal on my own...other half & I both felt that he wasn't sufficiently up to speed on everything and he didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing if asked a tricky question!
Parking was fine - just don't forget to take change!
I'd expected hoardes of very sick looking parents waiting in reception to be summoned, but there were only 2 x lots (of fairly sick looking!) mums and dads. (There is a loo!
)
Our appeal was on time - I was collected by our clerk who was very bright & pleasant & taken to a building a few min walk away, upstairs to a lobby and then introduced to the rather gruff LEA rep. We shook hands.
We were then both taken into the room to meet the panel.
The layout was fairly formal - as is described elsewhere on the forum.
I was given time to get my papers sorted out whilst giving apologies from other half...who was at work!
The Chair introduced himself & the other 2 panel members & they all then gave me a spiel about why they were there. One of them had been to appeal herself a few years ago (comforting), one had children + now grandchildren going thro' Bucks Schools and the Chair is a governor at a secondary school. They couldn't have been nicer.
The LEA rep did his stuff, & I read out my "presentation".
They asked lots of very pertinent questions, some of which I recognised as "filllers", some of which were quite tough going but totally fair ones to ask. They seemed to be very well acquainted with our particular case and asked some questions I was really hoping they would, so that I could mention "in passing" things that I didn't want to make a big deal of myself. They spent a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of our particular case, so I won't go thro' those bits as they won't be relevant to anyone else...
I was in there for getting on for an hour, I think, including time spent outside while they looked thro' some of my son's work...so they were, very thorough.
In addition to the usual questions (books, attitude to hmwk etc.) I was also asked if my son had come with us to visit other schools & what were our alternatives to GS (poss a filler?)
They asked how I think he'd cope with a GS if he was awarded a place, given that he willl be up against kids who flew thro on 141 and could have got more marks easily if they'd been availble.
If I remember any more odd ones I'll post later!
After all of this I was asked if I'd said everything I wanted to say, and they asked for my son's work to look at as there was a pile of it sitting there. I wasn't sure about taking in what I did have....some of the comments in his books & some of his work is great....some of it isn't. In the end, I decided that it is, at the end of the day, his work and took it! Hope I won't regret it!!!
I left & waited for the clerk to bring out the work, which she did a liitle while later. The LEA rep showed me out of the building.
[b]The End!!![/b]
With hindsight I under-estimated the time it took to write up my statement, tho' I got it done in time. I read it out, lots of time to my other half, and we tweaked things and picked out words to emphasise - that was really helpful. It was good to have given references to information in work they had (as you can see from p1 of blah, blah) as I felt it gave then something to do while I was droning on....
I also wish I'd got schoolbooks etc from school a day or so earlier...one of his books was missing, and as it is from a subject he's working at a 5 in I really wanted that one....ended up picking it up on the way to Aylesbury this morning....nothing like piling the pressure on!
I now feel a bit flat - other half did the afternoon school run, so I did some therapy window-shopping for a while (though about you Just Under as you'd have been "in" there by then!!!) Got bored, came home, saw son who sort of said hello but was more interested in playing a quick game of cricket with his neighbour than in me (Bless him - if only he knew!!!)....so I made a nice cup of tea & worked my way thro nearly a whole packet of biscuits, off-loading on here!!! Much better now.
Looking forwrd to sharing a decent bottle of wine tonight, forgetting about it (hah!) all day tomorrow, before I then start lying in wait for Dave our postman.
Will let you know how we get on....feel more positive than I thought I would - a glimmer of hope, though no more than that, after the results of the past few days. Even if we don't get the result we want, I do at least have to say that I really think the panel were excellent.
Fingers crossed.....!
Camden
I went to the appeal on my own...other half & I both felt that he wasn't sufficiently up to speed on everything and he didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing if asked a tricky question!
Parking was fine - just don't forget to take change!
I'd expected hoardes of very sick looking parents waiting in reception to be summoned, but there were only 2 x lots (of fairly sick looking!) mums and dads. (There is a loo!
)Our appeal was on time - I was collected by our clerk who was very bright & pleasant & taken to a building a few min walk away, upstairs to a lobby and then introduced to the rather gruff LEA rep. We shook hands.
We were then both taken into the room to meet the panel.
The layout was fairly formal - as is described elsewhere on the forum.
I was given time to get my papers sorted out whilst giving apologies from other half...who was at work!
The Chair introduced himself & the other 2 panel members & they all then gave me a spiel about why they were there. One of them had been to appeal herself a few years ago (comforting), one had children + now grandchildren going thro' Bucks Schools and the Chair is a governor at a secondary school. They couldn't have been nicer.
The LEA rep did his stuff, & I read out my "presentation".
They asked lots of very pertinent questions, some of which I recognised as "filllers", some of which were quite tough going but totally fair ones to ask. They seemed to be very well acquainted with our particular case and asked some questions I was really hoping they would, so that I could mention "in passing" things that I didn't want to make a big deal of myself. They spent a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of our particular case, so I won't go thro' those bits as they won't be relevant to anyone else...
I was in there for getting on for an hour, I think, including time spent outside while they looked thro' some of my son's work...so they were, very thorough.
In addition to the usual questions (books, attitude to hmwk etc.) I was also asked if my son had come with us to visit other schools & what were our alternatives to GS (poss a filler?)
They asked how I think he'd cope with a GS if he was awarded a place, given that he willl be up against kids who flew thro on 141 and could have got more marks easily if they'd been availble.
If I remember any more odd ones I'll post later!
After all of this I was asked if I'd said everything I wanted to say, and they asked for my son's work to look at as there was a pile of it sitting there. I wasn't sure about taking in what I did have....some of the comments in his books & some of his work is great....some of it isn't. In the end, I decided that it is, at the end of the day, his work and took it! Hope I won't regret it!!!
I left & waited for the clerk to bring out the work, which she did a liitle while later. The LEA rep showed me out of the building.
[b]The End!!![/b]
With hindsight I under-estimated the time it took to write up my statement, tho' I got it done in time. I read it out, lots of time to my other half, and we tweaked things and picked out words to emphasise - that was really helpful. It was good to have given references to information in work they had (as you can see from p1 of blah, blah) as I felt it gave then something to do while I was droning on....
I also wish I'd got schoolbooks etc from school a day or so earlier...one of his books was missing, and as it is from a subject he's working at a 5 in I really wanted that one....ended up picking it up on the way to Aylesbury this morning....nothing like piling the pressure on!
I now feel a bit flat - other half did the afternoon school run, so I did some therapy window-shopping for a while (though about you Just Under as you'd have been "in" there by then!!!) Got bored, came home, saw son who sort of said hello but was more interested in playing a quick game of cricket with his neighbour than in me (Bless him - if only he knew!!!)....so I made a nice cup of tea & worked my way thro nearly a whole packet of biscuits, off-loading on here!!! Much better now.
Looking forwrd to sharing a decent bottle of wine tonight, forgetting about it (hah!) all day tomorrow, before I then start lying in wait for Dave our postman.
Will let you know how we get on....feel more positive than I thought I would - a glimmer of hope, though no more than that, after the results of the past few days. Even if we don't get the result we want, I do at least have to say that I really think the panel were excellent.
Fingers crossed.....!
Camden
Dear Camden,
Your hearing today sounds much like our experience today also (Iam justunders Wife) Nothing can prepare you for the nerves that set in whilst the clock ticks by and are waiting for the Clerk to come and finally get on with it!
We mentioned you also while we were waiting and wondered what time your appeal was, so thank you for your kind consideration. As the last few posts have mostly been with sad outcomes, we couldn't help but sit and wonder how many of us from this forum have sat on the same chairs and waited with baited breath for this whole process to be over and done with.
I am looking forward to a (hopefully) decent nights sleep tonight, though I've been on the wine a little too! Now we'll have to wait and see when the postman arrives what the outcome is...
Your hearing today sounds much like our experience today also (Iam justunders Wife) Nothing can prepare you for the nerves that set in whilst the clock ticks by and are waiting for the Clerk to come and finally get on with it!
We mentioned you also while we were waiting and wondered what time your appeal was, so thank you for your kind consideration. As the last few posts have mostly been with sad outcomes, we couldn't help but sit and wonder how many of us from this forum have sat on the same chairs and waited with baited breath for this whole process to be over and done with.
I am looking forward to a (hopefully) decent nights sleep tonight, though I've been on the wine a little too! Now we'll have to wait and see when the postman arrives what the outcome is...
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Appeal Mum
- Posts: 2049
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:29 pm
- Location: Wirral
-
Appeal Mum
- Posts: 2049
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:29 pm
- Location: Wirral
