advice required (Bucks)

[Etienne]

I understand that on the CAF I will put gs first and then chosen upper and in March I will request an appeals pack.

Correct.

Looking through the appeals forum I have noticed that the appeals can take place over a couple of days

- or even over several weeks!

as I don't have to go through the FCO bit we will only have to attend an appeal hearing on one day? Also secondly I understand that if we were to be successful at the appeal would they offer us an immediate place at the gs or would we have to then do an appeal at a later day for oversubscription or would this take place on the same day???

We would expect you to be invited to two separate hearings: a group hearing to go through the school's case, and an individual hearing for the whole of your own case. See A9-A13:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=41358" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
See also Section C.

Just trying to work out how it all works and what hurdles I will have to overcome in the next year! Many thanks for your excellent forum certainly kept me busy over the last week or 2 reading all the information!

Thank you.

[Purple Teapot]

OK having the last few minutes panic as someone has said to me to go for a SR - could you just calm me down and reassure me that I am best waiting for an appeal or that I should go for a SR - Our results are
11plus 112 - Maths 119.71, NV 107.10 and Verbal 110.15

HT Recommendation 2:2
End of Y2 - Reading 3, Writing 3, Maths 3
End of Y3 - Reading 4c, Writing 3a, Maths 4c
End of Y4, Reading GDS, Writing GDS, Maths GDS
End of Y5 - Reading GDS, Writing EXS, Maths GDS
End of Y6 - Reading 111 - 120, Writing EXS, Maths 111-120

Can anybody help suggest if I should do a SR or wait?? Really appreciate your time everyone.

[FinalHurdle]

My DD has similar past results (except our year 4, 5 + 6 are quoted in SATS levels still and not the new descriptions but that's another story) DD has a much lower 11+ score than your child and I have just posted my selection review paperwork. We have very weak extenuating circumstances (I couldn't bare to leave the box blank!) but I'd rather fight it on paper where the academic evidence (apart from the all important low 11+ score of course!) feels a better bet than fighting it face to face when you've also got the over subscription issue to deal with.

I know we have to deal with the FCO issue but in theory I see that we might have two stabs at this so I couldn't sit on my hands until March but then I'm very impatient!!

Not sure if this has helped. It's a tough position to be in

Good luck with your decision.

[Guest55]

I think it depends on how successful the Head's predictions were - how many 2:2s qualified?

[BucksBornNBred]

It really is a tough decision which only you can make. We were only a few points off the magic 121 and had good academic evidence but no extenuating circumstances and a less than helpful HT recommendation. We decided to sit it out and wait for the appeal. It wasn't an easy choice and our lives were on hold for 7 months until the hearings, with every waking moment (not to mention many sleepless nights) consumed with making sure we had a good presentation and thinking "what if" all the time about our choice to skip the review. We appealed to 3 GS but were only successful with one. Good luck.

[Etienne]

I'm afraid no one can advise you what would be best in your particular case.
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... aneous#e33" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good to see level 3s as a starting point in Y2.
Good to see 111-120 for reading & maths at end of Y6 - but no GDS for writing?

As touched on in posts above, we don't know:

• • How realistic were the headteacher's '2' recommendations?
    Are there corroborated extenuating circumstances sufficient to explain a score of 112?
    How persuasive is the head's statement of support (section 6)?

[Purple Teapot]

I only know that 4 children passed - they were surprised my DS didn't and apparently one other child was expected to qualify too. Can I email the HT summary report to a private inbox for someone to read - is this possible. And many thanks to everyone who is responding - you guys are like my port in a storm!

[Etienne]

Speaking only for myself, I don't normally have enough time to comment on HT summary reports. If I did it for you, I'd feel I'd have to do it for everyone!
Sorry.

Even if someone were to read and comment on your report, I'm afraid there is no 'right' answer to your question.

• • We never advise one route rather than another on the forum, because there are no easy answers. We can only say “Whatever you do will be a bit of a gamble – just be aware of all the issues which no one else will be telling you about”.
    
    I’m afraid if you go straight to appeal, and it doesn’t work out, you’ll be saying “If only we had gone to review.”
    And if you go to review and it doesn’t work out, you’ll be saying “If only we had gone straight to appeal”!

    http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... aneous#e33" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BucksBornNBred]

May I add that, although the lovely experts on this site cannot advise you one way or the other, I found that the careful words they chose helped us decide on the right course of action based on our situation. As I said previously, without any mitigating circumstances we felt review would not work for us. I still wonder "what if" about not going for review (how do grey hairs turn up over night!) but had we failed at review then I am sure we could not have overcome the FCO argument at appeal. At the end of the day you have to go with your gut feeling based on the evidence you have. Going to appeal is a long, drawn-out procedure and terrifying on every level but, even knowing that, we chose it as our best chance of success. As a footnote I would say that even DS said we should have gone for review as "everyone else was" so please don't listen to playground chat and listen to your heart. Again, good luck with whichever route you choose

[Etienne]

As a footnote I would say that even DS said we should have gone for review as "everyone else was" so please don't listen to playground chat and listen to your heart.

Interesting point - the majority go for a review, not because it is necessarily in their best interests, but because they are shepherded in that direction. Few of them really know what the pros and cons are!