Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

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tuburn
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 9:24 am

Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by tuburn »

We live in Buckinghamshire, my DD scored 118 in Bucks 11+ exam. Verbal 120.59, Numerical 120.22 and Non-Verbal 109.24.

She is very good academically and was confident to clear Bucks exam. But, after the exam she mentioned that she has messed up the exam paper. Itest content removed by moderator
In Non-Verbal, she did not read the instructions properly test content removed by moderator, some children may still sit test
Finally she could not finish more than half of them.

We are planning to apply for selection review. Her HT gave good recommendation of 1:1 and progress chart is given below:
KS1 (end of Y2) : Reading - 3, Writing - 2A, Maths - 3
End of Y3 : Reading - 3a, Writing - 3b, Maths - 3a
End of Y4 : Reading - GDS, Writing - EXP, Maths - GDS
End of Y5 : Reading - GDS (110), Writing - Upper Exp, Maths - GDS (131)
Predicted performance July 2018 : Reading 111-120, Writing - Working at GDS, Maths 111-120
Reading Age: 13yrs 9months
Spelling Age: 16+

Could you please suggest whether we can highlight the point that she messed up the exam paper probably under pressure? Could you please suggest any other points we could highlight in the review application?

Thanks for your help.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by Guest55 »

Welcome to appeals.

One question to ask the Head is how many of the children recommended 1:1 qualified? What about 2:1s and 1:2s?

How strongly is the Head supporting the review?

It strikes me that all three numbers are below 121 - perhaps Etienne might commnet later on this?

Do read the consequences of an unsuccessful review should you want to appeal later.
tuburn
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 9:24 am

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by tuburn »

Thanks for your reply.

Here is the comment from HT:

DD has huge academic potential and I highly recommend her for GS. DD dedicates her interests to learning and pursues her targets; progressing very well across all subjects.
In Year 6, she was selected to use her academic ability in maths to peer tutors targeted pupils in Y5.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by Guest55 »

Could you ask about other recommendations because I think that will be important?
neo1232
Posts: 220
Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:38 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by neo1232 »

I am not expert in appeals but I can tell one thing -

For this year I found that Non Verbal score are consistently very low compare to NR and Verbal - this may be ok with child who has score more than 121 but this may have really affect who are in border line.

I know one Ds - scored 20 point low compare to NR/VR - with 20% weightage , impact is not large but it may have still impact borderline case.

Main issue is that they could not finish on time - more questions and less time.
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by anotherdad »

neo1232 wrote:I am not expert in appeals but I can tell one thing -

For this year I found that Non Verbal score are consistently very low compare to NR and Verbal - this may be ok with child who has score more than 121 but this may have really affect who are in border line.

I know one Ds - scored 20 point low compare to NR/VR - with 20% weightage , impact is not large but it may have still impact borderline case.

Main issue is that they could not finish on time - more questions and less time.
Aren't all three sections standardised? If so, then the NVR scores won't be consistently very low. I suppose it's possible that there's an inverse relationship between relative performance on NVR versus the other elements, but we couldn't possibly infer that without a decent analysis of the whole data set.

What's your sample size for making the observations you have made, above?
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by Etienne »

tuburn wrote:We live in Buckinghamshire, my DD scored 118 in Bucks 11+ exam. Verbal 120.59, Numerical 120.22 and Non-Verbal 109.24.
Although 118 is quite a respectable score, I do think it might be noted that none of the component scores showed any particular strength.
she mentioned that she has messed up the exam paper ..... she did not read the instructions properly .... she could not finish more than half of them.
Extenuating circumstances may or may not matter with a score of 118, but unfortunately the circumstances you mention may not help. After all, the test is all about working quickly and accurately under pressure.
We are planning to apply for selection review. Her HT gave good recommendation of 1:1 and progress chart is given below:
KS1 (end of Y2) : Reading - 3, Writing - 2A, Maths - 3
End of Y3 : Reading - 3a, Writing - 3b, Maths - 3a
End of Y4 : Reading - GDS, Writing - EXP, Maths - GDS
End of Y5 : Reading - GDS (110), Writing - Upper Exp, Maths - GDS (131)
Predicted performance July 2018 : Reading 111-120, Writing - Working at GDS, Maths 111-120
Reading Age: 13yrs 9months
Spelling Age: 16+
Most of this academic evidence looks very good, although we don't know how reliable the head's recommendations were.

If they wanted to turn down the review, I suspect it would be because of writing. From Y2 to Y5 it's above average, but not significantly so (one would have liked to see 3b in Y2, leading up to GDS in Y5).
I'm not sure whether the panel would find the GDS prediction for Y6 entirely credible, unless the school is able to point to recent rapid progress in Writing.
Could you please suggest whether we can highlight the point that she messed up the exam paper probably under pressure?
I think you may as well mention what happened if you go ahead with a review, but the best thing to do with weak extenuating circumstances is to keep them very, very brief. Just a sentence or two.
Could you please suggest any other points we could highlight in the review application?
Nothing you write is likely to make much difference, because what matters is the evidence - and the evidence is what it is. However, if the school could justify its GDS prediction for Writing, I think it would be worth highlighting.
Etienne
tuburn
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2017 9:24 am

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by tuburn »

Thanks Etienne.

DD has also scored 121 in Slough and 113.5 in Kendrick test. Should we mention that in the application to emphasize her academic ability? She is November born which has also put her in disadvantage situation.
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by anotherdad »

Being November born doesn't disadvantage her in any way. Scores are standardised by birth month so she's competing with other November-born children on an equal footing and against all other aged children on an equal footing.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bucks Selection Review - Help Please

Post by Etienne »

tuburn wrote: DD has also scored 121 in Slough and 113.5 in Kendrick test. Should we mention that in the application to emphasize her academic ability?
The standardisation is different, so unfortunately it's not possible for the panel to compare scores.
Etienne
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