Bucksy wrote:
I had been thinking the same about the extenuating circumstances, is this the sort of question I could put to the panel?
Yes.
We hear that over 100 cases succeeded at review with a score of 120. (The exact figure will probably be in the appeal case papers.)
The question is: "
Can the presenting officer give an absolute assurance on behalf of the admission authority that every one of those cases had exceptional circumstances?"
It seems highly improbable.
You could point out that you know of a case that succeeded where the score was only 112, and there were absolutely no extenuating circumstances.
Don't worry - you won't be asked for the name, because at an appeal it would not be permitted to identify other children. For your information, though, the case is mentioned here:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=52713&p=654052&hilit=extenuating+review#p654052This is the case I had especially in mind when I pointed out in D4(v):
Quote:
The LA's online guidance for parents clearly states "The Panel will also want to see evidence of any exceptional reasons to explain why your child may not have done as well as you, or their headteacher, had expected in the Secondary Transfer Test" - and yet parents on here have reported winning a review without any exceptional circumstances.
I would read out to the panel what the LA's guidance says about exceptional circumstances, and ask them what evidence there is that it has been implemented consistently when a review can succeed with 112 and no extenuating circumstances.
Quote:
I have sent you the HT review form and a better copy of the clerk's notes
Thanks. The CAT scores are lower than one would like to see - but the clerk's notes don't even mention them!
The main problem, I suspect, is that the headteacher gives the highest possible predictions ("GDS" or "111-120") for Y6, but "EXS" for Y4-Y5. Is the school really saying that your child underperformed in Y4-5, relative to Y3 & Y6, or was the headteacher thinking that "EXS" is the highest that can be given for Reading & Maths? In which case why did the school use "GDS" for all subjects in Y3?
I find the instruction at the beginning of section 3 of the review form a bit confusing. I think it implies the school can use "HNM", "EXS"
and "GDS" for all subjects at KS2 (other than for predictions), but I'm really not sure.
If the school has a satisfactory explanation for what they've done, which would help your case, they ought to put it in writing for the appeal.