11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi,

First of all, many thanks for allowing me to join in this great forum looking for helps and tips for making an appeal case for my DD.

I have sent our background information and detailed grounds for a non-qualification appeal to the appealbox. I would be very much appreciated for any assistance from appeal experts regarding to our DD's case.

Grounds:
1) Academic abilities - she is working greater depth in Maths & English. School is willing to support her appeal by writing a letter for her.
2) Suffer eczema since she was a baby. She gets flare up on her fingers, hands and neck when she has anxiety (leads to scratching). She sat in her dreamed school doing her one-take exam with lack of sleep the night before made her becoming more nervous and anxious. - However totally aware that they won't stand strong as it cannot proof she was not fit for her exam but affect her concentration in doing her questions.
3) school allocation - she is now allocated to an under-average school (with 16% 5+ GCSE pass+ in 2018), her academic journey will be hugely affected or likely to cause damage. The school may find it difficult to group the right children in the same set. She needs to go to a school that offer her the specialism to fulfill her ambition hence choice of the school for this appeal.
4) Personal qualities - good ethos and conduct in school. She has her regular study routine and cope well generally in school life.

Again, many thanks for your time in advanced.

Lovemum

Welcome to Appeals!

Lovemum wrote: 1) Academic abilities - she is working greater depth in Maths & English.

Good. For academic evidence I assume you've read the Q&As:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

School is willing to support her appeal by writing a letter for her.

Good. Let's hope they know what is required for appeal purposes:
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... cation#b48" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... cation#b41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2) Suffer eczema since she was a baby. She gets flare up on her fingers, hands and neck when she has anxiety (leads to scratching). She sat in her dreamed school doing her one-take exam with lack of sleep the night before made her becoming more nervous and anxious. - However totally aware that they won't stand strong as it cannot proof she was not fit for her exam but affect her concentration in doing her questions.

Certainly worth mentioning. Presumably you will provide medical evidence of her condition.

3) school allocation - she is now allocated to an under-average school (with 16% 5+ GCSE pass+ in 2018), her academic journey will be hugely affected or likely to cause damage. The school may find it difficult to group the right children in the same set. She needs to go to a school that offer her the specialism to fulfill her ambition hence choice of the school for this appeal.

Best not to criticise the other school - https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... school#c10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
but you can focus on what your preferred school can offer in the curriculum which is not available at the other school, especially if you have convincing reasons for why this matters.

Are there any other reasons for wanting a place?
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... -school#c2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

4) Personal qualities - good ethos and conduct in school. She has her regular study routine and cope well generally in school life.

Completely irrelevant!
Personal qualities, however desirable, play no part in school admissions or appeals.

Hi Etienne.

Thank you so much for taking time replying to my post.
Would you say the are in a good listing order to put in my appeal form? Obviously I will omit personal qualities but focusing more about why such school is the most suitable for DD.

Could I send a further email to appealbox asking a little more specific question/clarification regarding to some of your points mentioned?

many thanks again!!

Lovemum

Etienne wrote:Welcome to Appeals!

Lovemum wrote: 1) Academic abilities - she is working greater depth in Maths & English.

Good. For academic evidence I assume you've read the Q&As:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

School is willing to support her appeal by writing a letter for her.

Good. Let's hope they know what is required for appeal purposes:
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... cation#b48" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... cation#b41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2) Suffer eczema since she was a baby. She gets flare up on her fingers, hands and neck when she has anxiety (leads to scratching). She sat in her dreamed school doing her one-take exam with lack of sleep the night before made her becoming more nervous and anxious. - However totally aware that they won't stand strong as it cannot proof she was not fit for her exam but affect her concentration in doing her questions.

Certainly worth mentioning. Presumably you will provide medical evidence of her condition.

3) school allocation - she is now allocated to an under-average school (with 16% 5+ GCSE pass+ in 2018), her academic journey will be hugely affected or likely to cause damage. The school may find it difficult to group the right children in the same set. She needs to go to a school that offer her the specialism to fulfill her ambition hence choice of the school for this appeal.

Best not to criticise the other school - https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... school#c10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
but you can focus on what your preferred school can offer in the curriculum which is not available at the other school, especially if you have convincing reasons for why this matters.

Are there any other reasons for wanting a place?
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... -school#c2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

4) Personal qualities - good ethos and conduct in school. She has her regular study routine and cope well generally in school life.

Completely irrelevant!
Personal qualities, however desirable, play no part in school admissions or appeals.

Could I send a further email to appealbox asking a little more specific question/clarification regarding to some of your points mentioned?

Happy to try and help, but questions need to be posted here because this is where we try to answer.

Would you say the are in a good listing order

The order seems fine.
https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appea ... cation#b35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi Lovemum,

I understand you're an i/c applicant looking at one of the Southend grammars? How far away was your DD from 303? When is her birthday (i.e did she have an enhanced score doe to age standardisation?)? 303 has tended to be a 'hard' cutoff in recent years and you should prepare yourself, and your DD, for that outcome. Consider whether you are appealing to WHSG, SHSG or both - WHSG filled their i/c admissions this year which may have a bearing if all the girls accept a place. There is lots of data available on the Essex board.

Presumably you have been allocated a school that you didn't list on your CAF but would have listed other, non-selective, schools that you will be on the waiting list for so I hope you get a preferred school soon. Remember, aside from Hogwarts, there is no 'dream school' and if you DD has the personal qualities you describe she has the ability to thrive anywhere.

Happy to try and help, but questions need to be posted here because this is where we try to answer.

Etienne, thank you for your help.
Message has sent with a couple of additional points:

1) medical evidence
2) medical history leads to consideration

Much appreciated for further guidance.

Hi Lovemum

Could you please post your questions here?
The way in which you frame them gives us a clue as to how to respond appropriately, without revealing private information unnecessarily.

For example, you have already mentioned eczema above.
You were quite open about it, but if you had wanted to keep it strictly confidential, you could have referred to "the medical condition mentioned in background information sent to the Appeals Box".

I understand from your most recent message that you may have some concerns about evidence from a third party.
Could you not just use the term "third party" on here, so that we know not to reveal the details?

Choose your words carefully, and we will do the same.

Etienne wrote:Hi Lovemum

Could you please post your questions here?
The way in which you frame them gives us a clue as to how to respond appropriately, without revealing private information unnecessarily.

For example, you have already mentioned eczema above.
You were quite open about it, but if you had wanted to keep it strictly confidential, you could have referred to "the medical condition mentioned in background information sent to the Appeals Box".

I understand from your most recent message that you may have some concerns about evidence from a third party.
Could you not just use the term "third party" on here, so that we know not to reveal the details?

Choose your words carefully, and we will do the same.

Hi Etienne.

Thank you for spending time again in responding.

Quite honestly, I have spent most of this week reading so many threads, links, comments and feedback. There are so much more information I have to digest, before working out our appeal case - In fact, it is going to be quite a few months and a few appeals to face. It really is distraught.

As per my email sent today with details which I don't want to mention in the thread, all I want to ask is whether Q1) is Ok/acceptable as evidence and 2) the implication of the emphasis of medical condition leads to further questions by the panel.

I am sorry if I do sounds concerned and weird as I didn't want to be opened at first (got misunderstood by the rules that I need to put my question clearly). I am hoping to get some genuine help and advice from you/any of the experts.

Many thanks again.

Lovemum