Result of 118 (.75) - selection review? (Bucks)

[tamisara]

Still waiting to hear from the school, re; the predicted GDS Writing at Year 6 end.

Still not heard from the council, despite sending two contact forms, clearly requesting a call back.

I've definitely decided to leave out the bit about her broken arm, as it appears the school may not give me the scores for that period, and it may actually hinder the picture, by including more things to muddy the waters.

I have found the letter from the hospital when he was taken in very ill, the day before my daughter saw him and became upset, and am very happy as it actually has the date showing as being the date the head put on her form as them being informed. This I feel is important, otherwise it sounds it like an excuse, whereas there is documented medical proof that he was particularly ill at that time (and still is, but that is by the by).

I'm still inclined to include Y5's report as it shows that she didn't have any end of year scores, even though the head has included it (and will be the case across the board as almost all schools shut for Year 5's in March, and any online work was not graded).

I don't have any CATS or other things that others have included, not any of the VR scores that others have either, I don't know why our school hasn't got these?

I'm inclined to *hope* that her high VR in the 11+ shows that she has good enough English skills, not sure why she scored low in the Maths element, especially as she's been GDS throughout KS2. I guess maybe the upset got to her.

Not sure what to do about county. I presume that submitting the review just once will be OK, but despite contacting them last week, they're impossible to contact.

While I remember, is it worth adding another grammar to the CAF? The email said if you want a review you can, but I'm not sure whether it's a good idea or not? It would only be helpful at appeal stage and I'm not sure whether we want to go down that route right now.

[Guest55]

Personally i think the online KS3 results are not relevant and should be omitted. The panel won't know what they are and it detracts from the case overall.

[Etienne]

I'm still inclined to include Y5's report as it shows that she didn't have any end of year scores, even though the head has included it (and will be the case across the board as almost all schools shut for Year 5's in March, and any online work was not graded).

Challenging the validity of the head's EXS for Y5 Writing, as I've said before, is not the sort of argument you want to get into.
It could be worth including the Y5 report for other reasons, such as the comment on Writing.

I don't have any CATS or other things that others have included, not any of the VR scores that others have either, I don't know why our school hasn't got these?

These are optional tests. Individual schools decide whether or not they want to pay for them. Similarly, some parents choose to pay for an assessment by an educational psychologist.

While I remember, is it worth adding another grammar to the CAF? The email said if you want a review you can, but I'm not sure whether it's a good idea or not? It would only be helpful at appeal stage and I'm not sure whether we want to go down that route right now.

I agree that chances could be improved by appealing for more than one grammar school. Different appeal panels can make different decisions.

[tamisara]

Personally i think the online KS3 results are not relevant and should be omitted. The panel won't know what they are and it detracts from the case overall.

You are probably right, I tried to upload the screenshots on here, but I don't think you can upload. Then I also realised that whilst my daughter did complete them herself, the fact that they are online means there is no way of proving it was her alone.

I think it's hard, when you know your child and circumstances, to be objective, so you have the inclination to throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at it. Which is why having some objective views is so helpful. It is also screenshots, and you are not allowed to upload photos as evidence, so it would probably be disallowed anyway.

Thank you Guest55


I will try not to get into an argument Etienne, I'm just frustrated with how they came to that decision. It was the Year 4 report that mentioned her exceptional (I think it said) writing, so may be worth including that too.

I can't thank you enough for your valued input. It is so easy to get carried away. I addressed the problem with including the Century KS3 scores.

I will finalise the draft tomorrow, slowly and referring back to your input, and ask my husband to look over it too as he's got a day off, and reins me in when I write too much and obfuscate things.

I never even considered an educational psychologist, I think it's too late for review purposes, and until last Monday I'd never even heard of a Selection Review.

[Etienne]

I will try not to get into an argument Etienne, I'm just frustrated with how they came to that decision.

I do understand. The point is that the review panel will already know that Y5 achievement on the review form is likely to be an estimate. They don't need to see the absence of grades on a Y5 report to tell them that.

As you say, the frustrating bit is that we don't know how they arrived at their estimate. Or how they've arrived at a prediction of GDS, after putting EXS for Y5.

[tamisara]

Still no word from the school, so may have to submit without any further input.

Was thinking of saying that her high score in VR correlates with the prediction of GDS in writing at the end of the year (I do not know how the review panel can take into account the scores on the head's sheet for Y5, as it looks like they just copied from Y4, there were no tests at the end of Year 5, so no way to quantify her ability).

I know that this will draw into question her lower Maths score, but she's always had the highest praise for Maths, and has solidly been GDS since Y1. She always scores highly in tests, but the 11+ had questions she'd not encountered before, we did do some from books and the GL assessment papers from their site, but I found out too late that they were actually easier that I thought (I'm terrible at Maths, and my husband & son noted I'd used the most convoluted ways to try to help her, leaving her more confused). This is not what I'll say obviously, but I'm not to concerned with it, as she's always been GDS and the extenuating circumstances come into play somewhat.

I worried her VR would be her downfall if I'm totally honest.

Parental feelings and the quality of work during lockdown cannot be taken into consideration of course. I love your idea of including the Century SSs Etienne, but fear that as Guest said, it may be of no relevance. They consist of 'nuggets' and there is no proof my daughter did them, or that she did them without the help pf Google (I know she didn't, but why would they believe my word?)

I'm realistic enough, having read scores of old threads, and the 265 pages of the Selection Review reports on the Grammar School page, to know that without a much better piece of evidence from the school, I'm whistling in the wind.

So, I plan to write the draft as above, including the Year 3, 4 (highlighting the exceptional writer part) & reports (hoping the panel see that there are no scores on the Year 5 one). Say that as the school closed in March, we concentrated on her writing and she has greatly improved, as evidenced by the predictions of the school and by her high VR score.

[tamisara]

Would it be worth messaging the head that wrote the headteacher's form and explaining to her, that it's likely the review panel will be unlikely to trust their predictions as the Year 5 was EXS?

I messaged her teacher a few days ago, and feel uncomfortable about doing so again, but am also worried about being a pain to the head (who only started in September and job-shares with the original head). Or ask the Year 5 teacher?

I suffer terribly from anxiety (as is no doubt obvious), so worry they will get annoyed with me and it may harm my daughter's review.

Thanks

[tamisara]

I have heard back from the head.

She has admitted that they don't know much about appeals/reviews (understandably), but said that the school's recommendations count for a lot.

She said that they did some work before the tests, so the predictions are not based on hearsay, and said I should reinforce that we worked on her writing during lockdown, which is why her predicted grade has translated into GDS.

This was on the app the school uses, so I've saved the message as a PDF, so I can upload this, as I think this is as good as it's going to get, but I (think), she's admitted that she is now working at GDS?

The only caveat is it's included my message to her, saying that as the score at the end of Year 5 is EXS, the panel will need convincing that the GDS is realistic. I hope they don't take offence at that, and see that I was just trying to gain evidence of academic ability in writing.

I guess it's OK to include this? I think that's the only thing they will give, and it does say they did some work before the test?

[Etienne]

She has admitted that they don't know much about appeals/reviews (understandably), but said that the school's recommendations count for a lot.

They only count for a lot if they are thought to be realistic.
There is usually a line in the record of the review meeting where the panel state whether or not they accept the headteacher's KS2 predictions for Reading, Maths and Writing. They do not always agree with the headteacher!

The only caveat is it's included my message to her, saying that as the score at the end of Year 5 is EXS, the panel will need convincing that the GDS is realistic. I hope they don't take offence at that, and see that I was just trying to gain evidence of academic ability in writing.

I don't think they'll mind.

I guess it's OK to include this? I think that's the only thing they will give, and it does say they did some work before the test?

OK. It will have to do.

her high score in VR correlates with the prediction of GDS in writing

VR isn't really the same as Writing.

I do not know how the review panel can take into account the scores on the head's sheet for Y5

They will. They will assume that is the school's best estimate.

[tamisara]

Etienne I cannot thank you enough.

I've saved the front sheets page of my dad's online medical records, under documents it states he attended A&E with the date, and under problems it has that he is on end of life care and palliative care.

I was going to include the actual A&E report, but it goes into great detail about his symptoms, bleeding, diarrhoea and vomiting. As well as other health conditions and lots of medical results. As compelling as they are, I don't think the panel would want, or need, to see them. The simple headlines from his medical records prove his admission and that he was particularly ill on the day stated, along with the fact that he is terminally ill. It's not dad's medical issue I need to prove, but just that it upset my daughter, and that date was within a week before the test. I hope I've got that right.