Head teacher appeal confusion

kentmum123 · Post by **kentmum123** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:08 pm

My dd has just received her scores for kent test - VR 129, NVR 131 and maths 109.
I realise that the maths let her down and I have been advised by her Head Teacher to do a parental appeal.
My confusion is that I have found out today that her friend had scores of 121,122 and maths 105 and that she was put through the headteacher appeal when my dd was not.
My child is 7 months younger and her scores were higher in every test, how can an appeal panel of head teachers put through the older child with the lower scores?
Another query is they are next to each other in the register, is it possible that the names got muddled and the wrong child got put through, ie they ticked the wrong name?

tonbridgemum · Post by **tonbridgemum** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:45 pm

The Headteacher actually presents the case themselves (well ours did!) so cant see how she would have muddled up. They would have gathered evidence to support appeal so would be impossible to appeal for wrong child. Really odd though as score well below cut off of 117. Appeal panel very unlikely to go for this i would have though? Did the other child win the HT appeal?

If so there must have been other circumstances taken into account (in my opinion)

kentmum123 · Post by **kentmum123** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:47 pm

Yes the other child did win the appeal!

tonbridgemum · Post by **tonbridgemum** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:49 pm

Woh! Never heard of a win with scoes that low!!

familyinthevalley · Post by **familyinthevalley** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:54 pm

There may have been other circumstances with the other child as Tonbridgemum has mentioned. I know we have one girl in the class whose father passed away right around the exams time from a long battle with cancer. I would hope that whatever her score on the test if she took it, that the HT would've appealed based on the circumstances IF the HT felt that she was an ideal candidate and would've passed based on the evidence available. I would certainly be speaking with the HT though to find out what stopped a HT appeal on your daughters behalf. Have you asked the HT if the school would support a parent's appeal?
It was mentioned elsewhere that a school is only likely to appeal one student - as if they appeal too many it looks like they're just trying to up their own numbers, not put through students who they know should've passed on the day. Good luck and keep us posted how it progresses.

kentmum123 · Post by **kentmum123** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:02 pm

Many thanks for replies so far.
Yes Headteacher will support our parental appeal.
Not looking forward to it though as i have not done this before, so all is new to me.

Ogremum · Post by **Ogremum** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:17 am

i am with you!
dd's friend scored
NVR 113
VR 122
Maths 102

and got thru on HT appeal. Dd missed by 1 point (NVR 136 VR 119 Math 116)
where is the logic - dd is very upset today, its hit her hard

kentmum123 · Post by **kentmum123** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:10 am

This absolutely makes a mockery of the test, what is the point of pass marks if they can be ignored?
Can a headteacher appeal be questioned, surely they are answerable to a higher body?

Post by **Etienne** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:48 am

Can a headteacher appeal be questioned, surely they are answerable to a higher body?

I suppose a complaint to the LA might be possible if they've clearly acted improperly, but I'm afraid in most cases it's more a question of disagreeing with their judgement, and the only route is to go to an independent appeal.

The headteachers might have had good reasons for their decisions in other cases. The problem is we don't know what those reasons were, and what other facts were taken into account. It's very difficult to raise issues about other people's cases because of the Data Protection Act.

katel · Post by **katel** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 9:25 am

A child who was a borderline candidate who the Head didn't think was suitable for selective school MIGHT outperform their best on the day, and nearly make it, but the Head's opinion of their suitability would be unchanged.

Another child, who was considered a certainty for selective school might, for whatever reason unexpectedly underperform on the day, and might then get through on HT's appeal. The HT's appeal is there to even out obvious anomalies. Sad, but true. I'm sorry if this is not what people want to hear.