Very Late Test & Appeal

[CologneJim]

Hi - I have been lurking on this Forum for a couple of weeks as we have unexpectedly had to put our daughter through the Kent Test at the last minute. I have found this Forum to be an incredibly useful source of information - so thank you to all who have posted previously, but now I need some help!

As background, we moved abroad with my job as my DD finished Year 5 last July and were due to be overseas for at least two years. As a result, she did not sit the 11+ last September as she was supposed to. She has been at a British International School overseas following the English Year6 curriculum, but was the only English child in her class! Whilst this was a Private School, we found the education to be a lower standard than her Primary back home.

Unexpectedly we will now be moving back to Maidstone area in August and with 2 weeks notice DD had to prepare for and then take the Kent Test at Invicta last week, no practice day, and did all four tests back to back in the one day!

She did not pass, but only just! I am very proud of her effort in that she got an aggregate 385, VR 138, NVR 132 but Maths 115 - her raw scores supplied today by KCC shows 1 question away from the minimum 117 needed. So the official assessment is that she is only suitable for non-selective. I am amazed that she scored so well given the lack of preparation, only arrived back in the UK the day before the test and took it all on her own in a strange school and all in one day! We are planning to appeal and I have looked at the appeals section, but would really appreciate any help in what to include in the appeal. The maths test was the first she took at 9am and she has admitted she very nervous and overawed by the whole thing and settled into it as the day wore on.

In the Letts practice papers she was regularly 35 ish out of 50 on Maths and we thought if anything it would be the VR she had a problem with! Now I know she was older (11 years 7 months) when she took the Test so the standardisation was a bit tougher, but I am sure the argument will be put that she was much older than the children taking the test last September so should have scored better. that is after all what the Standardisation is supposed to account for.

At the end of KS2 she was assesed as 4a in Maths, 5a in English and was in the top Maths and English set at school and I am sure I can get a Headmaster's letter from her International school supporting her.

I plan to argue that due to the last minute nature of the test, stress on my DD in the lead up to the Test and the fact they were all in one day, that the Maths result is unexpected and that she should warrant a place at GS. We will have some evidence to back this up.

Based on other's experience and the slightly unusual circumstances is there anything else you'd inlcude - or do you think I am kidding myself and raising our expectations unneccesarily?

Thanks

[sherry_d]

Those are amazing scores for 2 weeks work and you must be proud parent.

I havent got any wisdom regarding appeals but there are amazing people in the appeals section and I hope the mods can put this in that section because you will get better responses.

[hermanmunster]

Agreed - I will move it to appeals.

[T12ACY]

Well done to your DD for those scores which are excellent!

Couldn't see a mention of the school you are appealing for. Is it full or over PAN already? This will make a difference to how you will need to approach an appeal. If it is simple non qualification I would be surprised if a panel decided a single question was enough to decline your application. Your problem may arise if the school is already well over PAN and you are battling over subscription.

Good luck though, you are in the right place for some good advice

[CologneJim]

T12ACY

We are appealing for Invicta and maybe MGGS (on advice of KCC). I am not sure what PAN is, but we have a letter today confirming they are oversubscribed in the year group and that we have the right to appeal - so I guess we are appealing against both?

I notice from other posts you have been through this process at least twice - how on earth do your nerves stand it!

I'd really appreciate any advice you might give.

CJ

[hermanmunster]

Hi CologneJim - your DD was frustratingly close to the pass mark.

You will have 2 stages to this - one against non qualification - ie that she should have achieved the pass mark but due to extenuating circumstances ie because of the stress of having to take the stress at short notice and the travelling involved she did not get as many marks as expected, however don't lean too heavily on this as many kids travel to take tests (DS did this and also a child in DDs class who came over from Holland) and reach the cutoff anyway.
You have to also show that she was capable of reaching the cutoff, ie SATS school reports, CATS if poss, other tests??.
The second stage is oversubscription IF the school you are applying to is already full ie up to PAN or the number of places they have each year, this part of the apeal process requires you to say why they should go to THAT school - eg specialisms, academic etc.

Have you read this :
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/11plus ... nswers.php

[T12ACY]

It is a very time and life consuming experience!!!

PAN is Published Admission Number, the allocation of places on offer in Year 7. Appeals generally force the school to take some over this, but not always!

The Q and A's you have been pointed towards are really comprehensive and will certainly point you in the right direction but if you have any specific questions post them and with any luck someone will help you out! You can also send private messages to forum members, they may even send some to you with advice they prefer to keep private. The mods are a fountain of knowledge and will pop up to help you out where needed.

Evidence is key. You will need to prove the move was short notice, prove DD is level 5 in SAT's and if you have any other measure of performance from other tests use these too.

I imagine that you will not now get a hearing before the new year starts which is a shame.

Good luck

[capers123]

Hi,

Have you any evidence that her current school operates at a lower standard than an average UK primary? It could be useful. How strictly was it following the UK KS2 syllabus?

Whilst panels tend not to ask about tutoring, you could well mention that given the short notice of the mover, you had no time for any tutoring - and that had she enjoyed the same opportunities for preparing for the test as the average UK child, would have easily sailed through the exam. "Even though we only left the UK one year ago, we'd known about the move for some time, so there was no point having DD tutored before we left".

I'd also mention taking all the tests in one day, not in her primary school surrounded by friends, rather than whatever the usual arrangements are in Kent (I'm not from Kent).

Collect any evidence the overseas school can supply - CATS scores if they have them but certainly any details on maths ability showing that she should have passed easily. I guess the Head won't be stroppy about your DD leaving the school as you had no choice, so is happy to help.

Good luck.

[Ogremum]

oh best of luck!

[kentsussexborder]

I'd also mention taking all the tests in one day, not in her primary school surrounded by friends, rather than whatever the usual arrangements are in Kent (I'm not from Kent).

TBH, not much point in raising this point as for the Kent test Out of County candidates sit all their tests on one day, in a school which is not their own.