Any suggestions - 118/114 - Bucks?

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Hedgehog
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:04 pm

Any suggestions - 118/114 - Bucks?

Post by Hedgehog »

Hello - my d scored 118 (test 1) 114 (test). Obviously disappointed (114 was a real shock) as was predicted to pass although I'm a realist and knew things may not go to plan! Have been wading through the Q&A sections and identified many helpful things. Scored 72 in both practice papers which were sat in exam conditions and marked by Yr 6 teacher - Bucks HT sheet does ask for confirmation as to whether these were carried out in school/independently marked or taken home etc so I am hoping these will be useful evidence?? HT's recommendation prior to 11+ was for GS and is strongly supporting appeal and Yr 6 teacher will write letter or recommendation also. Updated HT's recommendation is a 2:2 - discussed with her today why 2s and not 1s were appropriate which was a reasonable explanation. They do not do CAT scores so will use other tests to provide evidence of ability. I'm not precisely sure what tests will show percentile evidence due to lack of CATs - any suggestions?

SATs predictions are 5s in English, Maths and Science. HT has recommended taking pieces of evidence to hearing e.g. recent geography project, mentioning playing piano, studying French for several years etc although from the forum I get the feeling looking at the child holistically will not be of much benefit ..........

Lastly, school reports are all very good all through primary school although there is a negative remark in Yr 5 report about lack of confidence around 3D and 2D shapes which my d took exception to at the time - I now wish I had challenged this! The Yr 5 teacher was weak in consolidation of maths topics and we started using home tuition programme during the summer which has been very helpful. Is this worth mentioning or do you think it will be perceived as evidence of a potential "weakness". Any thoughts at this stage gratefully received! Thank you.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Any suggestions - 118/114 - Bucks?

Post by Etienne »

Welcome!
Have been wading through the Q&A sections and identified many helpful things. Scored 72 in both practice papers which were sat in exam conditions and marked by Yr 6 teacher - Bucks HT sheet does ask for confirmation as to whether these were carried out in school/independently marked or taken home etc so I am hoping these will be useful evidence??
Not really - see E16:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... aneous#e16" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The reason for the question is simply to check whether the practice papers were done, not how they were done. This matters because every candidate should have had the opportunity to practise on these particular papers.
They do not do CAT scores so will use other tests to provide evidence of ability. I'm not precisely sure what tests will show percentile evidence due to lack of CATs - any suggestions?
If the school does not do any kind of standardised reasoning tests, I'm afraid the only private option is the one in B11h:
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
recent geography project
Personally I wouldn't recommend this. See B12 (the third point from the end):
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeal ... cation#b12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
mentioning playing piano
A grade 4 or 5 certificate would be good evidence!
studying French for several years
It depends what standard has been reached (and what the evidence for that would be).
Lastly, school reports are all very good all through primary school although there is a negative remark in Yr 5 report about lack of confidence around 3D and 2D shapes which my d took exception to at the time - I now wish I had challenged this!
I wouldn't worry about a single remark.
The Yr 5 teacher was weak in consolidation of maths topics and we started using home tuition programme during the summer which has been very helpful. Is this worth mentioning
Not really - the focus ought to be on hard evidence of high ability.

Hope that helps.
Etienne
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Any suggestions - 118/114 - Bucks?

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hedgehog wrote:HT's recommendation prior to 11+ was for GS and is strongly supporting appeal and Yr 6 teacher will write letter or recommendation also. Updated HT's recommendation is a 2:2 - discussed with her today why 2s and not 1s were appropriate which was a reasonable explanation.
The word "updated" concerns me. Has the Head changed her recommendation from the one that she submitted to Bucks CC before the results were known? If so, what was the previous recommendation, and what was her justification for changing it?
Hedgehog
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:04 pm

Re: Any suggestions - 118/114 - Bucks?

Post by Hedgehog »

Thanks to both for prompt replies - all helpful. With regard to the HT's recommendations - during the Autumn term of Yr4 the HT (prior to leaving school at end of this term) spoke with me at parents' eve explained about the need to complete this recommendation form and said her recommendation for my d was for GS (based on evidence from VR tests in Yrs 4 & 5 and presumably evidence gathered over the time at the school also). She explained she was completing the "recommendations" earlier than usual due to her leaving the school. New HT (in post 1 yr now) when I met with her the other day, said they had in fact completed these summaries together. I need perhaps to check the details of this initial summary/recommendation to see whether it is the same as the information being submitted on the form to go with my appeal form? Not sure how this will help but it does explain the background??
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