Low scores, advise please!
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James1
Low scores, advise please!
I would appreciate some advise on how my son will fair at appeal given his scores of 112/113.
We have just been to see the headmaster who is as shocked as us that he didn't get through. He had ranked him as a 1:1 and he is no.3 on his order of suitability, with the two above him having passed. Has been predicted 3 level 5's for year 6.
My main concern is that we don't have any mitigating evidence as to why he scored so low. With scores like these is the mitigating evidence just as important as the academic?
In his year 5 report his SATS scores were-Maths 5, English 4b and Science 4C. Are these levels good enough for us to submit as evidence or does this get written on the head teacher's summary?
Many thanks for any advise!
We have just been to see the headmaster who is as shocked as us that he didn't get through. He had ranked him as a 1:1 and he is no.3 on his order of suitability, with the two above him having passed. Has been predicted 3 level 5's for year 6.
My main concern is that we don't have any mitigating evidence as to why he scored so low. With scores like these is the mitigating evidence just as important as the academic?
In his year 5 report his SATS scores were-Maths 5, English 4b and Science 4C. Are these levels good enough for us to submit as evidence or does this get written on the head teacher's summary?
Many thanks for any advise!
Re: Low scores, advise please!
Hello, James
Looks like another Bucks appeal.
I'd be less than honest if I didn't tell you that the absence of mitigating circumstances in your case will make things very difficult. But I think you've worked that out already.
How many below your son qualified? And were they immediately below?
The head ought to put the year 5 SATs on his summary, but if not you can show the panel some evidence (were they given out with the year 5 report?).
Is your son exceptionally good at Maths, and is there any other strong evidence for it? I'm just wondering if you could try and make a case that his sort of ability does not show up in an 11+ based solely on VR. I recall a case where a child had taken part in a Maths olympiad, and the panel accepted this argument!
Looks like another Bucks appeal.
I'd be less than honest if I didn't tell you that the absence of mitigating circumstances in your case will make things very difficult. But I think you've worked that out already.
How many below your son qualified? And were they immediately below?
The head ought to put the year 5 SATs on his summary, but if not you can show the panel some evidence (were they given out with the year 5 report?).
Is your son exceptionally good at Maths, and is there any other strong evidence for it? I'm just wondering if you could try and make a case that his sort of ability does not show up in an 11+ based solely on VR. I recall a case where a child had taken part in a Maths olympiad, and the panel accepted this argument!
Etienne
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James1
Low scores, advise please!
Thanks for the quick reply Etienne
One other passed who was just below my son, so is this good news if he's sandwiched in the middle! They are in quite a small year group of 24 of which 13 were given a ranking.
He has always been good at maths, I am going to include a 'silver' certificate from when he took part in the 'Primary Maths Challenge' last year. He's just recently done this years challenge so hope to submit that as late evidence if it's a good mark. He is certainly more mathmatically minded and probably not suited to the VR way of thinking.
Are the other SATS grades 4b and 4c considered high enough to be mentioning? Not knowing what other children are getting it's hard to know if they are good grades or not!
One other passed who was just below my son, so is this good news if he's sandwiched in the middle! They are in quite a small year group of 24 of which 13 were given a ranking.
He has always been good at maths, I am going to include a 'silver' certificate from when he took part in the 'Primary Maths Challenge' last year. He's just recently done this years challenge so hope to submit that as late evidence if it's a good mark. He is certainly more mathmatically minded and probably not suited to the VR way of thinking.
Are the other SATS grades 4b and 4c considered high enough to be mentioning? Not knowing what other children are getting it's hard to know if they are good grades or not!
Re: Low scores, advise please!
Yes, good to be sandwiched in the middle at the top end.
To get 3 out of 13 might be over-optimistic, but it depends how many of the 13 were "3"s.
4b at end of year 5 looks all right to me, and 4c just about. Worth mentioning, I think.
To get 3 out of 13 might be over-optimistic, but it depends how many of the 13 were "3"s.
4b at end of year 5 looks all right to me, and 4c just about. Worth mentioning, I think.
Etienne
Yes - the higher the award the better. [I was never able to find out just what proportion of the participants got gold, silver, bronze respectively!]
Perhaps when Guest55 is online, she can advise us just how much weight these awards should be given. It might help your case if you can demonstrate to the panel exactly what they mean.
Perhaps when Guest55 is online, she can advise us just how much weight these awards should be given. It might help your case if you can demonstrate to the panel exactly what they mean.
Etienne
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James1
Low scores, advise please!
Not really sure either, I know in year 4 he got a Bronze and then a Silver last year. If Guest 55 doesn't know, I will ask the school if they have any relevant stats on these awards? Or does anyone else out there know about these, I presume lots of schools take them.
Hi James
We're in the same boat with no extenuating circumstances, but surprise as our son was ranked 5th with a 1 recommendation. We can't think of anything to explain why he didn't do as well as predicted or in his practise exams, apart from him being very nervous. My personal feeling is that VR doesn't always reflect academic potential, but not much we can do about it now. We are appealing, but given the lack of extenuating circumstances, aren't holding much hope. Still, without trying we won't get anywhere. Good luck for your appeal.
We're in the same boat with no extenuating circumstances, but surprise as our son was ranked 5th with a 1 recommendation. We can't think of anything to explain why he didn't do as well as predicted or in his practise exams, apart from him being very nervous. My personal feeling is that VR doesn't always reflect academic potential, but not much we can do about it now. We are appealing, but given the lack of extenuating circumstances, aren't holding much hope. Still, without trying we won't get anywhere. Good luck for your appeal.
Data on PMC - only those who get more than 27/30 get through to the final satge - the percentages are here for that stage:
http://www.m-a.org.uk/education/pmc_res ... index.html
Looks good to me!
http://www.m-a.org.uk/education/pmc_res ... index.html
Looks good to me!