Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

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BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by BexleyKent »

Hello everyone,

My daughter's year 5 optional SATs raw scores are as follows.

- Ability band: 1A
- Reading: 38
- Reading test: 5
- Maths A: 29
- Maths B: 35
- Written Maths: 64

My daughter has been on top set at a foundation primary school and taking booster class for level 6 SATs. In class, her score is sometimes better than the 2 children who are on Bexley top 180 boys, especially on Maths and some other qualified girls. In her exam, she had to make more than 20 guesses due to her lack of time. I reckon her shortcoming was her speed and time management.

Bexley exam result: 212/215

- Verbal: 214.33
- Non verbal: 203.27
- Numerical: 217.51
- Distance to Bexley Grammar: 3.1m (30min bus)
- Distance to Townley: 4.4m (40min bus)

Kent exam result: 368/320
- Maths: 114
- English: 116
- Reasoning: 138
- Distance to Dartford Girls: 7.9m (50min bus)

My questions:

1) Should I appeal for Townley/Bexley? What are my chances of winning? Anyone appealed and succeeded before with similar circumstances? Where do I start to prepare for my appeal?

2) What is the difference between a headteacher's review and an appeal?

3) Cut off score for Dartford Girls in 2014 for out of county children is 413 I heard. If so, my daughter has no chance of being accepted :(. Anyone know anything about their selection criteria/benchmark for previous years?

Your advice is much appreciated.

Thank you very much.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by Etienne »

Welcome! :)
Where do I start to prepare for my appeal?

What is the difference between a headteacher's review and an appeal?
http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 35&t=35032" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Some of our Kent/Bexley members may be able to help with your other questions.
Etienne
BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by BexleyKent »

Thanks Etienne.

I am still in the dilemma of whether to appeal or not. Anyone has experience with Bexley appeal for Townley? or other Bexley schools?

Best regards,
BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Bexley 11+ Headteacher Appeal

Post by BexleyKent »

Hello everyone,

My daughter's school has agreed to appeal for her Bexley test results. She was 3 marks below with 212/215 but passed Kent with 368/320.

First, she said the school had already refused to appeal for other 4 cases of whom were in top set like my daughter. Then after consulting with my daughter's teachers, who all backed her up saying she had the right attitude and quality for grammar schools, it was decided that the school would appeal for her.

However, when I asked what I could do to prepare for the appeal, I was told that it was mainly the school's work and I did not need to do anything. Reading on the forum, I can see that parents have to prepare a lot before the appeal. I am very confused by what the headteacher said.

Anyone has experience in the appeals? Please help.

Thank you.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by Etienne »

I can see that parents have to prepare a lot before the appeal.
Strictly speaking, this is a review not an appeal. (The two things are very different.)

In Bexley "There will be an opportunity for all Head Teachers to request a review of the score achieved in the test". This sounds similar to Kent where it is the school that instigates the review. Contrast this with Bucks where it is parents who have to take the initiative and submit an application.

It's entirely up to any admission authority to decide the format of a review, so what happens in one authority may be very different from what happens in another.

Are there any Bexley (or even Kent) posts on the forum which suggest parents have had to do a lot of preparation prior to the review?
Etienne
BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by BexleyKent »

Hi Etienne,

Thank you for your advice.

I've read through the forum but those threads didnt specify any actual particular appeal/review in Bexley in details.

According to Bexley's BGS Admission criteria, "The assessment decision is based on the test results. However, the applicant’s primary school Headteacher may request a review of the decisions they disagree with. In such cases,
the ‘Head Teacher Review Panel’ considers all the relevant information before making a decision. This can include the applicant’s test scores, recent school work and comments from the applicant’s primary school Headteacher"

They do not state the deadline for a headteacher review. I'll need to speak to the headteacher in more details after half term. She did say it was an appeal and they wouldnt be able to do anything until next April so I am not sure whether it's going to be a review or an appeal (!). Honestly, based on what is stated in BGS's criteria above, it sounds the same to me as they need recent school work for both a review and an appeal. Am I wrong?

I can see parents in Bucks start to prepare for appeals already but according to Bexley/Kent admission policies, parents wont be able to appeal after their official place offer nationally next March. Should it be better to get it prepared nearer the appeal time because I will have more recent school reports?
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by Etienne »

Hi BexleyKent

I sympathise with you because it gets confusing when, in some areas, "appeal" and "review" are used almost interchangeably.
Although Kent have wisely renamed their "headteacher appeal" (now a "headteacher assessment"), I still sometimes see the word "appeal" used loosely on the Kent forum, when what is meant is "headteacher assessment" or "review".

The language you quote ("it was decided that the school would appeal for her" - rather than "it was decided that the school would support an appeal by you") is certainly suggestive of a review.

However, although I don't know the time scales in Bexley, reviews are usually carried out before March.

There may be some forum members around who can give us chapter and verse about Bexley, but I think you need to sort out any confusion with the headteacher - is she really talking about a review rather than an independent appeal, and - if it is a review - what deadline is she working to?
I can see parents in Bucks start to prepare for appeals already
Not really - they're mostly focused on reviews at the moment (or perhaps whether to go for a review now or straight to an appeal in March).
For Y7 entry in September, no one can normally apply for an independent appeal until March.
Etienne
BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by BexleyKent »

Thank you for your advice, Etienne. I am going to speak to the HT after half term. Hopefully, it will clear my confusion and I will be able to understand more about the whole process.

I read somewhere in the forum that an unsuccessful review may not be beneficial to an appeal later on. If our review turns out to be bad news, is it pointless to go for an appeal in March? Or having no review now but waiting to appeal is a better option? As I read on BGS's admission criteria, they'll need school reports for a review already. The school records are still the same, I think, for either a review or an appeal. Or is it in an appeal, I'll be able to provide more academic evidence for her year 6's work, not just her year 5's as in a review?

Furthermore, it is mentioned that the child needs to be at level 5 at the time they sit the exam and then somewhere else in the forum, it is said the child needs to be at level 5 in year 6. I am, again, confused. At the end of year 5, my DD was level 5 in Maths and English. She is still in band 1A, level 5 and now working towards level 6. Do you think it is sufficient enough for an appeal?

Sorry, I am very new to this and really do not know where to start with this appeal process. Wish there were more threads on Bexley appeal. But as I read here, there are normally very few appeals in Bexley and the success rate has been very low.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by Etienne »

I read somewhere in the forum that an unsuccessful review may not be beneficial to an appeal later on. If our review turns out to be bad news, is it pointless to go for an appeal in March? Or having no review now but waiting to appeal is a better option?
It depends whether the admission authority seeks to argue at an appeal that there's already been a 'fair, consistent & objective' review. In Medway and Bucks they do, which is a real problem. In Kent (to their credit) they don't.
I don't know about Bexley - you'll need to enquire. Try asking the LA or the grammar schools first.
As I read on BGS's admission criteria, they'll need school reports for a review already. The school records are still the same, I think, for either a review or an appeal. Or is it in an appeal, I'll be able to provide more academic evidence for her year 6's work, not just her year 5's as in a review?
For a review initiated by the school, it's quite possible you will have no say in what is submitted.
For an appeal, however, you can introduce any evidence you like! :)
Etienne
BexleyKent
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:41 am

Re: Bexley Non-qualification/Kent potential Oversubscription

Post by BexleyKent »

Thank you, Etienne.
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