Proving selection panel not “fair, consistent, objective”

[mad?]

Good luck Elsie, I've followed your case and wish you all the best.

[Elsie]

I wasn’t given an overall score for the BAS - maybe because only five areas were tested?
They were
NVR: 111
Verbal reasoning: 127
Word reading: 119
Spelling: 112
Number skills: 134

And thank you

[Elsie]

Thank you, mad?.

[Etienne]

NVR: 111
Verbal reasoning: 127
Word reading: 119
Spelling: 112
Number skills: 134

Either at the hearing, or in your written submission, I think I would try drawing the panel's attention to VR and Number Skills:

• • Please see attached educational psychologist's report dated ......
    In the two most important tests, VR and Numerical, X scored 127 and 134, which puts him in the top ...% and top ...% of the population respectively.
    
    The importance of VR is evident in that it counts for more than anything else in the transfer test.
    
    Maths is one of the two most important subjects in the school curriculum, and the very high score of 134 in Number Skills is in line with X's consistent attainment of GDS at school, and also corresponds with his consistently high CAT scores. All this evidence confirms what the school says about X's exceptional ability in maths, and suggests that the result in this element of the transfer test was a complete blip.
    
    Even if we concede that NVR is only "above average", the evidence is that the transfer test scores in VR and especially in maths should have been high enough to put X comfortably above the weighted threshold of 121.

[Elsie]

Thank you Etienne, that is really great advice on the maths and VR scores and I will use it when and where I can.

Thank you!

[Elsie]

Hello again. We had our appeal in May but were unfortunately unsuccessful. I was really disappointed in that we fell at the first hurdle and were unsuccessful because the panel considered the selection review panel was fair, consistent and objective. I really thought, with the help of this forum, that I’d done enough to cast doubt on the FCO.

Reading the notification letter again, a couple of things have puzzled me.

First, in the stage 2 appeal, there didn’t seem to be an opportunity to question the Admissions Authority on our specific grounds for the SRP not being FCO. I’d put them in the appeal form and also in the presentation but the panel didn’t follow up on it and there was therefore no discussion. The agenda had no space for us to ask any questions to the AA. Is this normal? We couldn’t raise in stage 1 as it was quite specific to our case (SRP didnt accept the school’s predicted score in reading).

Second, there is no mention of our specific arguments on FCO in the notification letter. It looks like there is a chunk of text missing as well (perhaps this is the bit that’s missing) as the sentence which spans two pages doesn’t make sense. Is this acceptable?! And is there anything I can do about it?

Finally, as well as the questions above, is there any advice on how to do better next time? We have one more appeal to another school coming up but this has made me feel it’s going to be impossible to get past the FCO element again.

[Etienne]

First, in the stage 2 appeal, there didn’t seem to be an opportunity to question the Admissions Authority on our specific grounds for the SRP not being FCO. I’d put them in the appeal form and also in the presentation but the panel didn’t follow up on it and there was therefore no discussion. The agenda had no space for us to ask any questions to the AA. Is this normal? We couldn’t raise in stage 1 as it was quite specific to our case (SRP didnt accept the school’s predicted score in reading).

I agree with you that the standard order of business doesn't quite fit the review situation.

Second, there is no mention of our specific arguments on FCO in the notification letter. It looks like there is a chunk of text missing as well (perhaps this is the bit that’s missing) as the sentence which spans two pages doesn’t make sense. Is this acceptable?! And is there anything I can do about it?

As a first step, I suggest you ask for a copy of the clerk's notes, so that we can consider further.
See: https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/ombudsman#d4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Appeals Team at Bucks are very good at responding to such requests.

Finally, as well as the questions above, is there any advice on how to do better next time? We have one more appeal to another school coming up but this has made me feel it’s going to be impossible to get past the FCO element again.

We think there's a lot of luck involved, and to some extent it depends on who is on the panel.
This may seem very unfair, but panels (not only in Bucks) are divided about what constitutes 'fair, consistent and objective'.
The underlying problem is that the Appeals Code offers very little guidance on the issue.

For your next appeal, if you come up against the same problem, I suggest you pause during your presentation and try inviting the LA representative to respond as you raise each of your FCO arguments.

[Elsie]

Many thanks for the reply, Etienne. From the letter it seems our FCO arguments were not only not upheld but completely ignored which seems odd not to even acknowledge them. I will ask for the clerk’s notes as you suggest.

I might also ring them to ask if there’s a page missing! The text at the end of the first page just doesn’t match or make sense with the text which continues on the next.

[Etienne]

I might also ring them to ask if there’s a page missing! The text at the end of the first page just doesn’t match or make sense with the text which continues on the next.

Good idea.

[Elsie]

I rang them today and they said I should have received two sheets, which I did. I pointed out it didn’t make sense and there was a lot of “we’ll send a new letter”, “look into it”, “get back to you”.

I also asked for a copy of the clerk’s notes and they said they’d get back to me. I was expecting them to tell me to put that request in writing but they didn’t. Hmm, will see what happens but I don’t think it will make a difference to this appeal. Maybe it might be of some help with the next one though, if I have the clerk’s notes in time.

Thanks Etienne.