Expert help please - ref earlier "Distraction" thr

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Last time Mum
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:12 pm

Expert help please - ref earlier "Distraction" thr

Post by Last time Mum »

Hello again

I put a thread onto "Buckinghamshire" section on October 12th regarding distractions that my daughter had by the boy sitting next to her in both the tests.

On Etienne's advice (and my anger) I wrote a letter to the Head detailing everything my daughter has told me. He replied 3 weeks later telling me that as far as he was concerned the invigilation was conducted correctly although they were aware of this boy disturbing others and he was being watched.

On Friday after getting the results (120 and 119) I went to see the Head who said that he would fully support our appeal but asked me not to mention the letter as it would not be relevant to my case. I am not too happy about this as because my daughter was so close to the pass mark on both papers I feel that the distractions she had could now prove to be very relevant indeed.My daughter says he finished both papers very quickly and proceeded to cause the disruptions she detailed to me. In one instance she says she was half way through working out a maths question when she had to stop to tell this boy to be quiet as he was talking to a boy on the next table and she therefore had to start the question again.

I do not want to cause any problem for the Head as he is so supportive but I can't help feeling that I have to mention this at appeal as the distractions may well have cost my daughter her place at grammar school. Why, if they knew he was a distraction did they not remove him from the room or sit him on his own? I wish my daughter had told me this after the first test as I could have gone in to school and asked the Head to move the boy somewhere else.

I am thinking of just briefly mentioning the situation in my appeal letter and then going into more detail on the day.

Any advice on this would be very much appreciated.

Thank you

Ana
perplexed
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Location: kent

Post by perplexed »

Did the distractions caused by this boy have a negative effect on other children who were also sitting within a similar "distraction range" to your sister? Did the head say why he thought it was "not relevant" to your case?

At least you have in writing from the head that the boy was causing a distraction.

Do you have other good evidence that your child is normally above the 11+ pass threshold?
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Ana

You are perfectly within your rights to submit the letter at an Appeal if you wish, and there is no need to tell the Head that you have done so.

Panel hearings are confidential and there is no way that the Head will get to hear about it.

On such a near miss of 1 - 2 marks I think the letter could be very helpful - just don't overdo it! "There were some distractions during the examination - please see the attached correspondence with the Head, (Appendices C & D). We believe that may partly account for the one or two marks that our daughter missed out on." (Your own words to that effect.

If I were a cynic, I would say that the Head now realises that the invigilation was not really up to scratch, and may be worried that it will be picked up on by Admissions. As the hearing is confidential that won't happen though.

Put all your effort now into looking for all that strong academic evidence - a successful appeal is at least 90% academic evidence, and very rarely more than 10% mitigating circumstances.

Sally-Anne
Etienne
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Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

If you put anything in your written case about this matter, I fear it's just possible the LA representative will contact the school in advance to discuss the incident.

This is probably much less likely to happen if you raise the matter for the first time at the hearing. Tactically it would be a good idea to wait for the panel to ask you if there are any reasons why your daughter might have underperformed. (In the unlikely event they don't do this, and you sense the questioning is coming to an end, you can say "Oh, there's just one more point I should perhaps mention .......")

It's outrageous to say the letter from the school is not relevant to the appeal. I think Sally-Anne is right, and that sadly the head is protecting his own interests.
Etienne
Sally-Anne
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Etienne wrote:If you put anything in your written case about this matter, I fear it's just possible the LA representative will contact the school in advance to discuss the incident.
Etienne is quite right to make that point, because I have known LA reps to contact the school in advance of an Appeal before where there has been an error in the Head's supporting information.

I suggest that you take 6 copies of both letters with you to the appeal.

My suggestion would be that, if it is your only mitigating circumstance, you should include a mention of the issue in your verbal presentation. Explain that the Head had requested that you should not submit the information, but "on reflection" you do feel that it was part of the reason why your DD did not pass, and should not be left out. I think the panel will draw their own conclusions as to the Head's motives.

At the end of your verbal presentation, offer one "pair" of letters to the panel Chairman, and say that you have sufficient copies for each panel member "if they would be helpful".

Sally-Anne
Last time Mum
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:12 pm

Post by Last time Mum »

Thank you both very much for your help and advice.

I will do as you say and maybe mention it in my appeal letter and then go into more detail at the appeal.

I agree totally with what you both say about the Head trying to protect his school and not having the invigilating on those days put into question. He told me that if I use the letter as evidence then he would get a call from county wanting to know his version of events on those days which means he would then have to defend the school,and not my daughter. He therefore said he didn't think it would be beneficial to mention anything about it, certainly not in any great detail.

So I will listen to you both and use it as mitigating circumstances as I can't see that it would do any harm to my case at all, especially when I am only trying to explain the shortfall of one and two marks.

Thank you again for your comments and an invaluable forum.

Ana
Sally-Anne
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Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Ana
Last time Mum wrote:He told me that if I use the letter as evidence then he would get a call from county wanting to know his version of events on those days which means he would then have to defend the school,and not my daughter.
I have heard some extraordinary statements in my time on this Forum, but I really think that takes the biscuit! :shock:

How wrong would the school have to be before he owned up?

In the light of those comments I strongly suggest that you don't put it in writing at all, just in case the LA rep does follow up before the hearing, and the Head then changes his story.

Include it in your verbal presentation, and take copies of the letters as I suggested above. Say something to the effect of:

"I'm sorry that we did not include this information with our original appeal documents, but the Head requested that we didn't show you the letters, so we were unsure whether to introduce them as part of our case. We revisited the matter yesterday and decided that the problem really should be put forward as part of our evidence, despite the Head's request."

I think the panel will get the message loud and clear! :D

They may even follow up by asking why the Head felt the letters should not be included, and you would then have the opportunity to explain what he has said to you.

Sally-Anne
flinty
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:49 am

Distractions!!

Post by flinty »

Hello Ana

I have sent you a pm!
thanks Flinty
Last time Mum
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:12 pm

Post by Last time Mum »

Hello again

Sorry to be a pain but Etienne and Sally please can I just ask one more question? You say not to mention in my appeal letter about the distractions which is fine but what do I write instead please??!!

I have written at the moment - "My daughter experienced some distractions during both examinations that we believe may partly account for the one and two marks that she missed out on. I would prefer to expand on the information that I have in my possession at the appeal hearing. I hope that this is acceptable".

Is this too much? - if so I am not sure what to write for extenuating circumstances as this is all I have.

Thanks again

Ana
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Dear Ana

You don't have to write anything about extenuating circumstances in your written submission.

All you have to do - in your situation - is to make sure the issue is raised at the hearing.

Don't worry - it's not at all unusual for things to be done in this way.
Etienne
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