Hi, my daughter sat the Kent Test this year and while she got the pass mark of 332, she did not get the threshold mark for English. Her scores were Maths 121, Reasoning 118 and English 93. English has always been her biggest strength and she consistently scored 90+% in every practice paper she ever did from the word go, so I know has gone very wrong. Despite living in Kent, my daughter goes to an East Sussex school, as we are on the border, and her Headteacher didn't see fit to put her forward for the Headteacher appeal, as when I queried her said it's pointless of they're not really close to the pass mark. I am very disappointed he didn't bother, as for her score to be so far below her known ability means I think he should have, but that ship has sailed, unfortunately.
Anyway, what I'm after advice for is the fact my daughter has a diagnosis of dyslexia and the educational psychologist report to confirm this. After asking, her SENCO applied for access arrangements on my daughter's behalf, and she was awarded the access arrangements to be in a separate, or smaller room, to get offered rest breaks to reduce the stress on her working memory and for all papers and the assessment sheets to be photocopied on green paper. When my daughter came out of the test centre (we had to drive over an hour away on a Saturday) she said she was in a room with her and one other child with one invigilator, but she wasn't offered rest breaks and her papers weren't printed on green paper. I will always regret not raising this with Kent admissions at the time, but in my ignorance I didn't know the Headteacher appeals happened prior to the results being published, so I thought it was something I could discuss with him and use in an appeal if she had missed out on passing.
I have had many emails backwards and forwards with Kent Admissions and they claim that the SENCO was told in an email that we had to provide our own green paper to the test centre, which we were never told. However, my point was that the invigilator who was monitoring my daughter and the one other child in the room should have known the agreed access arrangements and noted, or rectified the situation, rather than just let her proceed with the test.
Regardless of who is to blame, the SENCO or the test centre, my daughter is not, and I know this would have thrown her and particularly made her struggle with the copying of her answers from the exam booklet to the assessment sheet with the boxes. I was told she only scored 9 right and had errors throughout, and i wouldn't be surprised if she transferred her answers over wrong.
I am waiting for a response from the manager of the Kent Test process, as all I keep being told is we can appeal, but I have said that my daughter has not had her agreed access arrangements and therefore she should not be subject to the same appeal process as any child who is appealing their place for any reason. I feel so angry that my child has been let down. I have also asked for the statistical information regarding how many children with a dyslexia diagnosis actually sat the Kent test this year and whether my daughter has fallen foul of a system not used to dealing with SEND.
I am a very experienced English teacher, Head of Department and Director of the More Able in a non-selective East Sussex school, and I know, and have always known how able my daughter is in English, despite her dyslexia. We got the diagnosis because I knew it would be a battle, as there is not a lot of understanding of how dyslexia presents itself in able children, as I just feel she has been so let down.
Any advice would be greatly received or any knowledge anyone might have regarding the unique situation regarding her access arrangements not being met. I know we would have a good case for an appeal, but the only grammar school near us (Highworth) doesn't typically have a lot of places available for appeals, so I am trying to fight for something to be out on place for my daughter, as I feel a unique situation requires a unique process. Thanks!