Seeking Advice on Kent 11+ Appeal and Possible Relocation

[rahul110585]

I hope you can offer some guidance regarding my son's Kent 11+ results. He achieved a total score of 344, but unfortunately, he missed the minimum requirement in English by just one mark (105, with the minimum being 106).

We are considering appealing for this 1 mark, particularly as my son experienced a significant disruption in Year 5 when his previous school was permanently closed by the council, forcing us to move him to a new school. We believe this may have impacted his performance.

Given this context, I would appreciate any advice on the likelihood of a successful appeal for a grace mark based on historical cases. Additionally, we are open to relocating to the catchment area of a grammar school if there is a reasonable chance of securing a place for him.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

I don't know about the appeal but I think the headteachers appeal was before the results came out. I believe the headteachers would have had that chance in early October. If there are other appeal methods I don't know but someone else might know.
As for moving within catchment, it depends which school you are aiming for. There also academies which have a grammar stream that you could consider. If you go to the Kent website there are documents which detail admission criteria for each school, you can study that and make a decision.

Have you talked to his school? With a 1 mark miss, the Head Teacher would probably have appealed on his behalf before the results went out. There is a parental appeal too, but they are not usually successful.

I don't understand your point about catchment-are you not in the catchment of a grammar school already? The Kent grammars require a pass on the test and then places are awarded by proximity.

There are parents who get their DC to attempt multiple 11plus tests around the country and then relocate to the one that suits them best according to scores etc. Kent County stipulates movements to the catchment to be completed by a certain date which is in their guidelines.

@expatinmys "There are parents who get their DC to attempt multiple 11plus tests around the country and then relocate to the one that suits them best according to scores etc"

Is this what you've done?

Where are you in Kent?
Has your DC started school yet?
How much private tutoring did they receive before the test? If they couldn't pass with years of tutoring and no one approached you and suggested an appeal then that is likely because they aren't a good fit for the grammar.
In the other hand my DS works in a popular Kent grammar school (but not the 'best' or most academic in the town) and appeals were constant throughout the year and kids were always winning the appeal and being shoe-horned in.
I'd speak to your old primary school and ask about the process to appeal, and the LA and the grammar you want to get them in.
Grammar schools aren't the be-all and end all

You would have to relocate very soon to be considered as an application at that address. Even then, and with an appeal, is that enough for a local place? Are you currently ooc ?

First stop would be asking the Head whether they did an appeal . A friends son was in this position last year , passed well but was 1 mark under on the English paper and he got through on Headteacher appeal , so when the results were issued to parents it came through as a pass .

Parents can't appeal the result - only headteachers can do that (and you'd already know if that had successfully happened). Parents can only appeal a school allocation. So, you would have to wait until you're not given a grammar place on 1 March, and then you can appeal individually for each grammar school you've applied for.

If the HT did initiate a review, then it was obviously unsuccessful, otherwise the result would have been 'suitable for grammar', regardless of the one point under in English. So as @tobyj says, the way forward now, to have any hope of a Kent GS place, is to name one or two Kent grammar schools on the CAF above whichever school is a banker (in Essex, you can appeal for schools you didnt get even though the reason was that a higher preference was offered, and in Gloucestershire, ypu can appeal for schools you never named on your CAF at all, but I have no idea how Kent does things, or where the OP lives) and submit a normal post - offer day appeal when the application(s) are inevitably turned down.

Thanks for the response. I have read from the Gravesend Grammar school website that you can appeal to school after the national offer day. HT letter of support can be one of the evidence. There are provision of appeal so I am looking which school accepted appeal historically.

I am out of catchment and planning to move in the probable school catchment before Dec which I have learnt that the cutoff for Kent.

I went to a grammar and worked in one. Children who get in on appeal tend to struggle. And when they start struggling they develop anxiety, school refusal, loss of confidence etc. You need to think carefully about whether a grammar is going to be the best fit for your DC.

Seems a gamble to rely on an appeal. Why are you relocating, other than for a grammar school?

He has done hardly any tutoring. He scored 344, above the cutoff of 332, and missed the English section by only one mark, i.e., 0.25%, which is less than the difference of a single question. So, the difference of one correct answers does not determine whether someone is fit in grammar or not. It’s undoubtedly a highly competitive test, but claiming that someone is qualified because they answered one more question correctly while another didn’t is not accurate.

Thanks.

Could you pls confirm if you friends appeal before the result out or later, was it in Kent?
I would be grateful if you can check with your friend and share some more details.

That is only if the pupil was eligible , so had passed but not got a place on offers day, not for the score itself.

It’s undoubtedly a highly competitive test, but claiming that someone is qualified because they answered one more question correctly while another didn’t is not accurate

That is literally how tests works.

Are you sure you're going to be able to buy a house in the catchment area of the school? Remember, there is a significant possibility that there won't be any places available....

Kent allows you to appeal for any school on your CAF, even if you got a higher preference.

What you need to do now is name the grammars you're interested in on your CAF (put all your schools in true order of preference - so you can put the grammars top, even though we won't get allocated one on 1 March - but make sure you also include non-grammars, in your true order of preference.)

After offers come out, appeal for the grammars that you've named but haven't been allocated. With a grammar appeal, your main priority is to demonstrate that your child is academically the right level for grammar - particularly in the subject where they missed the pass mark. So collate schoolwork evidence over the coming months, ask school if they'll help you. It can also be helpful to look for reasons why that particular grammar is suitable for your child (eg it's strong in a sport that your child is particularly interested in - but that's secondary to the academic evidence.) You'll probably have a reasonably decent chance of a successful appeal at one of the non super selectives eg TWGSB. Your chances at the likes of Skinners or Judd will be much smaller.

But you do have to ask yourself whether all that is really worth the upheaval of a house move.

Hi @rahul110585 I am West Kent based and have a decent knowledge of the 11+ and local schools.

One option could be to have a good look at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. They have in the past offered places to boys just under the qualifying score but only in the summer term, just before they start. This would have to be through the parent appeal process where you would appeal directly to the school.

You would need to move into the area before mid December, I think. Tunbridge Wells housing is v expensive but nearby Tonbridge is more reasonable.

I do think your son's school situation in Year 5 is something that would be worth raising with an appeal panel.

You are taking a big risk considering moving as there is no way of knowing if you would get him in on appeal. But only you know what your situation is.

The school is open next week and breaks for half term on Friday. I'm not sure if they have any open mornings next week but it might be worth calling them. Good luck.

Thank you so much. It helps a lot. I will make a call to Tunbridge on Monday.

'Schools' don't 'accept appeals'. You and the school both present your respective cases to an independent panel and the independent panel decides the outcome; in your case, the first thing that the panel will have to decide on is whether you have presented sufficient evidence that your DS should be regarded as being of the required academic standard despite the result of the actual test of suitability for grammar school that he sat last month. If the panel decide in his favour on that point, then they will consider whether the prejudice to the school of having to accommodate an extra pupil is outweighed by the prejudice to your DS of not being admitted to the school.

Both you and the school's Presenting Officer will have left the room (actual or virtual) by the time decisions are made.

I think OP meant that the fact her son missed out by 0.25% doesn’t mean he’s going to be out of his depth and really struggle at a grammar, even if technically he didn’t quite make the grade.

The children who scrape in struggle too. In fact a lot of children who are heavily tutored struggle too.

People see the 11+ as the end goal but it’s only the beginning.