kent school non qualification appeal

[MummaB1]

Hello all

Posted on mumsnet before..may be better here as it's more kent..

Anyone had any appeals experience with child missing kent test by 5 marks and appealing to a kent grammar?

Any thoughts or info appreciated..thanks

Hi, I do have some experience of appeals but in different circumstances. In your case it's absolutely crucial to get your head's backing, saying that they had expected your child to score higher. Without this I'm afraid you wouldn't have much chance. Appeal panels are not swayed by people being even one mark off, devastating as that is - the response will be that there has to be a cut off point.

You will need evidence that the child is of grammar standard (things like reading age, predicted to by level 5 by end of year 6 etc) plus any reasons why he/she might have performed badly on the day. If she failed just one paper you can ask to go to the KCC offices and view the paper - eg to see whether she has put answers in the wrong box on a non verbal paper.

If you look up Peter Read, Kent Independent Education Advice he has a website with lots of info - he's an ex head teacher and you can hire him as a consultant, although this isn't necessary, most people put their case together themselves and it's all designed for parents to present the reasons to the panel themselves.

If your child is a girl (and you live in West Kent), some good news is that I heard last year Weald took some girls who hadn't passed because they weren't full, so they took the top scorers directly below. Boys is always tougher but Oakwood Park in Maidstone usually goes quite a way down the waiting list and is easier to get into than TW.

Also depending where you are, or whether there's any chance of you moving if you are fixed on a grammar, the coastal and north kent ones tend to be less competitive. Two fantastic ones I've visited are Folkestone for girls, Ofsted outstanding, and it also runs its own entry test to identify girls who for whatever reason didn't pass the Kent test but may be of the required standard. Sir Roger Manwood in Sandwich is mixed and also vg, and again you'd have more chance here than in TW or Tonbridge.
Good luck, so stressful I know!

Thank you Spanish. Have head support and medical issue which did hinder dd on day of test. All documented by Gp and hospital. Working at level 4b at moment..so big push now to get her to 5's by May. Luckily she is doing more of the pushing than me! Thanks for reply. In Gravesend area......x