Appeal for grammar, dyslexia, written work issues - help please?

[HetzelNatur]

Hello, I really hope someone with experience of this system might be able to give me advice - I don't know if we have a fighting chance or not.

Ds didn't pass the Kent test in Y6 and he's currently home schooled (he's 12 in May). We did appeal to a local grammar on the grounds of his dyslexia, which is becoming milder in terms of how he manages school work, and we failed the appeal.

Last week he took an entrance test to the same school, which was CAT tests (verbal, non verbal, quantitative) on the computer, plus a maths and Eng paper which were written.

We found out on Sat that he didn't get through, and he was absolutely gutted but I assumed it was pointless to appeal again.

Yesterday I emailed asking for his scores, just for our information, and they really surprised me.

Basically they want top 25% scores to offer a place.

His CAT results were on the 99th and 95th centile for VR and NVR, and 78th for QR. I nearly fell over.

The English and Maths were not adequate (though I don't know what the pass marks were, and it gives a % and a grade - maths 24%, Eng grade 4 - I don't understand what these mean).

Now I can see he found the computer based exams easy (and told me they were) and the written work very hard, partly I think because we hadn't covered a lot of the maths in our work at home (my fault - we were going over the basic stuff again) and partly as his written work is generally pretty untidy and he has poor processing and handwriting.

Could we stand a chance to fight the decision on the grounds of these issues he has (we have a report about them from last year from a specialist) or would we just be getting his hopes up all over again for nothing?

Any thoughts really appreciated.

Tomal memory scores are between 37 and 75.

The new rules mean that you need to have an Ed Psych report that is no more tha two years old and which indicates clearly the issues which qualify for additional assistance (and which sort).

In the absence of such a report, things like extra time cannot be given. You say he is now 12, and a report was done when he was 7. Was that the only one?

AuntieStella, the last report was when he was 10.07. He's now 11y 11mo.

We may be just in time but I actually don't know how to go about applying.

Sorry, managed to miss where you said there was a year 6 report.

Did you submit a copy to the school when entering him for the exam? Was it actually clear and easy to apply for extra time etc when entering?

Oh - it isn't an ed psych report though. Does it have to be?

You are looking for standardised scores such as for verbal processing, they need to be below 84.

We didn't submit it to the school. I didn't think we could get any extra time or anything like that. No one suggested we even mention it. They just emailed me the date for testing and what to bring.

I took the report to the appeal last year, but they weren't really interested and tbh I didn't know which bits I needed to highlight for them.

It needs to be administered by ed psych or someone with the relevant qualification , some sencos would qualify but probably not at primary level.

Phonemic decoding efficiency score is 90. Writing speed score is 86 (below average). 17th percentile.

Are we too high?

Quals are PGCE, Pgrad diploma in dyslexia, Dyslexia institute, associate member BDA, member of PATOSS, member Dyslexia Guild.

Potentially yes but you need the individual processing scores which by the sounds of it weren't documented. I'll look a Ds last report later and give you an idea of categories. Why did you not check that he might qualify for extra time at 11+ at the time, although it may not have changed his Maths and English scores enough to put him up the list.

Not sure pgce on its own qualifies a person to assess Sen.

I kept emailing the school trying to get information about it, but no one replied, it was awful. I asked and asked, the senco was about as much help as a chocolate teapot (though very kind) and retired shortly after - his teacher was unwell and kept missing class due to appointments, and also retired afterwards.

I didn't get anywhere. So basically I had no idea where to start, to get him any extra time. I feel I have failed him.

the edpsych's report has to be commissioned through the school, not privately, to carry any weight, and exam access arrangements depends on statement and evidence form teachers.

So basically we have zero chance of 'access arrangements' given that the school has never commissioned a report, and he currently has no teachers?

Oh.

Charis that simply isn't true! Ds has been in private sector and each report has been commissioned by us, not via school nor has he been observed in school.

You don't need a report for laptop use but you would need a third party to acknowledge it is his usual mode of working, all assistance such as spellcheck must be disabled in exam conditions.

You need to be looking at the WISC iv UK scores for processing ie. Working memory and processing speed. However to take this to gcse you will need another full report in year 9.

"the edpsych's report has to be commissioned through the school, not privately, to carry any weight, and exam access arrangements depends on statement and evidence form teachers."

This may be true to get funding for extra help once at school- but is not true in relation to appeals.

Thanks Lizs. He's not actually got a laptop so I guess we should get him one. It all seems designed to be as complicated as possible...
I don't have those scores anywhere in this report, either.

But thank you so much for all your time and trouble and trying to help me out.

Nor exam concessions . Op have you asked la direct about access arrangements for the assessment he recently took.

No, I haven't. Oh dear.

A laptop only goes so far though. It won't help him "catch up" the basics and those are what would have let him down most. You also only use one in certain papers. Even with an ed psych report showing evidence of processing issues the case for extra time etc needs to be substantiated by the exams officer and teaching staff. Not sure what happens in the case of external candidates though. At 11+/ grammar entry this may not be quite so stringent as for gcse and beyond.

I think I will try and find him somewhere else. There has to be a place sometime soon at one of the non grammar schools.

And at least we have some super CAT scores to show them if so.

I feel completely out of my depth.

and hopefully they might have a good senco who can organise some assistance for him...I really need proper help with it I think.

Thanks again

He's not actually got a laptop so I guess we should get him one.

If he is dyslexic, this would not be very helpful.

Ds has been in private sector no idea how it works in the private sector, but as far as state schools are concerned, privately commissioned assessments are a total irrelevance.

Obviously, because any parent could pay anyone to say anything, ( and frequently do)

And to have extra arrangements for exam access, it is far more than a teacher "acknowledging" normal working practice. The statements and evidence reqired from staff take hours to collate.