Grounds for appealing... can anyone help please?

[sparkleandsleep]

Dd is year six and sat the grammar test with results shared with two schools (1 and 2). We were told that she achieved a qualifying standard for one but not the other.
We put the one she qualified for (school 1) as first choice but she's been given our second choice, which is the catchment school (despite passing, her rank wasn't high enough for school 1) with the option to go on the waiting list for school 1, which we've done.
We're going to appeal for both grammar schools on the grounds of academic ability and we also had a very traumatic family incident around the time of the test, which I think may count as extenuating circumstances.
I'm confused as to the next steps (despite having read the guidance and websites, maybe just me!). Can anyone please help clarify the grounds for appeal? Is it simply oversubscription for school 1 and non-qualification and/ or oversubscription for the school 2?
Also, if anyone has any info on extenuating circumstances affecting an appeal please share if you're happy to. I can't go into detail but it involved a very close family member and lots of upheaval in our household.
Any other top tips or a link to an idiots guide would be much appreciated
FWIW, dd is happy enough with her allocated choice and we aren't dead set on winning an appeal but feel it is worth trying!

Your grounds are the reasons you think your daughter should be admitted. So your grounds are that, due to extenuating circumstances, her test score was not a true reflection of her academic ability and that she will be disadvantaged if she is not admitted to the school. Those are your grounds for both appeals.

You will need to convince the appeal panel that the incident to which you refer adversely affected your daughter's test score and that she is of grammar school standard. You will also have to identify ways in which she will be disadvantaged by looking for things the appeal school offers her which are missing from the allocated school and that are particularly relevant to your daughter.

Any supporting evidence you can supply the panel with is worth submitting, eg proof of your daughters usual standard of class work. Was her primary school aware of the traumatic incident and did they see a temporary effect in her school work? If so can they confirm this in a letter. Did the traumatic incident require your daughter to see a doctor if so can the doctor confirm this.

When I say evidence of usual standard of class work I don't mean send in pages of her actual class work I mean school test scores or an up to date reports etc.

I know the people here can give really good advice but you can also find help.for 11 plus appeals on www.elevenplusexams.co.uk

Thank you, that's perfectly clear. Think I was over complicating matters! Her teacher has said they will provide any evidence and scores etc as well as confirming she was affected by the incident- I (sadly) have a death certificate as evidence but can elaborate further at the hearing if necessary. Time to get everything in place- thank you.