11+ Appeal Advice please

[troubledmum123]

Dear Mums,
I need some advice for my DS please.
DS non-qualified for WCGS by a small margin. The cut off pass mark was 177 and he got 175.77

Background is: Exactly a week before the stage 2 test, I sent my son for some football practice to his previous classes as he hadn't played for a while due to the grammar tests and we had signed him up for the Wilson Football aptitude tests. Regret sending him now, as on that day he got pushed by a boy and hurt his writing hand wrist.

He did not go to school due to pain that Monday. Tuesday we sent him to school but another boy who picks on DS often kicked him on the same hand and he came back upset and in pain. We took him to GP next day to check for injury and GP said luckily no fractures but signed him off for 3 days . Same Saturday waa the exam. As he felt better by then we made no request of unfit situation for the tests

However when he came back he admitted that after a while of writing his wrist started hurting, Possibly explains his lower scores in English as he met Maths standards for all 3 schools inc Wilsons.

In a paper class test just a month before the exam he was 6th out of 260 children who wrote the test. We all thought he is surely a grammar school ability child.

DS is performance is above exceptional standards at school. and his teachers always speak highly of him and call him a role model for others.

I feel awful and we are all devastated as no one expected him to not pass.Since WCGS cutt off is so close I would like to appeal based on extenuating circumstances.

Other thing is WCGS is just a bus ride away for him 20-25 with the stop right end of our street to the school direct, so easy commute

I have following questions please

1. Can I make a strong case for appeal based on underperformance due to the injury?
2. I have emailed the school admissions team already as we have the evidence of sick note from GP date 4 days before the stage 2 exam, will they consider this ? or has to be thru appeal.
3. When is the right time to ask the head teacher. teacher for supporting letters. now or after national offer day.?
4. What else would help my case.?

Any other advice please .
I wake up every morning wishing I didn't send him for football practice that day. DS is very heartbroken and cried for good 2 days.
:(

I would approach the Headteacher and ask if they were willing to support you
Submit the medical evidence
Mention the easy commute
He was very close to the ‘pass’ mark so it is worth a try

Thank you v much. Ok shall speak to head teacher this week.

Do give it a go. The worst will be a no but you will be at peace that you atleast tried.
On another note, can you kindly tell if WCGS has mentioned any criteria or weightage system they used like Sutton used 2:2:3:3 ?
Or have they mentioned that how many children passed out of 1200 plus ?
Thank you and best of luck.

1230 students have sat both parts of the testing process. Each of these scores has been standardised (a common mathematical approach) using only the results of the boys who took the second stage. (This will give a very different score to including students who didn’t qualify from the SET).

——
this is only what the email mentions . Nothing else

thank you for your response

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think this is likely to succeed. The schools are fairly strict that the scores are final. Also unless you fall into a category e.g. pupil premium, where you just have to pass to get a place, the places are allocated largely on score, so just passing is not necessarily enough for an actual place. I understand how disappointing this is for you and can understand you need to try, but I wouldn't get your son's hopes up.

It is borderline at best. The time to claim extenuating circumstances was before the test, not once you get disappointing results. If head thought it was an outlier result they would have initiated a review. Travel has no bearing on any appeal.

Hi Thank you for your response.

On the eleven plus forum there have been few appeals upheld where difference has been of 1-2 marks and child has good academic ability and has likely underperformed on the day.

Now the injury is not a strong point agreed but , from our side he was fine before the test but also did not undertake long period of writing to know this would happen. So we did not think of it at the time as he said pain had gone.

We are not informing DS of the appeal as understandably an appeal successful may still not guarantee a place

ps he is also In receipt of Pupil Premium

Thank you

My question would be - even if he got 1-2% more through appeal would he even qualify for a place. These schools are highly contested and waiting lists are long. Those that only just pass the qualifying mark rarely get a place.

Puzzled the GP was able to categorically announce it wasn’t fractured, without an X-ray? Anyhow, you have the proof from the GP visit that his wrist was damaged before the exam and he’d had time off school as a result. Despite it not hurting immediately before the exam, (which he was presumably keen not to miss), putting his wrist under the strain of wiring, obviously exacerbated the existing injury (there may have been a slight fracture - if no x-ray. I don’t know how you would definitely know).

Aporoach the school right away. When is the appeal deadline? You need to start gathering evidence of his ability - CAT scores or any other recent assessments which will confirm this. Are the school going to back the appeal? The fact that he’s only a mark or two off the pass mark will be in his favour.

My main advice for an appeal would be not to do it as a kind of plea for mercy, but with the confidence that given his previous academic record (which is documented), this is the best school for him, and there were obvious factors at play (documented) which made him under perform. Good luck!

Thank you so much ! ☺️

Your points make perfect sense

Although he did not have pain by exam time , I think the period of writing time bought it up slight again. He was still able to write albeit he said he had to slow down towards the end

However we wish to contest on academic capabilities more , his recent year 5 report is of exceeding expectations levels and teacher has written commented on it saying he is a role model for others for learning for behaviour, for integrity and responsibility

Hoping to meet the headteacher soon to discuss if she would support when time comes .

As a mum I do want to give him the best chance and try to use any possible avenue before giving up.😌

I understand your wish to contest it mainly on academic ability, but don’t downplay the extenuating circumstances of his injured wrist. As well as proof of his ability, you will need to demonstrate why he might have underperformed on the day. A painful wrist, even if it started to hurt during the exam (having sustained a prior documented injury) could account for a few marks being dropped - writing more slowly, couldn’t concentrate fully etc.

Point noted 👍
Much thanks 😌🙏 really appreciate the feedback

In reality though - there will be loads of kids in that 1230 with problems on the day of the test eg they didn’t sleep well due to nerves, or they caught a cold and had a headache, or they had a vomiting bug during the week and hadn’t been eating properly in the run up, or the dog died the day before and they were distraught, or whatever.

Your son’s problem sounds relatively minor - his wrist hurt a small amount at the end of the test. I’m not really persuaded, although it’s worth a try, I think your case needs to be more convincing. There are loads of “role model” kids with a good brain who don’t make the cut for the 11+.

You could try again at year 9 if this appeal doesn’t work?

Of course yes there are so many such students possibly. With all sorts of combinations.

if the parents see some justification and they and the teachers know the ability of the child, they should try I feel as there is no harm. And there is a provision so.

The injury is minor and so is the difference in the mark.

DS does not know we are appealing . And I have practical hopes. If he hasn’t got in God would have planned something better for him. 😌

We have been sent the results with the appeal options. Some parents apparently didn’t have any appeal option in their emails

I will try for him without getting hopes and being sensible about it . 🙏

Thank you for your response.

You can't appeal until March when you are refused a place. You would then possibly be quite a long way down the waiting list if successful.

Yes that’s for sure 🥲🙏

In reality though - there will be loads of kids in that 1230 with problems on the day of the test eg they didn’t sleep well due to nerves, or they caught a cold and had a headache, or they had a vomiting bug during the week and hadn’t been eating properly in the run up, or the dog died the day before and they were distraught, or whatever.

That’s true, but the difference is that op’s ds has a documented injury, which will carry more weight than any of the examples above which as far as the appeals panel is concerned are just hearsay.

I know of a child who was one mark off the pass mark, with a consistently good academic record, but had been disturbed in the exam by another child having a nosebleed and having to be escorted out of the exam room. That was all documented on the invigilator’s record of the exam and presumably the combination of perceived suitability for the school + possible reason for underperformance meant the appeal was granted. You just never know what will swing it in a candidate’s favour!

Hi maudelovesharold.

Thank you again.

Can I pls ask if you know if that boy granted appeal got the school of interest?🙏

p.s - reg documentation yes I do have quiet a bit of paper trail.

1. GP appointment sms
2. Written letter to GP explaining what happened with DS wrist and specifically asking if an x Ray needed -as I was working send a letter thru DH
3. GP sick note supporting recovery time off to school
4. An email to school re what happened with DS and informing will speak to teacher about the boy who kicked him

all these from same week as exam week .

I didn’t know would need these ever but can show these hopefully in addition to evidence of Academic ability .🙁

Can I pls ask if you know if that boy granted appeal got the school of interest?🙏

Hi op, The 11+ exam I’m referring to was for one particular school - the only Grammar school that there is in our area, so yes, the successful appeal meant he went to the school applied for.