11 PLUS APPEALS • Re: Unsuccessful Selection Review STTS: 120.25 in Bucks.

Unsuccessful Selection Review STTS: 120.25 in Bucks.

Hi everyone, Firstly, apologies for the very big post. My intention is to explain end to end in high level as I am looking for your valuable guidance/comments before going for APPEAL.

Welcome to the forum, and I am sorry to hear your news. 120 is a very close score.
You should note that unfortunately the chances of an appeal succeeding following an unsuccessful review are very low, & we suggest you prepare your son for this outcome. Some parents choose not to tell their child that they are going to appeal & instead concentrate on the positives of the school allocated (which you will know on March 1st). According to the Bucks council website

If you choose to appeal, as your child's case went to review, the Independent Appeal Panel (IAP) will first need to decide whether the Selection Review Process was 'fair, consistent and objective'.
It is only if the IAP agrees that it was not, that they will then be able to consider the rest of the case you make for admission to the particular grammar school.
Last year they decided that of the 106 grammar appeals heard where they had been to selection review, only 2 appeals were successful.

and

14% of appeals were successful last year. 86% were unsuccessful.
Most appeals fail because the schools are already full. They do not have the resources to admit extra children, without harming the existing pupils' education.
Or, in grammar school appeals for unqualified children, there is not sufficient evidence that the child is of the required academic standards.
Think carefully about making an appeal. Appeals are time-consuming, stressful for parents and expensive for schools.

We were recently very disappointed to receive an unsuccessful selection review outcome from Buckinghamshire SRP. We moved to Buckinghamshire around 15 days before the 11+ exam. (End of August 2023). And my son got YR6 admission in the month of Oct 2023.

We really confusing that whether the process was FCO?

This is very tricky as it is very subjective. according to the Bucks council website:

At your appeal, the Appeal Panel must decide if the Selection Review was carried out in a fair, consistent and objective way.
“Fair, consistent and objective” are not defined. Their ordinary meaning applies.

• In 2013 Sally-Anne summed up the situation very well:
"It's also worth saying that panel members are very independent-minded - so much so that different panels could come to completely different conclusions about 'fair, consistent and objective'. That has happened in other areas of the country in the past.
The wording in the Appeals Code about "fair, consistent & objective" is pretty minimal and open to interpretation by individual Independent Appeal Panels."
Have you read this section? This will be updated for 2024 shortly, but the information will not change (other than the dates).
You should also study this section on the Buckinghamshire Council website. Again, this will be updated for this year around March 1st.
Also have a look at our FAQs regarding appeals, in particular B53

We submitted the below details to SRP:

My Son Scored 120.25 (Verbal 120, Mathematics 124, Non-Verbal 117). He got missed entry for Grammar School eligibility criteria with 0.75 marks.
Though our choice is Buckinghamshire Grammar School, still with curiosity he has attempted KENT, CSSE, Slough, Sutton and Tiffin exams too where he cleared KENT, CSSE, SLOUGH Successfully and Sutton 1st Round cleared but not 2nd Round. Tiffin 1st Round Cleared and 2nd round results usually school does not display until National Offer Day. So, we do not know about the Tiffin 2nd Round Results. Of course, considering individual council Catchment and house moving cut-off dates, we are only eligible for Bucks. The said exams results have attached to SRP to prove my son capability and towards to the intention of positive SRP Outcome. Also attached the extra curriculum activity achievements like Badminton & Chess.

See B50 of our FAQs. The badminton & chess are irrelevant to a state school review or appeal.

On Exam Day: Extenuating Circumstances surrounding his performance:

On that day of his Buckinghamshire 11+ exam, in between the papers, as expected, there was around 25 minutes of break time was given and bad luck, children were accessed to play in the school ground. Unfortunately, my son ankle little twisted and slightly got injured himself when he was running as part of play with other children. During second part of the exam, the slight leg pain might have impacted on his concentration/ performance. We do not have any medical proofs for this minor injury as I had to give 2 doses of general pain relief medicine i.e., Paracetamol on that day. The next day, he was completely normal.

Unfortunately third party documentation is required for extenuating circumstances, for example attending a GP or A&E. Did you mention moving house as an extenuating circumstance? This is one of the examples listed on the Bucks council website.
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My Son attended YR4 and YR5 in different school, And for YR6 we moved to Bucks and attending in One of the Bucks schools.

YR4 Year End Rating:
Reading: 111-120 EXS
Writing: GDS
Mathematics: GDS

YR5 Year End Rating:
Reading: 111-120 EXS
Writing: GDS
Mathematics: 111-120 EXS

Head Teacher Comments from the school where he attended YR4 & YR5:
GS Recommendation: Exceptionally highly able – highly recommended 1
Attitude to Learning: Enjoys challenge and is highly motivated independent learner. 1

Where was this school & when were the recommendations made? Presumably this was not through formal channels unless it was a Bucks primary school or a partner school? This will carry much less weight than a recommendation made before the 11 plus.

YR6 Predicted Performance:
Reading: 111-120 EXS
Writing: GDS
Mathematics: 111-120 EXS

Head Teacher Comments from the school where he is attending now YR6:

GS Recommendation: Exceptionally highly able – highly recommended 1
Attitude to Learning: Enjoys challenge and is highly motivated independent learner. 1

Again, when was this recommendation made? Presumably after the results of the 11 plus as your son did not join his new school until October? The panels will review a head's other recommendations, so a head who gives a 1:1 recommendation for lots of children who don't qualify will not be so persuasive as a head whose recommendations are spot on.
The panels would prefer to see predictions of GDS in all areas, which may be why they felt that the evidence didn't support the review.
You may find this thread useful.

Y6 Head Teacher’s Additional Comments: He was achieved 120.25 in the 11+ even with the knowledge that he was about to move to a new area 2 weeks afterwards. Moving new house would have been unsettling for him and, around the time when he sat the papers, the moving process had started.
Since joining our school, He has demonstrated an outstanding ability across all subjects. He is focused and determined to succeed at all times. in the short time he has been with us, he has already made the most of wider opportunities including showing a natural flare for sports. As a school, we would recommend him for grammar school without Reservation.

Moving house may have been unsettling (did you mention this at review?), however, this was something you chose to do, it wasn't a move that was forced upon you by a change in family circumstances. Again, the sport is irrelevant and plays no part in the admissions process.

Selection Review Panel's decision:
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“The decision of the Selection Review Panel was that <<my son’s name>> would not be appropriately
placed in a grammar school.

The evidence was considered by the panel and it did not explain shortfall of marks
The Panel considered all of the evidence you provided for both academic evidence and extenuating circumstances. Where information was included in your parent submission or where other academic evidence was included in the headteacher's form then this was read and considered before the Panel came to a decision. The Panel were also mindful of the educational experiences of all children throughout the pandemic. The academic evidence does not demonstrate that child's name removed would be suitable for a grammar school.

The Panel noted:
1) The student did not qualify in two elements of the test. The academic progress over time suggests the test score was not an anomaly.
2) The extenuating circumstances evidence provided does not demonstrate that the circumstances set out significantly affected the test score.
3) The panel noted the extenuating circumstances.”

As noted above, your main problem is to prove that the review was not fair, consistent or objective, rather than challenging the judgement of the review panel.

My Concerns/Questions:

Hope you are clear with the above. Kindly requesting you that guide how to proceed with appeal considering the above to win the case.

See previous comments about the low chances of success (sorry to be negative, but you need to understand how difficult this is).

1)Though my son got eligibility good score in Slough, CSSE, Kent: We cannot move there now as it’s too late.
2)Since Our choice is Bucks and now at least we have final chance which is Appeal. But I am really scaring how the appeal goes and how to win the case.?
3)Do you really think that in competitive exam like 11+, How the school allowed the children to play on the ground that too in between the papers? In my case, SRP did not even consider that point fairly.

The panel had no proof of your son's injury and therefore could not consider it as an extenuating circumstance.

4)And how can I provide the evidence, it was happened inside the school and just I had to give 2 doses of Paracetamol at home on that day alone. Next day he was normal. But think really, considering his age, that point of time, that injury was really painful to him and though he attempted the second paper.

I'm afraid that this won't be possible, see above, unless the invigilator made a note of it at the time. If this is your basis for the review not being FCO, this is unlikely to succeed.

5)Is appeal will be Face to Face in person? OR Video Call?

According to the this page on Buckinghamshire council website:

Your appeal will be heard remotely by video conference

6)To use this appeal process effectively, is it good to go with expertised educational solicitor? If yes, Is Solicitor can be part of the appeal discussion (In person)? and is solicitor can talk behalf of Parents?

See A11

Good luck if you decide to appeal, please let us know how you get on. Do you have a school on your CAF that you would be happy with if the appeal is not successful?

Statistics: Posted by scary mum — Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:30 pm

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