newport girls , shropshire
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newport high
To GUEST AND MAX
I don't make the rules and they are different for every LEA - nor can I decide where my husband's company choose to send him to work. In the case of Newport ALL girls in the catchment who pass the tests are awarded a place so we are not taking any places away from local children - in fact there may not even be any places left over. Likewise in Bucks only left-over places (after appeals) are allocated to people out of county. Most schools don't like being under-subscribed even if parents do.
When our letter arrives in March we will only be offered one school (if any).
I don't think my daughter has suffered from doing several tests.
She hasn't been nervous at all or had any sleepless nights. Most of her friends have been doing the same tests (some also doing tests for several private schools) in an effort to escape from an LEA where children have to spend year 7 in primary school twiddling their thumbs. In fact I would say the child who only has one shot at one exam is under the most pressure to perform.
Neither have we been cramming for the last 2 or 3 years as some parents do. We only did a few practice tests in the spring then used the NFER papers and CDs after the summer break. None of her normal activities have been suspended.
Like all the parents here I am just trying to do the best for my daughter and family. Your remarks are truly offensive and likely to put other people off posting their experiences.
Resmum
I don't make the rules and they are different for every LEA - nor can I decide where my husband's company choose to send him to work. In the case of Newport ALL girls in the catchment who pass the tests are awarded a place so we are not taking any places away from local children - in fact there may not even be any places left over. Likewise in Bucks only left-over places (after appeals) are allocated to people out of county. Most schools don't like being under-subscribed even if parents do.
When our letter arrives in March we will only be offered one school (if any).
I don't think my daughter has suffered from doing several tests.
She hasn't been nervous at all or had any sleepless nights. Most of her friends have been doing the same tests (some also doing tests for several private schools) in an effort to escape from an LEA where children have to spend year 7 in primary school twiddling their thumbs. In fact I would say the child who only has one shot at one exam is under the most pressure to perform.
Neither have we been cramming for the last 2 or 3 years as some parents do. We only did a few practice tests in the spring then used the NFER papers and CDs after the summer break. None of her normal activities have been suspended.
Like all the parents here I am just trying to do the best for my daughter and family. Your remarks are truly offensive and likely to put other people off posting their experiences.
Resmum
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Max
This is not good for the child. I would not put my own child through this many tests. You may think it doesn't stress them out.. But it does... And particulary when on the treadmill of taking Multiple tests in different parts of the country,
I can understand someone in neighbour LEA ie Bucks taking the Berks 11+ and vice versa but it looks like your trying to hedge your bets taking lots.
How do you know what these Schools are like ??? They are the other side of the country.
I can understand someone in neighbour LEA ie Bucks taking the Berks 11+ and vice versa but it looks like your trying to hedge your bets taking lots.
How do you know what these Schools are like ??? They are the other side of the country.
newport girls high
Of course it's always better to get people's opinion on schools however there is NO way of knowing whether your child will be happy in a school until they actually start there. What suits your friend's child will not necessarily suit yours as many parents and children have found to their cost. Neither are schools static institutions - a change of head, admissions policy or student intake can have radical effects.
As for going all over the country there are only two locations we took tests for, Herts/Bucks border and Telford/Wolverhampton (my husband's home town so an area we are well aquainted with).
My daughter and I visited several schools including our local comprehensive. There were two schools she and we really liked and they are top of our list. Were we really supposed to say to her - no you can't apply to these schools because you don't know anyone who goes there?
As for the pressure of doing exams. If a child can't cope with a verbal reasoning test (or two) once a week for a few weeks how on earth are they going to cope at a highly competitive grammar school? Personally, I loved doing tests when I was her age.
As for whether whether the job or the school come first well that's OUR problem - perhaps you find this hard to believe but we were aware of it before you "helpfully" pointed it out.
Resmum
As for going all over the country there are only two locations we took tests for, Herts/Bucks border and Telford/Wolverhampton (my husband's home town so an area we are well aquainted with).
My daughter and I visited several schools including our local comprehensive. There were two schools she and we really liked and they are top of our list. Were we really supposed to say to her - no you can't apply to these schools because you don't know anyone who goes there?
As for the pressure of doing exams. If a child can't cope with a verbal reasoning test (or two) once a week for a few weeks how on earth are they going to cope at a highly competitive grammar school? Personally, I loved doing tests when I was her age.
As for whether whether the job or the school come first well that's OUR problem - perhaps you find this hard to believe but we were aware of it before you "helpfully" pointed it out.
Resmum
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Hiddlydiddly
To clover
Clover
My daughter sat the same exams last saturday and she/we would agree with you - the traffic organisation etc. was hopeless and my daughter thought the exams easier than the practice. We put her in for Wolverhampton Girls also, which she found ok. We would prefer Newport as it is easier to get to and our son is at Adams.
One thing we found slightly disconcerting was that our daughter was asked not to write on the question papers as they were to be re-used. At Wolverhampton they told us not to bring scrap paper and to use the exams papers to do working out etc.. Anyway I found this all slightly odd as I would want an assurance that the papers could not be made availble in anyway prior to the exam. Also, my daughter had developed (during the practice papers) a technique whereby as soon as she realised an answer option was wrong, she would put a line through it so that she could just concentrate on the remaining options. This was made worse by the fact that for some of the answers, previous candidates had done just that and circled (one assumes their correct options!) answer options. This could put the candidates off.
We have raised it with T&W and we shall see what response we get.
Good luck (its nice to get some time free from practice tests isnt it?) I hope you get what you are looking for on March 2nd.
Have a happy holiday.
My daughter sat the same exams last saturday and she/we would agree with you - the traffic organisation etc. was hopeless and my daughter thought the exams easier than the practice. We put her in for Wolverhampton Girls also, which she found ok. We would prefer Newport as it is easier to get to and our son is at Adams.
One thing we found slightly disconcerting was that our daughter was asked not to write on the question papers as they were to be re-used. At Wolverhampton they told us not to bring scrap paper and to use the exams papers to do working out etc.. Anyway I found this all slightly odd as I would want an assurance that the papers could not be made availble in anyway prior to the exam. Also, my daughter had developed (during the practice papers) a technique whereby as soon as she realised an answer option was wrong, she would put a line through it so that she could just concentrate on the remaining options. This was made worse by the fact that for some of the answers, previous candidates had done just that and circled (one assumes their correct options!) answer options. This could put the candidates off.
We have raised it with T&W and we shall see what response we get.
Good luck (its nice to get some time free from practice tests isnt it?) I hope you get what you are looking for on March 2nd.
Have a happy holiday.
NEWPORT HIGH
I'm disgusted with the antipathy displayed on this board though
I should have been forewarned when I saw the immediate rush to attack the tutor who asked advice about preparing students for the 11+. Perhaps new members and "Guests" should be forced to read the forum guidelines before they are allowed access.
I've always tried to support other parents (I naively assumed this was the point of this forum), even encouraging a friend to appeal for Bucks knowing that if they succeed their child will get a place in preference to mine. I also remember suggesting to a parent at Newport's open day that they consult this forum for advice - maybe that was you, Clover?
Well, the 11+ is over for us and I won't be bothering with this forum again. Despite your attitudes I hope your children are successful in gaining a place at the school of their choice.
Resmum
I should have been forewarned when I saw the immediate rush to attack the tutor who asked advice about preparing students for the 11+. Perhaps new members and "Guests" should be forced to read the forum guidelines before they are allowed access.
I've always tried to support other parents (I naively assumed this was the point of this forum), even encouraging a friend to appeal for Bucks knowing that if they succeed their child will get a place in preference to mine. I also remember suggesting to a parent at Newport's open day that they consult this forum for advice - maybe that was you, Clover?
Well, the 11+ is over for us and I won't be bothering with this forum again. Despite your attitudes I hope your children are successful in gaining a place at the school of their choice.
Resmum
Dear Resmum
Please do not disappear from the forum.
I firmly believe that this forum is for exchanging factual information AND voicing opinions.
Factual information tends to be cut and dried.
Opinions can often become heated and 'bordering' on the rude. In the last few days there has been a 'war of words' in the General Topic section.
Sometimes I think its best just to call a truce, forget about the past, and move on.
Patricia
Please do not disappear from the forum.
I firmly believe that this forum is for exchanging factual information AND voicing opinions.
Factual information tends to be cut and dried.
Opinions can often become heated and 'bordering' on the rude. In the last few days there has been a 'war of words' in the General Topic section.
Sometimes I think its best just to call a truce, forget about the past, and move on.
Patricia
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Max
I completely agree with Patricia.
Everyone has an opinion - some are more vocal than others - just like in real life.
If you are happy with the choices that you have made then stick to your guns. You know your child and you know your family circumstances. If Max was in the same situation then Max would hadndle the situation in the way that Max felt best.
There is no rule book for bringing up children. if there was life would be so much easier. This forum does get heated at times but the nice thing is that you can walk away from a post when you have had enough.
As you have been through the system I'm sure your input would be valued enormously by other parents - so please stick with it.
Everyone has an opinion - some are more vocal than others - just like in real life.
If you are happy with the choices that you have made then stick to your guns. You know your child and you know your family circumstances. If Max was in the same situation then Max would hadndle the situation in the way that Max felt best.
There is no rule book for bringing up children. if there was life would be so much easier. This forum does get heated at times but the nice thing is that you can walk away from a post when you have had enough.
As you have been through the system I'm sure your input would be valued enormously by other parents - so please stick with it.
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Clover
Wow, my reply to hiddlydiddly has been removed because I had the audacity to voice a opinion concerning a previous post where a mother put her child in for exams in four LEA's, including Telford and Wrekin.
I did not use strong or even emotive language and yet nobody else can now read it. What a shame.
Other contributors are allowed to voice their very strong opinions.
Oh well Hiddlydiddly, I wished your daughter well with both Newport and Woverhampton and also a Happy Christmas.
Max and Guest, I agreed with your previous posts although I didn't accuse the parent of being cruel.
However my valid post was removed.
A very despondent Clover
I did not use strong or even emotive language and yet nobody else can now read it. What a shame.
Other contributors are allowed to voice their very strong opinions.
Oh well Hiddlydiddly, I wished your daughter well with both Newport and Woverhampton and also a Happy Christmas.
Max and Guest, I agreed with your previous posts although I didn't accuse the parent of being cruel.
However my valid post was removed.
A very despondent Clover
I am from London, so perhaps I may have misunderstoood what the discussion (and fuss) is all about but here it is:
The CAF has 6 choices of schools on it. The message is simple: "Ladies and Gentlement, hedge your bets."
If you want to put all grammar schools down so be it. It clearly states that these can be from any LEA (including the ones on Mars...) provided the school itself does not impose any restrictions in terms of the catchment area. Of course I put down different grammar schools in different LEAs (neighbouring ones, but this is beside the point if you are going to move...). I also put one or two local comprehensive ones. But my child has already taken (and will take) different exams in different schools both grammar and independent ones.
I agree with resmum, if you prepare for one it is only marginal effort to prepare for many. I good thing we did as well, as in the first school test my child was scared to death and did not pass even the FR. In the second and third one he was in the best of spirits (passed with flying colours the second ID school, and feels he did OK in the first round of the third, a grammar school).
Needless to say you see identical crowds and faces in all the different schools we have been to, both grammars and independents. So this is very much common practice; at least in London.
I fail to see where the problem is???
The CAF has 6 choices of schools on it. The message is simple: "Ladies and Gentlement, hedge your bets."
If you want to put all grammar schools down so be it. It clearly states that these can be from any LEA (including the ones on Mars...) provided the school itself does not impose any restrictions in terms of the catchment area. Of course I put down different grammar schools in different LEAs (neighbouring ones, but this is beside the point if you are going to move...). I also put one or two local comprehensive ones. But my child has already taken (and will take) different exams in different schools both grammar and independent ones.
I agree with resmum, if you prepare for one it is only marginal effort to prepare for many. I good thing we did as well, as in the first school test my child was scared to death and did not pass even the FR. In the second and third one he was in the best of spirits (passed with flying colours the second ID school, and feels he did OK in the first round of the third, a grammar school).
Needless to say you see identical crowds and faces in all the different schools we have been to, both grammars and independents. So this is very much common practice; at least in London.
I fail to see where the problem is???
sj355
