So, it's all kicking off ...

[Sally-Anne]

As we live OOC I was suprised that Bucks did not charge OOC parents the cost of administering the exam but again this would discriminate against families on lower incomes.

It would be illegal under the Admissions Code to charge for testing as part of the admissions process.

[pippi]

Kent CC headteachers are also reviewing their 11+ for similar reasons apparently, eg: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/ ... hools.aspx. They currently use VR, NVR and maths with English used in the case of review I think.

I feel it is time to make the system fairer for all

Agreed, but the unanswerable question has always been: "How?"

Get rid of the 11+ altogether...

[MollyB]

Maybe if each school had it's own entrance test as they do in the independent sector then parents could select the Grammar school which was in catchment and let their child sit the exam, if the child is suitable and able for a Grammar school education then they should not have a problem sitting for example an English and Maths paper based on the national curriculum and maybe a verbal/nonverbal reasoning test thrown in for good measure!! That may result in less appeals.

[Looking for help]

Get rid of the 11+ altogether...

Makes more sense than anything else I've heard

[MollyB]

My children have benefitted from attending a good school but I do wonder if the stress parents are under in Buckinghamshire regarding the whole 11 plus subject is a good thing. It seems to have become a lot worse from when my older children took the exam I hear that people are now sending their children to tutors for at least a year before the exam. I have read the appeals forum and found it very disturbing that some parents have been putting their lives on whole pretty much for months and months and experincing such high levels of anxiety and stress, only to have to go through it again with their other children. We should be enjoying our childrens early years and take some of this stress away.
In our house we have A'levels and GCSE's at the moment that is when children should be feeling the pressure not at 10!! Oh and now they are to introduce IGCSe's in the Grammars much more rigorous exams so that may be a consideration to some parents when choosing schools.

[MollyB]

OOPs now found my reading glasses and hopefully my spelling will improve!!!! apologies.

[loopymum64]

Sally-Anne, when you say the tests will be changing for 2014 do you mean entry to school in 2014 or sitting the 11+ in 2014 ? The reason I ask is that my DD is in Year 4 and will be sitting the 11+ in late 2013 so I am hoping that it will be the papers that I am already familiar with having put her older brother through the process already. That would also make sense with County having committed to running the process for another 2 years ? I'm not sure I can cope with the stress of a whole new approach !!!

[asdguest]

My worry is that this may see the end of the 121 standard pass mark and the reintroduction of highest scores getting in to grammar school, with the prospect of some children travelling ridiculous distances to go to school, and the further eroding of 'childhood' that would cause.

[MollyB]

Grammar schools who operate their own late transfer tests award places to the children in the catchment area with the highest aggregate scores first and then go down the rest of the list accordingly.

[Sally-Anne]

Sally-Anne, when you say the tests will be changing for 2014 do you mean entry to school in 2014 or sitting the 11+ in 2014 ?

The new test will be for children sitting the test in autumn 2013, and starting senior school in 2014, so I am afraid your DD will be taking the new test.