Initial analysis about the 2016 exam (2017 entry)

[Lillie]

A difference of 40 something% pass rate for leafy South Bucks / Chilterns versus 18% for Aylesbury Vale does need addressing. Furthermore, the upper school choice around Aylesbury is not great (barring the nearby CoE school), which leaves the majority of children in Aylesbury at schools which are struggling one way or another.

I know a lot of socio-economic factors come into play, but the system is clearly unfair.

[Guest55]

There are a number of high achieving Primaries in Ayesbury Vale; some just don't seem to get the qualifiers they should. I do wonder if the fact that pupils can access comps in nearby LAs means that the Transfer Test has a lower focus - I know people in a certain catchment don't always bother to sit the Test.

Just to update the above post - in Aylesbury Vale Buckingham, John Colet and Cottesloe are all 'good' schools.

[pippi]

The answers to Q97 and Q27 here are interesting (may have been flagged before):
http://data.parliament.uk/writteneviden ... 42974.html
One thing which I think is particularly worrying is that if you look at children with a given (high) KS2 points score, the 11+ pass rate actually drops significantly for the more disadvantaged children. This is the reverse of what should happen with a ''''''tutor-proof'''''' 11+ test.

[BucksBornNBred]

From the local paper, saying that the new 11+ is failing local children (please remove if not appropriate) http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/14 ... f=mr&lp=12

[scary mum]

From the local paper, saying that the new 11+ is failing local children (please remove if not appropriate) http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/14 ... f=mr&lp=12

I haven't read this (apologies), but I imagine the point that it is making is that X percent of in county children pass, and y percent of our of county, conveniently forgetting that the out of area children are selecting to sit the 11 plus, so presumably are more likely to pass otherwise they wouldn't bother, whereas in area children are entered automatically unless they opt out. Apologies if it isn't saying that, but the same article is trotted out every year. It doesn't mean I don't think the system is broken, it is.

*scurries away to read it now*

Eta, I was right! Actually the article is usually about state vs private pass rates, but same theme.

[pippi]

Q97
Catherine McKinnell: The final, third point was the evidence from Dr Allen, which was that the introduction of an attempted, tutor-proof test may exacerbate the problem of those with financial resources to tutor, and may well widen the gap between—when you say the six marks—those who can afford tutoring and those who cannot. It may widen that gap because more intensity will be put into the tutoring in order to beat the tutor-proof test.

Dr Leunig: They introduced it in Buckinghamshire for exactly the right reasons. I don’t want to cast any aspersion on their reasons for doing it or on the people who designed the test but, as Becky said earlier, it didn’t work. But designing the best test is an empirical matter. The only thing you can do is to try it and see whether it works better or worse than the predecessor. If it works better you build on it. If it works less well, you withdraw it and go back to what you had before.