Glad it's all over
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Guest
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Guest
Interesting take on it. Didn't tutor couldn't afford it, did some papers at home found VR came naturally,maths ok in G&T but English nothing like what they do at school and at home just reads for pleasure, has moved away from J Wilson but not reading the classics by any means and punctuations and spellings are not always corrected in school work, threw her some what but she is confident on the other two - maybe too confident?
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Guest
My daughter also felt very discouraged after the English test. Thankfully, the maths paper lifted her spirits a bit, but the bad experience with the English could so easily have sent her off course.
I think the 'reasoning' behind choosing such a difficult text is probably what people are suggesting ie. to give everyone the same chance at being able to answer the questions - it would be impossible to 'tutor' a child to have the level of emotional/mental understanding necessary to tackle such a text. Therefore, the most intelligent children should, theoretically, achieve the highest marks!
However, it seems cruel to confront 10 and 11 year olds with such an inaccessible text! I'm surprised there weren't more tears - and I wonder if the bad experience in the first paper will have affected some children's performances in the remaining two.
I think the 'reasoning' behind choosing such a difficult text is probably what people are suggesting ie. to give everyone the same chance at being able to answer the questions - it would be impossible to 'tutor' a child to have the level of emotional/mental understanding necessary to tackle such a text. Therefore, the most intelligent children should, theoretically, achieve the highest marks!
However, it seems cruel to confront 10 and 11 year olds with such an inaccessible text! I'm surprised there weren't more tears - and I wonder if the bad experience in the first paper will have affected some children's performances in the remaining two.
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Guest
Yes it does seem harsh. But there again I guess those who aren't thrown off course, continue, and do well on the other papers are also proving something. I can understand the need to differentiate in this way, since so many children are now being tutored (and I speak as a parent who is DIYing!) that it must be very difficult to identify those with the natural ability they are looking for
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remlap
Yes totally agree with all messages re english being ridiculously diificult.
Tess of the D'urbevilles is not easy for anyone to undestand let alone 10/11 year olds. The passage as posted on this site means nothing to me ( took my 11+)
I did not tutor my son and glad as it would have been money wasted as far as the english goes....no way could ANYONE have expected this subject matter to be presented to CHILDREN!..The classics is one thing but this...it was ridiculous...the subject matter is totally unsuitable for children of this age...Natasha Kinsky made have overlayed the part in the film but it was based heavily on the novel. The CSSE need to have a good long look at what they are trying to achieve.
Seems most people will have not scored highly on this English paper so more work for the markers to rehash into half acceptable scores...(each paper is out of 130 marks and an average of 100% = a score of 390...highest mark has been in the 380's (as per consortium))
As for Maths apparently my son said there were no ratios, no averages, no rounding to nearest decimals and only one fraction question, a mode/mean/average one adn a conversion from fahrenheit to centigrade which is unlikely to have been taught...what on earth did they give them?
Seems not such a level playing field and what negative impact it will have had on some children(and lasting effects?!).
Tess of the D'urbevilles is not easy for anyone to undestand let alone 10/11 year olds. The passage as posted on this site means nothing to me ( took my 11+)
I did not tutor my son and glad as it would have been money wasted as far as the english goes....no way could ANYONE have expected this subject matter to be presented to CHILDREN!..The classics is one thing but this...it was ridiculous...the subject matter is totally unsuitable for children of this age...Natasha Kinsky made have overlayed the part in the film but it was based heavily on the novel. The CSSE need to have a good long look at what they are trying to achieve.
Seems most people will have not scored highly on this English paper so more work for the markers to rehash into half acceptable scores...(each paper is out of 130 marks and an average of 100% = a score of 390...highest mark has been in the 380's (as per consortium))
As for Maths apparently my son said there were no ratios, no averages, no rounding to nearest decimals and only one fraction question, a mode/mean/average one adn a conversion from fahrenheit to centigrade which is unlikely to have been taught...what on earth did they give them?
Seems not such a level playing field and what negative impact it will have had on some children(and lasting effects?!).
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remlap
forgot to mention my reply re this type of paper being a way of wielding out the one's with "natural ability"...
what ability?...seems more like survival of the fittest to me. If thier theroy is to completely freak children out over the english, just to see who copes best with the shock of being faced with something totally out of their range of ability and can go on to complete the maths and the VR after that...is totally unethical to me.
These are children we're talking about, not rats in a laboratory experiment and as adults we have to take the responsibility for their well being.
what ability?...seems more like survival of the fittest to me. If thier theroy is to completely freak children out over the english, just to see who copes best with the shock of being faced with something totally out of their range of ability and can go on to complete the maths and the VR after that...is totally unethical to me.
These are children we're talking about, not rats in a laboratory experiment and as adults we have to take the responsibility for their well being.
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Guest
Sorry, I didn't mean to cause any upset, and I can see that if my child had taken the paper I'd probably feel as strongly as you do. All I meant was that it must be getting increasingly difficult to identify those with the most potential, as so many children are being tutored now. But you're right, freaking some children out is not the way to do it.
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Guest
It's disgusting! I've paid for my little Tarquin to go to prep. school and to have a private coach for the last 4 years just to pass the 11+. Now the CSSE have the gall to set an exam that none of his teachers or his tutor could prepare him for so he really struggled. I'm going to write to my MP!
Have you lot listened to yourselves?
It seems to me to be a master stroke by the CSSE so hats off to them!
The whole purpose of the 11+ is to find the most naturally bright children to go to the grammar schools. However rich parents and posh schools have found a way to gain an advantage by coaching them how to pass the exams. Now presumably the schools that make up the consortium have realised that the real quality of their year 7 intake is dropping year by year and, not being stupid themselves, have realised why.
Are you therefore surprised that they chucked in a googley this year in the English? (It wasn't even that much of a googley seeing as last year's text was "the mill on the floss" - an A'level text!)
The point of the exam is NOT that our kids all get really high marks, it is so the CSSE schools can identify the brightest children to enter their schools.
It seems that everyone on here is moaning about a level playing field!
Everyone except me!
And yes, my son did take the exam yesterday and found it tough!
Have you lot listened to yourselves?
It seems to me to be a master stroke by the CSSE so hats off to them!
The whole purpose of the 11+ is to find the most naturally bright children to go to the grammar schools. However rich parents and posh schools have found a way to gain an advantage by coaching them how to pass the exams. Now presumably the schools that make up the consortium have realised that the real quality of their year 7 intake is dropping year by year and, not being stupid themselves, have realised why.
Are you therefore surprised that they chucked in a googley this year in the English? (It wasn't even that much of a googley seeing as last year's text was "the mill on the floss" - an A'level text!)
The point of the exam is NOT that our kids all get really high marks, it is so the CSSE schools can identify the brightest children to enter their schools.
It seems that everyone on here is moaning about a level playing field!
Everyone except me!
And yes, my son did take the exam yesterday and found it tough!
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guest123
none
how did ppl find the VR as my son sed that this also seemed tougher than previous papers. He found the same with english that it was very hard but sed the maths was one of the easiest papers he done.
just wondering if anyone can remember any of the questions from the papers?
he also sed the punctuation was only worth 6marks in the english which is a lot less than previous years and he sed this was the onli part of the english which he understood.
just wondering if anyone can remember any of the questions from the papers?
he also sed the punctuation was only worth 6marks in the english which is a lot less than previous years and he sed this was the onli part of the english which he understood.
