Test centres

[purplegirl]

Oh dear, in my naivety and wishful thinking I was hoping that many parents would just put their dd down for the CSSE exam and wouldn't be mad enough to do both like me! Oh well. I was not sure where dd would have sat under the old regime, she will now sit at CCHS one week and WHSG or St Bernard's the next

I think my best advice for anyone sitting the CCHS exam would be to get there early enough to allow for parking; there is a large council run car park very close to the school but it gets very busy as CCHS takes so many girls for each sitting of the exam. I imagine more girls than usual will take the new exam at CCHS, so parking (and parents nerves!) could be worse in future.

What is the parking like for the other CSSE schools during exam time? When Westcliff Girls had their open evening, they had the school playing fields open to park on; is this parking available during for the day of the 11 plus exam??? Last thing I want to do on exam day is end up stressed out as I can't park!
I have heard that the schools that take only a few grammar places are much quieter, but I do wonder if these schools may be busier next time, as girls from the chelmsford area will be going to other CSSE schools to take the exam.

[Minesatea]

Likewise, I imagine that many girls who previously would have have sat the exam at Colchester etc may also want to have a go at the new Chelmsford exam, so ChCHS may also be much busier than previous years.

Personally I'm not sure that many of the Colchester sitters will also sit Chelmsford. Assuming that in the past most girls sat the exam at their closest school then the majority of Colchester sitters would be out of catchment for Chelmsford. It is mainly going to be the area between the two towns, Braintree, Witham, Maldon, that would be in Chelmsford catchment but may have chosen to sit at Colchester in the past.
Also whereas there are good buses to bring children from Chelmsford to Colchester the same is not true in reverse.

My remaining DC to sit is a boy so the question does not arise for me at present but given the lack of buses, out of catchment and a different exam, I would personally not be considering Chelmsford as an option for a Colchester girl.

[ToadMum]

SHSG is usually no on-site parking for the CSSE test; they instruct parents to park in surrounding streets. Easily do-able dropping off if you get there early but more hit-and-miss for picking up. About 15 minutes' walk from Southend East station (C2C).

Depending on the numbers sitting the test, parking at St.Bernard's would be quite restricted as local on-street parking is more difficult, but there is a public car park at the London Rd end of North Road, a few minutes' walk away(http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/southend_on_sea/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). The school is also near Westcliff station (also C2C).

Shoeburyness High School has a large car park (?whether they allow parents to use it on test day) and is next door to the Leisure Centre. I am not sure whether Cecil Jones uses their upper or lower site for the test; there is a large car park at the upper site and again it is next door to a leisure centre (Garon Park), and near our "big" Waitrose. For parent events at jthe lower site they use the playground for parking, but that would not be ideal for "dropping off" type parking for a lot of cars. Lower site less than ten minutes' walk from Prittlewell Station (Southend Victoria line), though.

DD's first choice school was SHSG, so she took the test for 2012 entry there; if she had preferred WHSG we would probably have walked. I don't know what their parking arrangements are on the day, but there are two "park and walk" areas nearby.

[Araucana girl]

I think what I need to do closer to the time is find dd a friend who is also sitting the 11+ and send her to that sitting so she has someone she knows doing it as well. Unfortunatley the only children I know definately doing this year's sitting are all boys - don't think I will get away with smuggling her into WHSB or KEGS Having said that, given the number taking it any friend will probably get lost in the throng........

Anyone in Billericay hoping for CCHS and WHSG?

[ahap]

If you find the large car park near ChCHS full, you can park a bit further up at Rectory Lane East and also the West car park. I think its about 10 min walk to ChCHS from there.

I found ChCHS very organised and DD felt very comfortable going in there last year. She was put in a classroom with girls who had surnames with the same initial letter as hers. I don't know how it will be this year though. Perhaps similar to last year.

[moved]

The older girls help with the exam and try to make the little ones feel at ease or at least welcome.

[purplegirl]

I think what I need to do closer to the time is find dd a friend who is also sitting the 11+ and send her to that sitting so she has someone she knows doing it as well. Unfortunatley the only children I know definately doing this year's sitting are all boys - don't think I will get away with smuggling her into WHSB or KEGS Having said that, given the number taking it any friend will probably get lost in the throng.....

When my 1st and 2nd DDs took the exam, they knew a few girls also sitting the exam; but once they entered the school they were put in different exam rooms so they didn't see them again! As Moved said the schools have many of their older pupils there and they were there really good with the young ones sitting the exam; after all they were in the same position a few years before, so know exactly what its like.

[bravado]

Colchester High wasn't as bad in 2012 as it was about 9 years ago. It seems to have improved immensely in terms of parking etc. There were girls in the car park at drop-off, marshalling people into spaces - incredibly well managed. We had the second sitting and everyone was so friendly. DD2 said the girls were kind and helpful - DD1 said the same when she took hers years ago.
DD2 went in and came out with her friend but they sat in different rooms. Pick-up was equally well organised - minimal stress on that front, to be honest.

[roses]

Likewise, I imagine that many girls who previously would have have sat the exam at Colchester etc may also want to have a go at the new Chelmsford exam, so ChCHS may also be much busier than previous years.

Personally I'm not sure that many of the Colchester sitters will also sit Chelmsford. Assuming that in the past most girls sat the exam at their closest school then the majority of Colchester sitters would be out of catchment for Chelmsford. It is mainly going to be the area between the two towns, Braintree, Witham, Maldon, that would be in Chelmsford catchment but may have chosen to sit at Colchester in the past.
Also whereas there are good buses to bring children from Chelmsford to Colchester the same is not true in reverse.

My remaining DC to sit is a boy so the question does not arise for me at present but given the lack of buses, out of catchment and a different exam, I would personally not be considering Chelmsford as an option for a Colchester girl.

My nearest grammar is colchester, with such a good reputation I'd love dd to go there.
But the 11 plus is such a hard exam, if dd has an off day, has a cold, doesn't fell well, so many things could go wrong. I thought the new exam at chelmsford will give her an extra chance of a grammar place.
I work in central colchester and could drop her off at train station. I thought the train journey from colchester to chelmsford would be ok, and i think chelmsford school is reasonably close to the station at that end of the journey.
But now i'm wondering if there are any other girls from colchester area thinking about chelmsford?
Does anyone know of children who already take the train?
Thanks

[moved]

There a some girls who come from Colchester, so Your DD won't be alone. chChs is close to the station and hoards of girls walk the 10 minute walk.