SHS v low ranking

Eleven Plus (11+) in Gloucestershire (Glos)

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Mrsdevonshire
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:30 pm

SHS v low ranking

Post by Mrsdevonshire »

Can anyone share their experience with a daughter that went to SHS having been ranked in early 300's.

I hope my dd will get a place and whilst in a top set for most things including maths at her primary school have an anxiety she will be in someway disadvantaged by slightly 'scraping' a place?

I know tests are age weighted (she is summer born) so that is already factored in but she seems to be behind her brother who effortlessly got straight into Marling within their PAN.

As their mother I'd have said she was more of an all rounder and is certainly socially confident and a great mixer. But also becoming more confident academically having always been overshadowed by her brother.

Any stories you can share would be helpful.

thanks
Mrs D
steppemum
Posts: 480
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 9:27 am

Re: SHS v low ranking

Post by steppemum »

HMrs D,
dd is at SHS in year 7, and the school seems to be amazingly pastoral and supportive, really encouraging each girl at their best, rather than just aiming for academics. Obviously it is early days, but I have been struck by that.

But I really wanted to share about ds. He is in year 9 at Marling. When he took his 11+ he scored 222 (different system, score not a rank) The pass mark was 216 (I think) so we were happy he had passed and the admissions officer encouraged us to apply and we didn't think twice. When it came to it, we discovered that kids with 221 and 220 hadn't got a place and were going through the appeals process. In other words, he was the lowest scoring child who got in.

For a while I think he had a real weight in his shoulders about not being as good as the others (in retrospect I shouldn't have told him the actual score) He thought he was there by the skin of his teeth.
Then at half term they put them in 2 maths groups and he was in the top one, much to his surprse. Then he started to notice that some boys were struggling and needing lots of help and support. By the end of year 8 he said that he could tell which kids had been heavily tutored as they found GS hard work, wereas he sat somewhere in the middle, not the top of the class by any means, but not the bottom and coping very well with the work etc, and happy.

The test is not really a good indicator of the whole child. I would say look realistically at how you prepared, did she have a lot of intensive tutoring? Or did you generally prepare her for the test in a more low key way? If the first, she may struggle to keep up. If the second then I would guess she is as capable as the rest.
Mrsdevonshire
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 7:30 pm

Re: SHS v low ranking

Post by Mrsdevonshire »

That's very helpful.

She did have some tutoring and did some practice with a workbook at home (10 minute tests that type of thing) and spellings/meaning of words with us at home but I wouldn't describe it as intensive (one woman at our school had a son who had 2 tutors twice a week - didn't pass). She didn't enjoy doing the prep and could have done more. Maths and NVR is her sweet spot but she did enjoy the test.

I guess it's a lot like a work based entrance assessment - an initial hurdle and then see how you go. Guess the best thing she can do now is work hard in her final year in preparation hopefully for GS.

I haven't told her, her rank. It's enough to know she didn't do quite as well as her brother and don't want to knock her confidence. She loved SHS and I could see her doing well.

Thanks
Mrs D
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