Page 1 of 2

Confidential report provided by primary school heads?

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:37 pm
by zempavlob
hi

have just downloaded information from the Pates grammar school web page about admissions arrangements and wondered if someone more knowledgeable than me can clarify paragraph 3:

"..... In the event of a tie the applicants are placed in order by reference to the confidential reports provided by primary school heads"....

- Do all primary school heads provide reports for all children taking the selection test or is it just in the event of a tie that they are asked to provide a report?

- they are called confidential reports and I wondered about the level of and type of information they contain and being confidential does this mean that parents aren't allowed to see a copy (either beforehand or afterwards?)

thanks in advance

Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:29 pm
by proud mum x2
Hi, I don't really know the answer to your question, but I suppose the information would be about the opinion of the present head as to whether the child would be "suitable" Grammar material.

Orson may well see this and give a more accurate answer, but the chances of a tie, and the child being the same "age", would probably be slim anyway.

Is there a reason for your interest in this part of the admissions criteria?

best wishes Proud mum x2

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:26 am
by zempavlob
Is there a reason for your interest in this part of the admissions criteria?


hi

thanks for the reply

I guess I'm a little surprised to learn that there is potentially an assessment of each child taking the test provided by the head of a primary school - whereas I'd assumed that it would be just on the basis of 'ability' as shown by the selection test results.

Given that so many take the exam in Gloucestershire, the competition for Pates being so high, plus the age standardisation of scores I wrongly thought it unlikely that there ever could be a tie :-).

And yes, I think I would like to know what the head would say about my child. I don't have any particular concerns as the child is in the 'top sets'
and receives very good school reports (albeit perhaps they are a little anodyne at times but that's another story :-)

Incidentally, slightly off topic but I wondered if you are able to confirm whether there are 15 or 21 types of questions in the test? Reading through some of the Gloucestershire posts on this fab site both 15 and 21 has been mentioned.

regards

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:19 am
by mum3
When we received the letter from Pate's offering my son his place, the year before last, I think there was a sentence along the lines of 'we have received a report from your primary school and are happy to offer you a place', can't remember the exact words but remember being surprised that the primary school and/or head teacher's report was mentioned. I have always wondered if he had tied for a place with someone else but have never enquired. Now he is established at the school, perhaps I will ask the Head one day! Perhaps all children have a confidential report from their primary schools sent to their secondary schools prior to their admission regardless of whether it is a grammar school.

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:35 pm
by proud mum x2
Hi, I have one son just going into 6th form and a daughter just starting at Pates, and have never heard any mention of the previous Head's letter,other than when it's mentioned on the school's website.

I think the head would be asked to provide one if there was a tie,(the children would have to have the same score, and age - within a month) at least that's how I read the admission's criteria on the website.

Best wishes


Proud mumx2

Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:15 pm
by Orson
zempavlob and proudmum x2

Places offered by grammar schools are determined by the child's performance in the two VR tests taken in Nov. Reports are only taken into consideration (and requested) when there is a tie.

A tie occurs when children's raw scores (the number of correct answers achieved) considered alongside their exact age at the time of the test, result in standardised scores (SAS) that are the same. E.g. A child born in September 1997 scoring 70 in a test may receive the same SAS as one who scored 67 but was born in June 1998. :roll:

The report would contain information that would help the grammar school decide if the pupil is 'grammar material' or not. This might include SATs scores alongside details regarding progress, potential, personality, behaviour, clubs attended, achievements, instruments played, outside interests etc. Anything that might help build an informative picture of the child.

It's not the norm to see a copy of the report and I'm not sure if you can should you want to.

Also, I can confirm there are 15 types of question in the test, not 21.

Orson

Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:19 pm
by proud mum x2
Hi, that is the answer I meant to give, but, Orson you put it SO much better! :wink:


Best Wishes, Proud Mumx2

Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:41 pm
by Orson
proudmum x2

You're too kind. :D

Orson

Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:38 pm
by proud mum x2
your'e very welcome orson :lol:

Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:18 pm
by mum3
So do you think my son tied with other children for his report to have been mentioned in his admittance letter? Definitely was mentioned, have looked said letter up!