One paper for all to sit?

Eleven Plus (11+) in South West Hertfordshire

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cas-u-nut
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:17 pm

One paper for all to sit?

Post by cas-u-nut »

I would like to say that I am new to this forum and I have been reading various threads. I have not however come across any mention of the return of the 11+. My daughter has had to sit five papers for selective schools not all that different from each other.

Isn't this a much less labour intensive way for the schools to operate, an effective time managing method and more importantly less stress for the children concerned.

I wonder why Herts council do not introduce this option to parents going for selective schools. I felt like my entire Setember, October and November was filled with exam stress.

Obviously there would be exceptions eg. Goffs school for example had their exam in Sweedish 2009 and the previous year in Dutch...just thought I would mention that in case any of your children will be intending to sit for that school this Sept....but by and large I am sure it could be done as the core subjects are Maths and English for the foundation of most studies.

Am I on my own with this idea?
cas-u-nut
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

How did they get on with Swedish and Dutch????...

I always found them very hard languages to study.
cas-u-nut
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:17 pm

Goffs

Post by cas-u-nut »

Sorry I don't think I made that clear. In the respect of Goffs and schools such as Broxbourne who select 10% through language aptitude tests the children are simply told that there is a test which they cannot prepare for ...devised by the University of Nottingham. There is no information other than that.

(I, actually, was led to believe it was a made up language and I had great difficulty getting any information on the content of the test.)

Therefore the children sit these tests in effect "blind". My daughter had no prior knowledge of Swedish as I am sure most of the previous year had little knowledge of Dutch. This year will be another obscure language.
cas-u-nut
hermanmunster
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Location: The Seaside

Post by hermanmunster »

interesting that they do not use a made up language as there is a strong possibility that some of the kids will have a smattering of some of these languages - there were several kids at my school who could have managed dutch, czech, polish, norwegian, hungarian, latvian.

Glad to hear that they test on this basis though likely to be a bit like analysing codes rather than learning a language (i could do the codes just never cracked the language... :roll: )

I like the idea of standard tests though, seems strange that each LEA sets different ones - the outcomes after all are much the same.
cas-u-nut
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:17 pm

Post by cas-u-nut »

Regarding the ethnic mix at your school... that is a good point. Indeed if this school was in an inner city area I suspect the school would use a different method of selective entry.

Going back to my earlier point I am glad you think along the same lines as me with respect to sitting one paper for all - Kent for example have one paper for selective grammar of which 25% will attain a grammar place. The tests comprise of VR NVR and Maths.

The decision is available 19th October (although school allocation is later) parents and children transfering know that they have got a grammar place.

This is a much more painless and professional approach.
cas-u-nut
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