Wording of email / letter

twinkles · Post by **twinkles** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:25 am

I was wondering if the schools knew yet. My son hasn't said that any books have gone and we haven't been asked to take last years books back in again - don't know if others have or not and am not sure if my son would be asked for his anyhow as we were told that the school wouldn't back an appeal for my son as his CAT results at the beginning of year 5 weren't good enough - but I'm not sure if that means a HT appeal or not?

I am fed up with the waiting game, I just want to know.

rachel'smum · Post by **rachel'smum** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:42 am

My God. I feel constantly sick

alfie2 · Post by **alfie2** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:52 pm

rachel'smum wrote:My God. I feel constantly sick

Oh dear Rachel's Mum I know exactly how you feel and although it seems that quite a low percentage of right answers will give the minimum amount to pass that's no consolation to the agony of the wait and the wonder of how they all did.

My child is the oldest in the school, 11 the day after the test so I can't even take any comfort from the age issue for those with later birthdays.

Whats especially grating is when you get mothers (we have one at our school) who is always pointing out that her daughter's birthday isn't until next July so she deserves to do much better because of that.

I've now said I want our playground to be an 11+ discussion free zone!

willowsticks · Post by **willowsticks** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:54 pm

My DS goes to a RC school; therefore I do not think they will be taking their books, because RC schools do not encourage the 11+ exam.

Does anyone know if this means that the HT will not appeal on our behalf?

twinkles · Post by **twinkles** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:59 pm

Hi alfie2 I agree with you the waiting is agony.

My son is also 11 - his birthday was 3 days after the test, he's 4th or 5th eldest in his school so like you won't gain any extra points for age. I don't really understand why the woman says her daughter deserves to do better cos her child's birthday is in July. At my son's school they all started school at the same time so have all had the same amount of schooling whether their birthday is in September or the following August, so to me it seems a bit strange that the younger children are given extra points due to when their birthdays are but I guess the powers that be think that is the fairest way to sort it out?

Have you had any signs from the school that the headteacher has the results i.e. school books being taken?

tired_dad_2008 · Post by **tired_dad_2008** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:12 pm

The reason that the younger ones are effectively given extra marks is because a large part of the exam is effectively an aptitude test rather than an achievement test. So it's like an IQ test that needs to be adjusted for the age of the child. Non-verbal is the purest intelligence test element (abstract reasoning) whereas Maths is the most teachable.

alfie2 · Post by **alfie2** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:16 pm

Twinkles.

Our head openly said to all parents that results would be with the school by today.

We are therefore all now looking for subtle smiles, encouraging looks, but actually not probably going to see anything other than the normal.

No books taken as yet but I will try to find out tonight.

rachel'smum · Post by **rachel'smum** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:19 pm

My daugher is one of the eldest too!! I can understand the reason for the standardisation, but in our case that doesn't help aswage the feeling of panic eh!!

All the schools have apparently now got the results and books etc need to be ready for appeal by early next week. So I guess we will all be waiting to see if our kids come home and say they have had to use paper to work on!!!

Crikey this is so stressful!!

twinkles · Post by **twinkles** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:36 pm

I will have to ask my son about books then and see if any have gone missing - I don't suppose I will get much of a response from him though other than his usual "I don't know".