Familiarisation Booklet

[mystery]

Do you say that because of the "it is probable" phrase on the kcc website section about what your test score means? Or have you communicated with kcc very recently and they have said they haven't decided yet?

I would have thought they would stick with a minimum score on each subject and a minimum overall score as before. Guess though they could vary the model until they find one that means my child has passed and then go with that one.

[Kentishmaid]

Had an email saying they would decide after. Same info on another site too.

[mystery]

Ah thanks. Will slip them a fiver along with my child's name then so they choose the model which puts my dc's results in the best light.


I guess they are hedging their bets in case the new test does not discriminate well using their old statistical methods, or if one of the papers produces very unexpected results.

Perhaps this suggests that the new papers are very different from the old ones, not just half as long, or a concern that halving the length of each paper could have some unthought of consequence.

Intriguing.

[fatbananas]

hello,

I'm still here Mystery! Trying to do one topic a morning - a paper (the old full length ones) or going over the wrong answers from previous day. I don't know if it's the heat/ boredom or something else, but DS's scores seem to be going down . I just want this all to be over with now. I feel permanently anxious and bored with the whole build up at the same time. Is this normal?!

I'm guessing KCC feel they can't fail people who would previously passed on maths/ VR and NVR if they then bomb the English/ spatial reasoning elements of the exam? There'd be a furore, wouldn't there? But, at the same time, it would be a bit pointless to ignore those new parts of the test, or what was the point of introducing them in the first place?

[mystery]

I'm feeling the same FB. Are you wading through the 32 GL familiarisation papers?

Ah here's a third way they may need to change the statistical model for the pass-fail cut-off this year. Children with a Sevenoaks postcode need to have a few months knocked off their age (because everyone does look very young for their age in Sevenoaks) so they then benefit from the age standardisation. The bulge of Sevenoaks passers will then cause more place pressure to convince the EFA that any grammar school in the world that fancies expanding into the Sevenoaks annex can do so.

The English result can only be chopped out if Sevenoaks children are worse at it than those from other areas. If the comprehension is about shopping and having a coffee with your Gucci shades tipped back on your head they'll all do well though.

[fatbananas]

I'm feeling the same FB. Are you wading through the 32 GL familiarisation papers?

The English result can only be chopped out if Sevenoaks children are worse at it than those from other areas. If the comprehension is about shopping and having a coffee with your Gucci shades tipped back on your head they'll all do well though.

Yes: the 32 papers and some CGP ones, which seem pretty similar.

I need to get me some shades (sorted) and then move to Sevenoaks.

[confusedmum.com]

Fatbananas - you sound a bit down.

Don't - it is all very normal. DCs scores do hit a patch where you think is it all worth the stress and bother, you may feel that you are on a bit of a conveyor belt and neither you nor your DC want to be on it anymore. You have spent Year 5 preparing for an unknown which is coming at the start of Year 6 and I expect you feel you that you dont have long left. I know I had timetables worked out from Easter right up till September, with which paper needed to be done and when, crossing off when the paper had been done and making a note of the score - looking at where my DC needed more support, then going over the paper and going over the topics that needed more help. You feel like it does not stop and that is all you think about.

Sometimes it does the whole family good just to stop, break the routine and say 'we are not going to think or talk about the 11+ today'. We went on holiday right in the middle of August coming back with 3.5 weeks to go until the test. We worked really hard up until we went - getting to the point you are at now with DC's score starting to look a bit bleak (I also seem to remember there were a bunch of really horrible GL papers that all seem to come in one go so this may have been the reason for the lower scores). We did nothing whilst we were away (I know - hard to do - but very benefical) and when we came back we really cracked back on and the scores really improved. We did all the GL papers (we only had to do Maths, VR & NVR) and because we started at Easter we did them all more than once.

We all prepare for the 11+ differently, what works for one family - may not work for another. I think we all feel the same anxiousness and worry that we are heling our DCs in the right way and it is clear that those on the forum are doing what they feel is best for their kids and that they care. You really can do no more. But do take time to enjoy the sun, be a family & have some fun. Let the kids be kids.

[UncleBob]

Yep scores vary for many reasons during practices. Remember it's about confidence too and if the child is confident then the apprehension goes.

Sevenoaks primary schools have been doing a lot of English work for past two years.

As an aside do you know how many marks are awarded based on age?

Thanks

[fatbananas]

Hi Confusedmum.com,

Sorry: only just seen your message. We've just come back from holiday and I've tried not to look at EPE every day - mostly succeeding ... Your experience was really reassuring to read. Scores have been pretty up and down, but the last two he's done (yesterday and just now) have been ok. Think maths may still be a bit touch and go. Sometimes 75%ish, sometimes 50%ish. Think it depends on the questions and how he's feeling. Haven't done any spatial reasoning and haven't done much in the way of testing to 25/30 mins as I just have the old full length tests and I'm not experienced enough to know how to break it up into easy/ not so easy questions. Ho hum

The main sense of relief I have is that it's nearly over

Thank heavens for EPE!

[mystery]

Yep scores vary for many reasons during practices. Remember it's about confidence too and if the child is confident then the apprehension goes.

Sevenoaks primary schools have been doing a lot of English work for past two years.

As an aside do you know how many marks are awarded based on age?

Thanks

Interesting ....... are you able to unpack that comment about Sevenoaks primary schools a little more? Our school is clearly just a little too far from Sevenoaks despite being within the district!

Age weighting - think that on any old Kent test paper it meant the equivalent of two or three questions difference between the early and late birthdays if that makes sense. Nothing huge at all but enough for those on the margin to make a difference in whether they pass or not.