Just curious ....

[amfnc]

So this year scores seem to be way up on last year, the outcome being that the scores required will increase for the SS schools (by what looks like quite a lot). This will then put more pressure on the non SS grammars particularly the ones in North Kent.

What are people's views as to why scores are up so much on last year? I'm just curious, I didn't have a child sit this year but the general feedback I got from my friends kids was that the Kent test was harder than Bexley and at my sons' school that was proved by it having more Bexley passes than Kent for the first time ever.

Is the reason because there are just more and more children sitting the Kent test? I suspect the days of OOC children getting a place at a school in Kent purely on distance (e.g. Wilmington) may be over, the boys school only took 8 OOC's based on distance last year as it was.

[ToadMum]

Do you mean that the standardised scores that people on here are posting (which are not going to be representative of the overall spread of scores, I don't think many have posted about their children who got 69 in Maths, 70 in English and 71 in VR etc)? Or has Kent CC released a table of raw scores?

[amfnc]

I mean that by looking at the spreadsheet that KCC have released overall scores are much higher than they were last year and much much higher than the year before. In 2015 a score of 320 would have got an IC into DGS, this year who knows what it'll be but if it does turn out to be in the region of 381 the increase is huge.

I just wondered why of a sudden the scores have taken such a big jump when I doubt the test isn't any easier. Is it down to the increase of sitters? Excess tutoring? Should DGS' cut off for ICC be anywhere above 370, this will put an enormous amount of pressure on Wilmington and Gravesend.

As I've said I don't have a child who sat it this year, and when they do I have a sibling rule for the school I would want in Kent (should my did also want it) im just curious as to why the sudden jump.

[Loopy Lou]

I can't help thinking its just got a little easier as there is more information out there now about the new format etc. My son sat it in 2014(?) when they first changed the format and made it so called 'tutorproof'. No one had a clue then how the test would be, and the overall scores were a lot lower than this year. Also it was noted that first year that the maths paper was too difficult. I think there were 30 questions in 25 mins. This has now been changed I believe to 25 questions. Many children in that first paper failed to finish the maths paper, my son included who didn't even manage to attempt the last 7. (Luckily he got his first choice). The following year, there was still uncertainty surrounding the paper, would it be changed as it was so 'difficult' the first year? Everyone was trying to find out what was in it, how the papers were written, and indeed the maths paper was changed, etc.

I just think the 11 plus format is now more 'familiar' than it was a couple of years ago, and alas, therefore, less 'tutorproof'!

Maybe they should change the format every year! Keep everyone on their toes....

[Heleneric]

Apparently they do try and change the format slightly every year to make it tutor proof. It may be that there is no such thing as tutor proof.

What is perhaps more interesting is why KCC want to make the 11+ tutor proof. As I understand it there are two reasons.
1. To make sure that the right cohort of able children (as opposed to heavily tutored children) pass the test.
2. To broaden the social mix of children passing the 11+ so that Kent Grammars are not simply enclaves for the middle class.

Do you think this is being achieved and, if it isn't, what else could be done?

[theonly1]

Looking at the spreadsheet, IC did not really pose very high scores and DGS will still take 90 from IC. So fingers crossed.