12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Eleven Plus (11+) in Lincolnshire (Lincs)

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dingo
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:53 am

12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by dingo »

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum so please go easy on me! My daughter is in year 8 at a non selective academy in Lincolnshire. She is one of those bright children who failed the eleven plus despite achieving higher SAT scores than a lot of the kids in her class who did pass. I didn't have her tutored because I am of the attitude that if a child needs tutoring intensively to pass an exam then it kind of makes a mockery of the whole thing (but that is merely my opinion and I wouldn't argue about it with anybody!)

My problem now is such that the academy she is currently at are pretty useless. In English, for example, she is covering work that she would have aced in year 4 at primary school despite being in the top set. She seems to have hit a complete standstill and, as a result, is getting jittery and bored. I have raised my issues with the academy but get the feeling they just think I'm a moany, pushy mother.

My daughter has the chance to do the grammar school entrance exam next month but fears failing it if it is similar to the eleven plus. Does anybody know how similar the 12 plus is? I personally find the system a bit weird, I mean, would you get those style of questions on an O level paper? No, you wouldn't, would you but I resignedly accept that this is the method they measure by.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm really not sure what to do. I have a bright child who is currently stagnating and I know she is capable of far more but at the same time I don't want to put her through something that she may fail at and therefore lose her confidence even more. Thanks for reading.
secondtime
Posts: 138
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by secondtime »

Only you know your DD but things don't seem ideal at the moment. Does she want to move school?
Are there places if she passes the 12+?
I think it is a similar format to 11+ (I am sure Alex will confirm soon).

Bringing up these DCs is so hard!!

Good Luck whatever you decide :D
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by Alex »

There isn't a standard exam for 12+ entry as there is for the 11+ entry. Each school chooses their own way of testing so it varies quite a lot. Some of them use NfER tests which are very similar to those used for the 11+; set by the same people, same length, same format, just standardised against a national sample rather than a local cohort. Others use CATS or MidYIS tests, either on line or on paper, which are tests which schools use anyway for setting a base line for each new pupil against which to measure expectations and progress. The applicant must reach a certain "stanine" (score within a certain band of scores) or else be measured against the appropriate year group cohort in the Grammar school. Others use more curriculum based tests.
I think the Boston schools may occasionally even accept transfers from their local non-selective schools on the recommendation of the school and good achievement across the curriculum.

Most of the schools are quite happy to tell you what form of testing they use for 12+ entry so I would recommend starting with a call to the the Grammar in which you are interested to find out.
Stocky
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:12 pm

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by Stocky »

Hi there, echoing what Alex has said, a friend's DD sat the test in year 8 for QEHSG and the test included maths in addition to NVR/VR etc, so definitely find out from the school and also find out if they are over PAN due to successful appeals etc. Good luck!
dingo
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:53 am

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by dingo »

Thank you all. Having spoken to the school I have been informed that the test is a mix of VR, NVR and Maths and it is 2 and a half hours long. I'm somewhat on the horns of a dilemma now. Why, oh why is it that some otherwise bright children find these tests so difficult? I have been advised not to prepare her in any way for the tests.

To the poster that asked me of she would like to leave the school she is currently at, the answer to that is a resounding yes. Not only is she being academically unchallenged but finds many of the other children rude and disruptive (her words!).

I just don't want to do the wrong thing. :(
ToadMum
Posts: 11944
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by ToadMum »

dingo wrote: Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I'm really not sure what to do. I have a bright child who is currently stagnating and I know she is capable of far more but at the same time I don't want to put her through something that she may fail at and therefore lose her confidence even more. Thanks for reading.
Has your DD herself expressed the feeling that she would find not succeeding a second time around unbearable, or is this what you fear for her? You go on to say that she really wants to leave her current school - this is one way possibly to achieve that. It is a way that is not open to her if she doesn't "have a go" :) .

Two years ago, our DD did what most of her year 6 class didn't do - she failed her 11+. However, as we are in an "opt-in" area, she also did what nearly as many didn't do either, in that she actually took the 11+ in the first place.

Fortunately, In our case, DD did anything but stagnate at the school we hadn't even considered, but were allocated for her; however, when she was given the opportunity near the end of year 7 to try again for a place at her preferred grammar, she didn't have to think very long before agreeing that she should have a go. This time she did well enough to obtain one of the three available places.

Is it "all or nothing" with the GS test, or are there any other non-selective schools which might suit her abilities better and which might have a place available?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Stocky
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:12 pm

Re: 12 plus entrance exam advice please.

Post by Stocky »

Hi Dingo, glad you have got the information you need from the school. Personally I would not put any child in for a test without some preparation and familiarisation. Noone ever does tests in life blind without some prep beforehand, whether its SATS, GCSE's, a driving test etc . I teach for a professional body and the first thing I get from adults on revision courses is "do you have any example questions so we know what to expect". The point being - taking the tutoring debate aside, they need familiarisation on what to expect and some practice. Upon reflection DD would have passed if she had turned up on the day, but she spent a month looking at past papers and questions and I am glad she did. Good luck!
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