Tiffin School new exam

[tiffinboys]

Once upon a time, there used to be such a test when there were nearly 1400 grammars until ...........

[berks_mum]

1400 grammars for a much smaller population?

Going that route will remove will unfair advantage of sitting multiple tests and save lot of money for LEAs. Will the test administering, marking and result postage cost saving be as much as 50%? Is there a data of how many DCs sit multiple tests and resulting increase in cost?

[tiffinboys]

1400 grammars for a much smaller population?

In England & Wales (not in Kingston alone. that would have been great. One school per child. ). I was referring to national test day.

One drawback of a single national test would be that one day's bad performance would effect most of the options.

[Kingston mum]

Could be several reasons why TS has changed the exam but one of them I understand from some parents with DS at the school, is that some boys struggle with English at GCSE level. If you don't have to sit an English/Maths exam and you concentrate on VR/NVR for 2-3 years like some children do then is difficult to catch up once at school as I don't think they cover the basics. My godson just started at TS this year and he's already doing Maths at year 8 level!
So an essay of 3000 words might be challenging if you don't have a sound base.
With regards to the number of children applying I think it will definitely go up as anybody that's any good at the subjects can apply and why not as it is a free test whilst before you had to be tutored in VR/NVR as they were not covered at school. Also the numbers applying for the Sutton schools will increase being the same type of test as children will apply to all schools that have the same tests not to mention the ones preparing for indies.
For example as we live 10 min from TS we decided prepare VR/NVR to apply only for TS as it would have been too much to cover all 4 subjects to the required level. Now with English/Maths we will apply to Sutton schools also and try the independent sector even if is only for exam practice and I'm sure we are not the only ones.
Add to that a bulge year....

[Peridot]

Very interesting. Any ideas why this is happening? Do they have issues with students arriving at the school with a low standard of English?

Yes, I believe so - at both the boys' and girls' schools. My daughter, in particular, is shocked at the low standard of English of some of her cohort. They might be great at Maths but they can't spell or string sentences together.

Tiffinboys - do we know that Tiffin is joining the Sutton consortium or is it still supposition at this stage? All very interesting, as you say, DG.

[tiffinboys]

Hi, Peridot. As I mentioned before, we have to wait for the draft admission arrangements. To be sure, we would actually need to wait till next April, when admission arrangements would be determined and published by the Schools.

But generally the grapevine/rumours are that TS and TGS both joining Sutton consortium or forming their own consortium. Eagerly waiting for the consultation documents.

[Peridot]

Thanks TB