Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Eleven Plus (11+) in Warwickshire

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by kenyancowgirl »

I have no issue with the genuinely sick. What makes me really sad, actually, is that my two boys have worked hard at school and tried really hard in their 11+'s, with no "help" from tutors, little help from us, no help from this forum (as I didn't discover it till after), no hints and tips from dubious or not so dubious sources, and got in. And yet, parents who are happy to effectively "cheat" to get their children in by "buying" information from test centres, for late sittings, are taking places of other children like my own. To do this, they must know that their children are simply not capable of getting in on their own merit and I think people that advocate taking a late test for non genuine sickness reasons are just as guilty. I think southbucks is right - if Brum and Warks become a consortium, it should be one test, with schools setting their own automatic qualifying score. There could then be another equivalent but different late sitters test which would hopefully foil those who are only sitting late to get an unfair advantage, and this second sitting should be in one large test centre in the area, to ensure that late sitters have to be subjected to the same large hall scenario that the "normal" sitters do.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by southbucks3 »

Also the children who are placed in the wrong school for their ability are categorically miserable, the grammars round here find it nigh on impossible to move them out and their parents will not listen to reason when asked to move their child voluntarily. The prestige of saying your child is at a royal grammar school seems to outweigh all compassion for the child or concern over their well being, it is a truly rotten scenario which is repeated year on year, presumably country wide.
gideon
Posts: 154
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:54 pm

Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by gideon »

Warks create their own issues as they have outdated priority areas. In Southern Warks it is very rare for a child to be offered under category 5 (any other child - >outside priority area) on offer day. This used to be the case for Eastern Warks, but this area simply cannot fill its places locally.

Why should a child outside priority take the 11+ test with everyone else, if not treated as everyone else? These children should take the test very late (by that I mean Feb/March), when they have learnt more and I suppose they know content and move to the top of waiting lists. Age standardisation would not be enough to negate the advantage.

I know many children intensively prepared for grammars who are not naturally able, yet thrive in grammar schools as they learnt a work ethos. I do not buy in to the issue children struggle. I have never seen any evidence of this. Hearsay is not evidence. Even high scoring children struggle. I have also never seen evidence that the 11+ tests innate ability or is resistant to preparation. I asked Warks, who refused to provide evidence!
I asked the C.E.M. unit and they refused to provide evidence. I think it's all a con.
ginx
Posts: 2151
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by ginx »

I just had a thought; maybe Amit Matalia has been on this forum? :lol:
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by kenyancowgirl »

ginx wrote:I just had a thought; maybe Amit Matalia has been on this forum? :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by southbucks3 »

ginx wrote:I just had a thought; maybe Amit Matalia has been on this forum? :lol:
:idea: gosh really, he does get himself around doesn't he. :lol:
magwich2
Posts: 866
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 pm

Re: Multiple 11-plus exam sittings come under fire.

Post by magwich2 »

Regarding the issue of how much an individual child would remember of the exam questions I have to say that DS1 remembered enough to give a substantial amount of help to someone else had he wished to do so.

The 11+ is bad enough but it does get worse.

DD2 has just done the first of her A level science exams where there is a 5 week window to sit the exam (reduced from last year when it was approx 10 weeks and where cheating is known to be widespread. People text each other the questions and students on TSR offer to trade the questions in one science for those in another. The school have complained every single year along with dozens of other schools but neither AQA nor JCQ will do anything at all. Many schools are reputed to leave the exam until the last week or so to help pupils and teachers obtain the questions. Great isn"t it?!!
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now