Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

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KarenGeorgia
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:32 pm

Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by KarenGeorgia »

Hello . Wondering if anybody can help as I have read conflicting articles about taking the 11+ from abroad.
We are currently on a three year secondment in Connecticut, USA - through my husband's work - and will be returning to Kent (Bexley Borough ) in Summer 2014. My daughter is due to start secondary school when we return in September, meaning she will need to take the 11+ this Autumn , for entry next year! I am hoping that she will be able to sit the exam (in test conditions) at her current school here in the USA - as all recent posts on this subject confirm that this is possible, but I wonder if anybody knows for definite how easy this will be to arrange - if it's even possible!!

Thanks
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by hermanmunster »

Hi - reckon it varies by area - some say no under any circumstances and others will allow it depending on why the chld can't take the exam in the UK. The only ones I have come across in North Yorks were when the family was abroad with military - might be different in Kent.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by yoyo123 »

your best bet would be to contact Bexley admissions and ask them.

http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3396" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

although Bexley is in Kent it is not covered by KCC local authority and has a different test to the Kent test
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by stevew61 »

Have a look here.

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... &hilit=usa" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by Sally-Anne »

Hi Karen, and welcome!
KarenGeorgia wrote: We are currently on a three year secondment in Connecticut, USA - through my husband's work - and will be returning to Kent (Bexley Borough ) in Summer 2014. My daughter is due to start secondary school when we return in September, meaning she will need to take the 11+ this Autumn , for entry next year! I am hoping that she will be able to sit the exam (in test conditions) at her current school here in the USA - as all recent posts on this subject confirm that this is possible, but I wonder if anybody knows for definite how easy this will be to arrange - if it's even possible!!
In Bucks this comes up fairly frequently, and I have known children take the 11+ in some fairly far-flung places. There is no guarantee that Bexley will allow it though, and as yoyo says, the only people who can answer the question for you are Bexley Admissions. I suggest you email them with the question - it always helps to have a "paper" trail.

However, you then face a far more fundamental problem. Even if your daughter achieves the qualifying score, the address used to allocate places will be your current address in the USA. With places rarely being allocated beyond 7 miles or so from the schools, she will not get a place. Even if you still own a house in Bexley, you cannot use that address unless you are permanently resident there on the date that address evidence is required - this year that was 7th December 2012.

Your only recourse would, I am afraid, be an over-subscription appeal, and the even worse news is that there has not been a single successful appeal for any of the grammar schools in the last 3 years - page 19 on this link http://www.bexley.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=1901&p=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am sorry to be the bringer of bad tidings, but this is a situation I have seen arise before, and it is essential that you understand the realities from the outset.

Short of moving back to the UK by December 2013, leaving your husband behind in Connecticut, I cannot immediately come up with a solution, because Bromley and also the parts of Kent nearest to Bexley also allocate by distance.

Any thoughts, yoyo?
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by yoyo123 »

all I can suggest is contact Bexley and go from there..

Otherwise , it would have to be get back to UK and apply to the individual schools
StJamesDad
Posts: 233
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by StJamesDad »

yoyo123 wrote:
Otherwise , it would have to be get back to UK and apply to the individual schools
I thought that (as we had a friend want to join in year 8/9) but how would that work if the places had just been filled. How many can a school add to say 120 year places?

If the entry exam is taken abroad, how is it supervised? Do a load of UK examiners have to fly out?

Flying back to take the test seems the fairest answer. I would have thought the address issue could be sorted out if the reason for being out of the country was a temp work placement and the family home was within the allowed area (Its a lot more than 7 miles isn't it?).
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by Sally-Anne »

StJamesDad wrote:
yoyo123 wrote:
Otherwise , it would have to be get back to UK and apply to the individual schools
I thought that (as we had a friend want to join in year 8/9) but how would that work if the places had just been filled. How many can a school add to say 120 year places?
As many as an Appeal panel decides they must admit because the prejudice to the child of not gaining a place is greater than that to the school of admitting them.
If the entry exam is taken abroad, how is it supervised? Do a load of UK examiners have to fly out?
The 11+ admission authority has to agree to testing, and satisfy itself that the foreign school will administer the test correctly. The foreign school has to agree to undertake testing, and the papers are then sent directly to them. After the test the papers are returned securely to the UK.
Flying back to take the test seems the fairest answer.
Jet lag?
I would have thought the address issue could be sorted out if the reason for being out of the country was a temp work placement and the family home was within the allowed area
Absolutely not! Such a system would open the flood gates for address fraud! Only the children of service personnel (Armed Forces) and Crown Servants returning to the UK are allowed to apply for a school place using a UK address where they are not currently resident.
Blitz
Posts: 874
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 3:58 pm

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by Blitz »

In Essex:

https://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Scho ... t-2013.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Page 10

If you live abroad but have a house in Essex and intend to return to it before the autumn term they use that address.

This has happened a few times in my school. A family went to NZ on a 1 year job swap when their youngest was 3.5. They had no problem getting a place in reception. Another family this year were living in Oz until July but had already secured their place at the school in reception for sept as the house they lived in 10 years ago was in catchment. They moved back to it after a long emigration. Could not get yr 5 child in though.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Taking the Eleven Plus in the USA

Post by Sally-Anne »

Blitz wrote:If you live abroad but have a house in Essex and intend to return to it before the autumn term they use that address.
But not in Bexley, unfortunately. In Essex the majority of GS places are allocated by 11+ score anyway, so home address is less important, but Essex is quite unusual in making that allowance at any level. Most LAs are far too worried about address fraud to permit it and I suspect that even Essex looks quite long and hard at such applications.
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