11 Plus Exams Forum

Some data for year 7 pupils in the 5 grammar schools in Warwickshire: year, number on roll, number on roll known to be eligible for free school meals (census month October). CEM took over the tests for 2009 entry apparently.

With very little data prior to c e m taking over it is hard to draw any conclusions, but no great change is maybe the conclusion? Or do very few f s m. Children apply? Or do a better proportion pass but then not take up the places?

Everybody makes noise about this f s m business but only looks at it half-heartedly.

mystery wrote:With very little data prior to c e m taking over it is hard to draw any conclusions, but no great change is maybe the conclusion? Or do very few f s m. Children apply? Or do a better proportion pass but then not take up the places?

Everybody makes noise about this f s m business but only looks at it half-heartedly.

Well quite a lot of those in the priority areas for the Warwickshire schools aren't in the areas where they'd get free travel - either out of county altogether, or in the wrong segment of the county. So costs could well be a factor for some in not even trying for a place.

if anything I would expect C.E.M would result in lower number of FSM children getting into Grammars.
C.E.M favours middle class families because it is so vocab heavy, who have books at home with parents who read to their children from a very early age also it is more culturally bias then GL IMO disadvantaging those whose first language is not English, open access to familiarisation papers allow a more level playing field for the poor-it's a con! pandering to wealthy as per usual excluding the very children that grammar schools were originally designed for IMO

That's my hunch too; hope I am just being cynical.

I heard the Chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association on the radio saying that only 1/3 or children on FSM are entered for the 11+ from which only 1 in 10 pass it. He was going on about preparing children better during primary school and changing their parent's aspirations and attitude towards learning.

Well here (central Warwickshire, but in the priority circle for South Warwickshire) I'd say that if 1/3 were entered, that's well ahead of the proportion of children generally who are entered.