Getting the results
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FRENCH CONNECTION
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:23 pm
11+ failings
Well our boy just failed the 11+ and we were quite surprised!
He has got level 5s all round and is in Gifted and Talented for Science in Bexley and attends Canterbury University for Gifted and Talented South East for maths. He gets an extra teacher for maths as the level in year 5 was too simple.
He was not tutored as we believe that the exam should be based on ability and not on tutoring. That may seem foolish but we are confirdent he'll suceed wherever he goes. Anyone who believes their child has talent but didn't pass the 11+ should feel the same.
We feel this whole process is a sham and needs a complete overhaul. Children that are taken out of class to extra help as they struggle have passed the exam. How on earth will they cope with grammar school?
We could have afforded tuition if we wanted to, but we feel sorry for the talented children in families on low incomes who miss out to less able children who have families with a decent income who get their children tutored. Surely these tests should be based purely on the national curriculum and therefore a level playing field for all? No advance warning of the type of exam and a changed format each year!
Does anyone else feel the same??
He has got level 5s all round and is in Gifted and Talented for Science in Bexley and attends Canterbury University for Gifted and Talented South East for maths. He gets an extra teacher for maths as the level in year 5 was too simple.
He was not tutored as we believe that the exam should be based on ability and not on tutoring. That may seem foolish but we are confirdent he'll suceed wherever he goes. Anyone who believes their child has talent but didn't pass the 11+ should feel the same.
We feel this whole process is a sham and needs a complete overhaul. Children that are taken out of class to extra help as they struggle have passed the exam. How on earth will they cope with grammar school?
We could have afforded tuition if we wanted to, but we feel sorry for the talented children in families on low incomes who miss out to less able children who have families with a decent income who get their children tutored. Surely these tests should be based purely on the national curriculum and therefore a level playing field for all? No advance warning of the type of exam and a changed format each year!
Does anyone else feel the same??
Re: 11+ failings
Hi French Connection. My son didn't pass either and I agree with you. The system isn't fair. I have to admit to my son having about 12 hours of tutoring but more to do with his confidence in maths rather than for the 11+.FRENCH CONNECTION wrote:Well our boy just failed the 11+ and we were quite surprised!
We feel this whole process is a sham and needs a complete overhaul. Children that are taken out of class to extra help as they struggle have passed the exam. How on earth will they cope with grammar school?
We could have afforded tuition if we wanted to, but we feel sorry for the talented children in families on low incomes who miss out to less able children who have families with a decent income who get their children tutored. Surely these tests should be based purely on the national curriculum and therefore a level playing field for all? No advance warning of the type of exam and a changed format each year!
Does anyone else feel the same??
It is not a level playing field in the beginning and so will never be a fair system. I know of children in my son's year who were tutored for over a year and in one case 2 years - I don't know if they passed or not but I should think one of them would, not sure about the other.
I have a friend whose son is in year 5 and has just started tutoring for next year.
IMO if children need to be tutored for a year or more to pass then the system is wrong, the exam too hard or something. Obviously you will get super bright kids who will pass anyway but I just can't see how it can be fair to have kids tutored for approximately a year to pass.
I don't know what the answer is but something needs to change.
The problem with this is that some primaries teach to a higher level than others. Often the primaries in deprived areas have high proportions of SEN children and much of their teaching is biased towards getting these children to a decent standard. This is reflected in the high numbers of children achieving level 5's in less deprived areas, especially in the optional SATs in y5 I would say, as compared to those getting them in areas of higher social deprivation.FRENCH CONNECTION wrote: Surely these tests should be based purely on the national curriculum and therefore a level playing field for all?
Hence the same set of children would be penalised. This is why many authorities try to use a general test to pick up naturally bright children. These children may well need some extra coaching on entrance to a Grammar school to catch up but ultimately they have the ability to do well.
You are right though the system does seem open to unfair manipulation. with perhaps some heavily tutored children gaining places whilst brighter not so heavily tutored miss out. The tutoring is bound to have a knock on effect in raising the scores necessary to get a pass making it hard for even the naturally gifted to get in to some of these schools without some extra preperation before the tests.
