Merry Christmas!!!
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Merry Christmas!!!
Hey, this forum is so deserted now. How is everybody doing after exams? It's just over 2 months left till the results are out. My daughter is very relaxed, she is not worried about the March allocation. I would like to wish everybody Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year that will make all our dreams come true! Enjoy this festive family time joyfully!
Alice
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traceyanne
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:58 pm
- Location: bexley
Hi Alice
I don't tune in so regularly these days (seem to have got over the addiction - well almost!). We too are much more relaxed now and thankfully rarely mention 11 plus. I guess Christmas has taken the edge off of it - I just hope the new year doesn't make it rear its ugly head again. Although I must say I do miss the one to ones a little. We do still do the odd bit of homework together and some reading but nothing like the daily (o.k. bit exaggerating, every couple of days!) revision that we used to get together for.
Does anyone know when we get the optional sats results?
Merry Christmas and hope you all get the results you deserve in the New Year.
I don't tune in so regularly these days (seem to have got over the addiction - well almost!). We too are much more relaxed now and thankfully rarely mention 11 plus. I guess Christmas has taken the edge off of it - I just hope the new year doesn't make it rear its ugly head again. Although I must say I do miss the one to ones a little. We do still do the odd bit of homework together and some reading but nothing like the daily (o.k. bit exaggerating, every couple of days!) revision that we used to get together for.
Does anyone know when we get the optional sats results?
Merry Christmas and hope you all get the results you deserve in the New Year.
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
I miss one to one as well! And my first daughter does! I have started introducing NFER papers to my second one as she was so impatient. Did half of one VR paper and she started cooling down. 
I think it's a bit early to get serious - she is in Y4. But occasional look won't do any harm. She is the type who loves puzzles. In the future I still want to practice all 4 subjects with her, even if there will only be VR and NVR exams. I think NFER papers are useful in any case.
I think it's a bit early to get serious - she is in Y4. But occasional look won't do any harm. She is the type who loves puzzles. In the future I still want to practice all 4 subjects with her, even if there will only be VR and NVR exams. I think NFER papers are useful in any case.Alice
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traceyanne
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:58 pm
- Location: bexley
The optional sats I was talking about were from the trial a lot of Bexley schools have opted into. They were taken a couple of weeks ago. They may replace the sats that children currently take at year 6 and 9 if the trial was successful. They will take place twice a year for any child who is ready for them regardless of their age.
I have a year 4 as well, but this one is a boy with absolutely no interest in doing extra work yet. He does do Kumon very reluctantly but that's as far as it goes. I shall wait till 2009 to look at whether its worth the stress of pushing for 11 plus, at the moment I wouldn't consider him to be of the right material - he's just not interested. I think he'd be better placed at the top of a comp. It would be better for his self esteem I feel. But who knows things may change!
I have a year 4 as well, but this one is a boy with absolutely no interest in doing extra work yet. He does do Kumon very reluctantly but that's as far as it goes. I shall wait till 2009 to look at whether its worth the stress of pushing for 11 plus, at the moment I wouldn't consider him to be of the right material - he's just not interested. I think he'd be better placed at the top of a comp. It would be better for his self esteem I feel. But who knows things may change!
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
Oh I see what you mean. Yes we've been doing those at our school too but I didn't let my son do them as they wanted him to do tests in all 3 subjects (other children were just doing one or two) and he does enough tests at the moment. I'll be surprised if you get any results though as I'm not sure they will tell you anything that you don't already know. My understanding is that you are tested in a level that you are believed to have completed. My son was level 5 in Maths, English and Science at the end of Year 5 but they just wanted him to do Level 4 tests. Nobody at our school was doing Level 5, so if he had done the tests the results would just have said he was a Level 4.
Out of interest, which Bexley non-selective school would you consider for your year 4 boy (I've got one of those too!).
Out of interest, which Bexley non-selective school would you consider for your year 4 boy (I've got one of those too!).
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traceyanne
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:58 pm
- Location: bexley
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
No, unfortunately the most likely non-selective school for No. 2 son is Bexleyheath which, as you probably know, has just been put into special measures. It was either that or Welling or BBA - neither of which seemed any better to me.
I'd always assumed that Cleeve Park must be a really bad school as it's the only one with any vacancies left when all the allocations have been made. However, somebody told me (after I'd put my CAF in this year!) that it's actually quite a good school and the vacancy thing is more to do with the catchment area and the fact that there are a few good schools in proximity - don't know how true that is. Hurstmere is also meant to be a good school - but I think the catchment area is something ridiculous like 1mile. I was just curious which schools you were thinking of because, in Belvedere we're surrounded by some fairly ropey non-selectives!
I would like No. 2 son to go to a good mixed non-selective but realistically our location narrows his choices down to a boys grammar (Beths, where his brother is and that's a whole separate issue as they don't want to be in the same school!) or the non-selectives I mentioned above. Bexley Grammar have cut their intake which will presumably have a knock on effect on distance and .......oh, I could go on!!
Our year 4 children will, of course, be doing their tests the second week in September so at least we can see if they've passed before making any decisions.
I'd always assumed that Cleeve Park must be a really bad school as it's the only one with any vacancies left when all the allocations have been made. However, somebody told me (after I'd put my CAF in this year!) that it's actually quite a good school and the vacancy thing is more to do with the catchment area and the fact that there are a few good schools in proximity - don't know how true that is. Hurstmere is also meant to be a good school - but I think the catchment area is something ridiculous like 1mile. I was just curious which schools you were thinking of because, in Belvedere we're surrounded by some fairly ropey non-selectives!
I would like No. 2 son to go to a good mixed non-selective but realistically our location narrows his choices down to a boys grammar (Beths, where his brother is and that's a whole separate issue as they don't want to be in the same school!) or the non-selectives I mentioned above. Bexley Grammar have cut their intake which will presumably have a knock on effect on distance and .......oh, I could go on!!
Our year 4 children will, of course, be doing their tests the second week in September so at least we can see if they've passed before making any decisions.
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traceyanne
- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 2:58 pm
- Location: bexley
Hi, unfortunately I do get to see some horrors from Cleve because I live so close, but I'm sure that's the same for most schools - you only notice the children misbehaving not the ones who go quietly home. I've heard good reports from parents of high achievers at Cleve as they do seem to have some good systems going there, on the other hand there is the problem of the children at the other end of the spectrum with some pretty bad behavioural problems. I think the new head is taking the school in the right direction, as the awful behaviour I witnessed on an open day a year ago didn't occur this year on open day. It seemed overall less intimidating and I'll tell you what I felt very intimidated a year ago on my visit and didn't think I'd be putting it anywhere on my caf but I have put it on as my no.6. for my daughter this year.
