Advice on Bond or NFER

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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eastsussexmum
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:31 pm

Advice on Bond or NFER

Post by eastsussexmum »

Can anyone advise? My daughter only decided that she would like to take 11 plus at the recent open days in Tunbridge Wells. We are out of county, my daughter has a September birthday and I am tutoring her at home so we are at a disadvantage to start with but she is bright, got 5bs and 5cs in SATS and is predicted 5as in her SATS this year. So far have we have done some Bond papers and gone through 2 of the NFER in Maths, Non verbal and verbal ( holding back the other two until later this month). I had been advised by Kent CC that we should look at NFER but now hear that the Kent exams are more in line with Bond. If anyone is willing to help/advise /knows anything, it would be greatly appreciated.
East Sussex mum
Guestkent

Post by Guestkent »

Is your daughter sitting the 11+ Jan 07.

My son goes to an independent school in Kent that has a very good success rate for 11+. They do both Bond and Nfer. They work through the Bond Assessment books and do the Nfer multiple choice papers.
eastsussexmum
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 10:31 pm

Post by eastsussexmum »

This year's 11 plus I am afraid, hence the slight sense of panic in my question. Thank you for your response it sounds as if we are a long the right lines - we have been doing Bond Assessment fifth papers and are now going on to the Nfer papers. We seem to be progressing in maths, averaging 93% at the moment but still have real stumbling blocks in non-verbal and verbal - where we are around 83-85% . I am panicking slightly as elsewhere in the forum I read that as an out of county we need to be looking at a score of 406 + ,this coupled with her age are going to prove a incredible hurdle . One last query- we haven't really been spending much time on English as I gathered this was only marked if she was border line , is it 15 min comprehension then 30 minutes writing exercise? Will the comprehension be the same format as Nfer English papers? Any help would be appreciated- as a mum on her own I just feel overwhelmed and very isolated - reading this forum has been of great help.
East Sussex mum
unsure

english exercise Kent

Post by unsure »

my information is from last year when my stepson sat the 11+. It is always worth checking with Kent CC that the information given here is correct. Phone the admissions section.

In Kent the children write a story; there is a choice of titles. This is all there is. It is only read in a borderline fail situation i.e. where a child has a mark that is close to the boundary for grammar school entry in Kent ( combined score of around 360 last year).

You need to check that this is true for out of county candidates.

If this is the case for out of county candidates, and your information on required scores is also true in your situation, then it is not worth bothering with any preparation as your daughter will not obtain a place even if her borderline fail is moved to a borderline pass through the use of the story.

If you are very keen for a Kent grammar school place, and would be interested in taking up a place that came up during Year 7, 8, 9 etc, then it would be worth you finding out what you would have to do to obtain a place at that point in time. If the original 11+ mark was used at that point in time, then it may mean you wish to take the story element more seriously.

Sometimes I find that it is worth asking the same questions more than once to an admissions section, or asking to speak to someone more senior. You can be unlucky and speak to someone who is bluffing their way a bit so always worth double-checking, or asking for an e-mail correspondence.

Hope this helps.
unsure

kent 11+ bond versus nfer

Post by unsure »

I also meant to say you are doing the right thing using Bond assessment papers and NFER practice papers. The NFER practice papers should have all the different types of questions in that could be included in the Kent 11+. This is why they are practice papers - they don't each necessarily have the balance of easy / hard questions you would meet on the day but are essential to demonstrate to you the Kent "syllabus". You only need NFER practice papers in maths, verbal and non-verbal. NFER sets the Kent 11+ papers in maths, verbal and non-verbal which is why Kent CC advises you to use them.

Saving them is a good idea in one respect, but as you have so little time, you need to have a good look through them yourself and see if your daughter has experience in the different questions types, and if not give her practice.

Stop getting hung up on marks at this stage, and concentrate on giving your daughter practice on the types of questions in the NFER papers that she cannot do or has difficulty with. You may have to decide to scrap some topics e.g. more difficult algebra as there is little time between now and the real thing to take on a mass of new things.

You do not have to get every question right to get the top score of 140 on any individual paper. Also, guessing answers as the test is multiple choice could improve the score - tell your daughter to do this just before the end for any question she has not had time to answer. Also teach her the technique of not spending too long on any one question, but have a method for coming back to it if there is time at the end.

In Kent marks are standardised according to the age of the child. This means a child with a September birthday would have to get two or three more questions right to pass than a child with an August birthday.
guests

Post by guests »

Hi, as someone who also is out of county, I am curious as to which schools you are applyiing for. are you trying tonbridge and tunbridge wells? my child will try for tonbridge in 07 11plus, but very aware that scores for out of county should be from 420 downwards and a score of under 385 very unlikely to get a place. have you been told what score would determine place (if any) in tunbridge wells

good luck with mocks this w/e and real thing next w/e. hope you get place
Guest55

Post by Guest55 »

Have you applied to Helenswood? It is a good school if you don't get a Grammar place
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