Watford consortium tests today

[Wirehairedfox]

Hello, has anybody got any feedback from todays tests? Our little one sat at Queens but as usual did not say much. He thought maths was fine but did not finish VR.

[Daogroupie]

Hello, my younger dd did the 12.30 slot at Clement Danes today. She thought the Maths was very easy compared to DAO last week and she freaked out the boy next to her by zooming through the VR practice questions which were of course exactly the same as the practice questions from DAO as they both use Moray House for VR. Apparently the boy hissed "You can't be done" through his teeth at her. She thought the VR was quite a different style to the DAO one last week. Lots of a certain type of question which of course I cant mention until after the sick day next week. Two children and parents actually went up to the HeadTeacker minutes before they were due to go in and got a verbal sick note and were told they could go home now and go to Watford Girls Grammar next Tuesday. I have never seen that before. Lots of parents were very pathetic in the car park, sitting with engines running and car doors wide open and blocking other people in. I think it is time for CD to use marshalls like DAO do as people dont seem to know how to behave. Then a group of them marched right up to the front doors of the exam hall and stood there inches away from the doors that open outwards. The staff had to come out of one of the other doors and point out to them that they would not actually be able to open the doors if they remained there. It is really hard to imagine that these folk had any worthwhile genes to pass on. I thought it was managed much better than the music test where the staff did not actually speak at all. Today
the Head personally talked us through the arrangements and then started calling the lines in. I had a lovely afternoon in Rickmansworth High Street, what a lovely street that is and my dd was full of beans when she came out so a great result for us. Numbers seemed down on last year. I would love to know the total figures. DG

[new2me]

My DS sat the test at Parmiters today. It was very well organised and all of the children seemed to be calm and relaxed as they filed back from the exam room to their base rooms no tears or other histrionics in sight.

DS found maths easy and VR straightforward, with no nasty surprises. I had warned him that there could be questions types that would throw him but he felt that the practise papers he'd done (a few each of Athey, Bond, Learning Together and Letts) had provided ample preparation.

I am finding it impossible to switch off though, but hopefully we can both put it behind us soon.

[rb123]

MY DD sat at Parmiters today. She said maths was easy but the format for VR was different - a lot more questions than she expected although she finished them all. It was all very well organised and the kids were happy. It is now a waiting game. Best of luck to all.

[CoolMum5]

Our DS sat at SCD today and found that he had time to spare at the end of the VR - which he said was quite straightforward. He felt that the familiarisation was done very well (he is one of those that has only been preparing since the end of the summer so he had not seen a couple of the question types that came up but answered all 100 questions). He said some children were upset afterwards as they had not managed to complete the VR or the maths.
DS found the maths 'very easy' and had completed it in 25 mins - either this is very good or very bad - but he is a bit of a maths whizz so we're hoping for the former . He has a good memory and was able to tell us about some of the questions and his answers were correct...
Personally, I think he found it 'easy' compared to some of the past papers he has been doing as practice for entrance to certain, very academic, independent schools. So, if your child is the same and scoring very highly for these type of papers, I think that the SWH Consortium maths and VR won't have been a problem. Lots of luck from us to any poorly mites who are taking the tests at a later date and to those children, like ours, who are preparing for the next stage of the musical aptitude test...

Also, I just wanted to add that I found the other parents and children today absolutely delightful and extremely courteous. I think it is quite natural for parents to be anxious and to be focused on their child rather than on the queuing system, and the tiny minority who had gone up to the doors, moved away politely as soon as they were asked to. In the main, the whole thing was very organised and the parents seemed very supportive of each other. I did not see anyone being blocked in the car park and there seemed to be no need for marshalls as we all used our common sense. I do feel very strongly that it is very bad form indeed to make disparaging remarks and generalisations about an entire group and, worse still, to comment on their children in such a negative fashion. Just my opinion.

[yogkruti]

We went to WGSB for the tests and absolutely no issues. No uniformed marshalls/bouncers... but some extremely nice and helpful staff with a delightful sense of humour. Perhaps all schools don't just have it in them

Spent time in the lovely music hall (think its called "Clarendon muse" ) with hot tea and cakes on a cold day. Absolutely buzzing place with kids eager to learn music!

Oh yes - same feedback about the tests. Too "easy"

I half wish they had put in some advanced calculus etc to stop these "complaints"

[vagabond]

My DD pretty much concurs with the other comments here - Maths apparently was "very" easy and the VR quite easy but with a lot more of a certain type of questions, rather than the usual mix.

She sat the exam at WGSG and I was surprised to see Mrs Hyde, the Headmistress outside the main entrance in the car park/drive on "meet and greet" duty. The other staff and pupils inside were all very polite and professional too.

Now it's just a case of waiting till March .......

[nia1999]

Well Im afraid I must join the rest of the group by concurring that my DD who sat the test yesterday at SCD found the maths easier than the VR .That said completed both but curiously enough said the papers at HBS were harder....Anyway all done now so hope for the best ...Regarding the system I thought the school handled it very well where they took the kids in depending on surnames but was amazed that they said for them to remove their coats ! I did see a few people parked on zig zag lines and leaving car doors open but I suppose if we all played by the rules it would be boring .....The nervous tension on the parents faces was also a sight to see ....Best of luck to all in their choices...we made abee line for a well known pasta chain and the latest instalment of Harry Potter !