11+ Pass rates at across Bucks Schools

[Matman]

My son's school has a very low pass rate for the 11+ - around 12% this year. Other local schools of similar size and social categories seem to average a lot higher pass rate - upto 60% in some cases.

I just wondered if there are any published league tables for the last few years to compare schools.

Am also interested as to why some schools do so well and other like ours, so badly. Is it the political ideology of the Head teacher ? I know schools are governed by the number of trial papers they can give and aren't allowed to 'coach' per se. But, surely the wild fluctations in pass rates, imply that some schools do things differently.

I don't suppose I will ever get to the bottom of this, as there seems a veil of secrecy about results and the 11+ in general.

Any comments appreciated, as are any directions to any statistical information / league tables.

Thanks

[Sally-Anne]

Hi matman

Someone with more time than me at present will undoubtedly pop along shortly to give you links to previous discussions.

I have edited your post for a specific reason and sent you a PM to explain why.

Sally-Anne

[Jules7]

Not sure about the stats locations etc although it is on this forum somewhere as I remember studying it and was quite struck by the wide variation in pass rates between schools.

Our school pass rate was ~20% this year although it does tend to vary. Factors to consider may include:

- Extent of out of school tuition. I can safely say that everyone who passed in my DDs class had some degree of tutoring whether at home or via private tuition. All of those who passed were generally above average performers in class though. There were also others who were also tutored who unfortunately didn't pass.

- Demographics. Obvious one really but there are parent types who are keener on getting their children into grammar school - maybe these cluster in certain schools?

- Availability of a decent alternative locally. If other non-grammars are decent options then parents may not be so inclined to push the 11+?

In State Schools I am not sure how much the HT comes into it as they do have rules to abide by. Our HT had to keep very much to the Bucks CC line so no VR taught at school.

One to ponder for sure!

[pippi]

There's a table from Dad40 here:http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... 12&t=16514

[gertie]

Just wanted to say that although the table makes interesting reading it is based on one particular year so may not be truly representative; my DD's school normally achieve around 30% pass rate but were way below that year....it was a bit of a surprise

[Lillie]

The Bucks Free Press have posted the results for the past couple of years - but the data is around a year late by the time it is "published". The results do show some shocking discrepancies - e.g. schools in less affluent areas having very few children getting through. Great Kingshill does seem to do well, but as it's a state school, it is probably not due to anything in the school itself as state schools are not allowed to do any more preparation than the 3 practice tests. Maybe it is just down to the level of support / coaching / demographics etc. which underlines a major reason why the test is unfair? But that is another discussion......

[andyb]

Great Kingshill does seem to do well, but as it's a state school, it is probably not due to anything in the school itself as state schools are not allowed to do any more preparation than the 3 practice tests. Maybe it is just down to the level of support / coaching / demographics etc. which underlines a major reason why the test is unfair? But that is another discussion......

I think you have hit the nail on the head, Lillie. If you consider that Great Kingshill is probably one of the more affluent areas around High Wycombe then there is potentially greater wealth available for families to have their children tutored which may in turn artificially inflate the pass rate at the school.

[mm23292]

Yes I agree, there is no hidden agenda really, it is simply as you say Lillie, demographics and coaching..hardly surprising that the biggest pass rate is from the independent sector. Grammars are the superior state alternative, supposedly based on fair selection criteria, yet they are positively hijacked by those who have the means to do whatever it takes..be it prep, tutor, coaching whatever. And let's face it, without that support, and with pass requirements now exceeding 90%, children don't stand a chance. Prep schools teach VR as a norm, yet the state school primaries, from which children should have fair and equal access, are not allowed, beyond the 3 practice papers they are provided with. Regimental and constrained and totally unfair to say the least. All of my daughters group of friends have had tutoring programmes which spanned two years in most cases, it seems it is an accepted normality. And despite the fact that they are not all in top groups, they all passed. DH thinks we should jump on the bandwagon and do likewise with DD2, learn from our failing so to speak, but I just inherently think it is so wrong! It will be 10 years or so before our next 11plus experience, so hopefully things will have radically changed by then…

[hermanmunster]

I suppose it is possibl e that on the whole people who live in wealthier areas and earn more may do so because they are brighter and hende have children who are brighter

Even at KS1 all the results told you were the average income of the area ... In the 60;s I went to an oversubscribed primary, apart from church allegiance it had no published admission criteria, however used to ask for father's occupation on the application form. School did very well academically too.

[mad?]

In the 60;s I went to an oversubscribed primary, apart from church allegiance it had no published admission criteria, however used to ask for father's occupation on the application form. School did very well academically too.

Let's face it they still find a way to do these things...postcode on your app form etc