100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school blogs

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Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school blogs

Post by Cranleigh »

Found this: http://100wc.net/?page_id=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sounds interesting but it seems children can only take part if school signs up?

I am struck by the amount of competitions some of the preps I admire seem to enter. The Falcons Girls school in London seems to encourage the girls to enter very many, Daunt Books short story competition (deadline is March I believe if anyone is interested), this 100 word challenge, Radio 2 500 word challenge etc.

Falcons used to show their curriculum on their website with a term by term, year by year breakdown. It was useful and interesting to follow. Do any other prep schools do this? It would be very helpful. They now have a blog ( Y5 & Y6 - Baldworm) which is available for public to view. I do find it rather depressing in many ways. The english teacher/s seem unbelievably dedicated and enthusiastic and the teaching methods seem quite brilliant not to mention inspiring.

I noticed that Y2s are using semi-colons in the 100 word challenge, presumably taught at home? Or in the G&T group mentioned in the earlier post? :) Perhaps the answer is simple, take your perfectly 'average' child and teach them a few levels ahead of the expected level in Y1 etc and hey, presto a G&T label will follow and extra resources given? All helpful in the long game of 11 plus success? They won't remain 'average' for long due to all the work they are putting in.

I spoke to a prep school head the other day who told me that his son was a level 3B for writing in Y1. No outstanding genius child just had a Dad who knew what the school would be looking for and when. Of course once identified as able this child grew in confidence, natural curiosity and success bred success.

I love the Falcons ideas of pupil collaboration and getting children to write to deadlines. Lots of great study skills so inculcated early on. If you enter enough writing competitions as a child your chances of success increase dramatically. A win could lead to huge amounts of confidence and ongoing enthusiasm for the child? All good stuff and the composition part of the CE or 11 plus will be like falling off a log...Our Y5s & Y6s will have perhaps one or two school timed 'tests' (which they won't recognise as an important assessment) before they go on to sit any 11 plus exam or similar. When you compare that to a prep the difference is quite startling and the advantages of the prep obvious.
la boume
Posts: 287
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:33 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by la boume »

Well, the parents will not pay for nothing...
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Cranleigh »

Quite, I don't think many are aware of the benefits of the best, I certainly wasn't...
Thingsbehindthesun
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:25 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Thingsbehindthesun »

I've actually seen this school and like some of the London preps it's very impressive. At 4+ I think they take normal children and
the name is on the tin- they prepare the children for exams.My daughters school is more focussed on SAT's and hold extra booster classes at the end of year 6 and have not entered any comps that I know of. :|
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Cranleigh »

Yes, indeed. Are there any schools like the prep mentioned who post curriculum on line?

Their blog I mentioned is a great resource for anyone with Y5 & Y6s I think.
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Cranleigh »

Let's get our children entering competitions early. The Daunt one is open to Y1 up. Lots of fun and who knows they may win! :) Are there any lists on here? Anything to encourage early writing and reading is great I think, also pen-pals through magazines like Aquila, Puffin Post (still going), The Scribbler etc.

There's no reason we parents can't provide the same bespoke opportunities as the best preps, look at Scarlett. Of course it's not always so simple though, I know.

I believe children can get incrementally more accomplished/intelligent through incremental hard work. Too many (IMO) will compare a child who's gone into a school like Falcons at 4 and had excellent teaching and attention with a child in a class of 30 following a bland curriculum with an uninspiring teacher. They'll say at 11 the one from the bog standard primary simply wasn't bright enough to pass the 11 plus...So many think you've either got it or you haven't. My point is you can acquire it.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Guest55 »

Real writing isn't using 'tricks' e.g. adding semi-colons to ge a higher level.

This isn't education it's 'training' to jump through hoops - not the same thing at all.
Last edited by Guest55 on Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Cranleigh »

I agree.

Schools like Falcons do a great job of teaching necessary skills to 'hoop jump' but also impart real knowledge/wisdom and lay solid foundations.

That said (on one level) I am all for teaching children to 'hoop jump' earlier on if it means it increases the odds they'll be expected to get more than a level 4 by Y6. You may also up the odds of your child being taught in a highly motivated ability group.

If you're unlucky enough to have a 'SATS factory' type primary you might come to view it as a means to an end, play the system to a certain extent and do all the enriching/broad curriculum activities at home.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Guest55 »

Why are you promoting this school?

I know some absolutely great Primary schools that are state schools - you certainly don't have to pay fees to get an excellent education.

Remember teachers in indies/preps don't even have to be qualified!
Last edited by Guest55 on Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: 100 word challenge, entering many competitions, school b

Post by Cranleigh »

Falcons are just an example, I've been following their Y5/Y6 English blog (which is what seriously impressed me). There are other excellent schools out there I know state and independent.

You used to be able to access the full school curriculum, term by term, topics covered, access to links etc. I kick myself for not printing it off, especially for Y5 and Y6. It went above and beyond NC, I am sure there must be other schools out there where you can do similar? Really useful for building foundations to 11 plus and doing some fun stuff at home.
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