Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Eleven Plus (11+) in Bexley and Bromley

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bondgirl
Posts: 802
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:30 am

Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by bondgirl »

Hi

With just six months to go (eeek!) I thought it would be a good time to start this thread. Bromley/Bexley seems to be very quiet the moment, especially when compared to our neighbours in Kent :D

Is anyone else preparing for Bexley/Bromley (St O's or NW)/Kent for this September? Have any of you changed your minds in view of the proximity of the test dates/high scores required for Kent this year?

DS will be sitting all 3. Things seem to be going ok so far. We're most of the way through Bond 10-11 maths and VR and he's completed the NVR book for that age group. He generally scores 90+% (with the very occasional 100% :shock:) We are without a tutor at the moment so I'm DIY-ing and it seems to be working out. As he seems ok with the VR question types, I've started working on his vocabulary using Patricia's "Important Words for VR" list and the First Aid for English book. We've also been doing the Bond 10 minute English tests.

Bribery seems to be helping :oops: He gets 1 pound for every paper he completes and 30p for each 10 minute paper. The money's put in a jar which he can have when he finishes all the tests.

How is everyone else getting on?
Fingerscrossedmum
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:39 am

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by Fingerscrossedmum »

Hi Bondgirl

We (well DS anyway!) are taking the exams in September (eek, only 6 months away!) too.

He was going to do all three but we had sort of decided not to do the Kent test as we are so far away (in Bromley). We're new to all this and I'm not really sure I fully understand the admissions criteria and assume that as we are so far out, DS would have to get pretty much full marks to have a chance, is that right?

Can I ask why you've decided to take the Kent test too please?

Look forward to panicing together!
bondgirl
Posts: 802
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:30 am

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by bondgirl »

Hi Fingerscrossedmum

Good to hear from you. Re Kent, we didn't bother for DD when she went through the process 18 months ago. Like you, we didn't think there was much point as we are so far away (we are also in Bromley). Also, we were very happy with our catchment school if she didn't get Newstead Wood. She passed Bexley but we preferred our local school. But girls do get into Wilmington GS from here and Dartford GS (but not this year by the sound of it). For boys, there are the superselectives (Judd and Skinners) which take the highest scorers regardless of distance. I think Dartford Boys also have a number of places allocated on score. There is a bus service from Bromley that goes to the Wilmington and Dartford schools so it is do-able from here.

Having said all that, St O's and the Bexley schools would be our preference for DS but we're just keeping our options open by doing Kent aswell. As they say, you've got to be in it to win it! :lol:

Look forward to sharing tips/despair/panic over the next few months. Where is everyone else??? I'm sure we're not the only ones......
Fingerscrossedmum
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:39 am

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by Fingerscrossedmum »

Hi BondGirl
Looks like it is just the 2 of us (hopefully no-one else is taking the tests this year :lol: )
FCM
rakki2004
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:41 pm

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by rakki2004 »

DS is sitting this year...He is doing good in VR/NVR so far scoring around 90 % with bond papers...He is going through private tutor..Tutor says he is doing well..
But when we give him Bond Practice test for Maths, he scores around 80% within 50 minutes..Remaining 20% is, in his words, not taught yet..or he might need more time..

Will Bond 10 minutes help..Any idea as on what should be score to reach top 180 ( is it 100% ...) as we are trying from out of council..
bondgirl
Posts: 802
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:30 am

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by bondgirl »

Hi rakki2004 and welcome to our little 2012 club :D

I'm not sure what raw scores are required to be a top 180 scorer. I'm guessing 90%+ but it is a guess.

If it's any help, when my DD sat Bexley in 2010, she'd had tutoring for VR but we'd done nothing for maths assuming everything would have been covered at school :oops: She passed and actually got a higher score in maths than VR.

The 10 minute tests are quite useful to keep things ticking over. They're not quite as daunting as the full papers.
Is your DS sitting Kent and St Olave's aswell?
rakki2004
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:41 pm

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by rakki2004 »

Thanks bondgirl.

Yes. We are aiming for Kent as well. ( DGS/TWells ). Main issue with Maths is some of the stuff like volume of the shapes are yet covered in school. We try to explain him those bits.

Where did your DS join.
kingsgen
Posts: 121
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:02 pm

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by kingsgen »

Fingerscrossedmum wrote:Hi Bondgirl

We (well DS anyway!) are taking the exams in September (eek, only 6 months away!) too.

He was going to do all three but we had sort of decided not to do the Kent test as we are so far away (in Bromley). We're new to all this and I'm not really sure I fully understand the admissions criteria and assume that as we are so far out, DS would have to get pretty much full marks to have a chance, is that right?

Can I ask why you've decided to take the Kent test too please?

Look forward to panicing together!
DGS this year is around 415 for boys from outside Dartford. Kent is not a mountain that cannot be climbed. Let him try, he has nothing to lose. Bondgirl those scores are good at the moment if he can score such marks in the test papers of different authors before real the test, you are guaranteed a place. Do not do bond papers only try some other authors especially on VR.
bondgirl
Posts: 802
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:30 am

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by bondgirl »

kingsgen wrote:Bondgirl those scores are good at the moment if he can score such marks in the test papers of different authors before real the test, you are guaranteed a place. Do not do bond papers only try some other authors especially on VR.
Thanks for the feedback kingsgen. He has done some AFN papers and questions set by his tutor. I think now we have to build on his vocabulary as he is ok with the various question types. If I remember rightly, your DC was a top 180 scorer and your pupils aswell? Any further tips between now and the tests would be gratefully accepted :D
Muggle
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: Sept 2012 Bexley/Bromley/Kent takers

Post by Muggle »

Hi all

DS will be sitting Bexley and Kent this year. It is the second year running for me, as DD sat the tests last year. I'll be exhausted by the end of this process!

I DIY-ed when preparing DD for the tests last year and it went really well, so I'm doing the same for DS - hopefully it will work out too.

This week he tried his first full papers and the result was encouraging, we will work on techniques to build his speed now.

It's good to hear how you are all getting on.
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