Fact or Fiction

Eleven Plus (11+) in South West Hertfordshire

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Guest

Fact or Fiction

Post by Guest »

There is a lot of information on this board but how much fact and how much is second guessing?

For example some people are suggesting that both entrance papers for Watford are NFER. Well I have an email from the admissions secretary at one of the schools clearly stating otherwise.

This IMO brings into question some of the other replies.

So fact or fiction?
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear Guest

As you must be aware this is a forum based on parents/tutors/authors etc giving their opinions and advice where appropriate.

There is bound to be some inconsistencies. When I first found this forum a couple of years ago, someone 'claiming' to be an expert on the Bucks 11 plus, was quite clearly giving out INCORRECT information. I felt the need to put this person right.

So, I would say that in general, most advice is given in good faith.

You state ....
Well I have an email from the admissions secretary at one of the schools clearly stating otherwise.
If thats the case then please pass the correct information on to forum visitors for all to see.

Patricia
Catherine
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:47 pm
Location: Berks,Bucks

Post by Catherine »

This is a very good point, Guest.
In my opinion, the majority of posters try to give accurate information as they know the importance of not misleading other parents about any 11+ issue.

But people will make mistakes and inaccuracies and misleading opinions will come up.

Due to the anonymity of posters we do not know people credential, and we have use our own judgment like we do for everything else.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Fact or Fiction

Post by Sally-Anne »

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of information on this board but how much fact and how much is second guessing?

For example some people are suggesting that both entrance papers for Watford are NFER. Well I have an email from the admissions secretary at one of the schools clearly stating otherwise.

This IMO brings into question some of the other replies.

So fact or fiction?
I would add to Patricia and Catherine's replies as follows.

In an area such as Bucks the 11+ is administered County-wide. One procedure, one source of informaton.

However, in many areas - and Herts is one such - the 11+ is administered by the individual schools and there are potentially as many procedures as there are schools. The margin of error on the Forum is therefore likely to be higher in such areas.

In almost all cases the Forum is self-correcting, in that any wrong information will be corrected by another user before too long. I have seen erroneous information posted on occasions, but in almost every case it has been because the poster has:

- out-of-date information (the system can change rapidly, as has happened in Warwickshire recently)
- posted on the basis of genuine hearsay, rather than from personal experience, albeit with the best intentions
- genuinely made an error in their keenness to help.

Please do post the information you have received from the Watford Admissions Secretary, to ensure that the correct information is available to parents.

Sally-Anne
Guest

Some clarification

Post by Guest »

Hertfordshire contains both independent and consortium grammar schools.

Independent example: schools which administer their own examinations include Queen Elizabeth's School for Boys in Barnet which historically has set all four examinations (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics and English) created by NFER. All examinations here are multiple choice.

Consortium examples would include Watford Grammar, Parmiters etc
USED TO have NFER Mathematics multiple choice & NFER Verbal Reasoning multiple choice
NOW do NFER Mathematics multiple choice & Moray House (University of Edinburgh) Verbal Reasoning**

Hence the confusion, since the examinations only changed in the last sitting.


** The paper that they used last year was readily available to for purchase to schools and tutors, as they are sold in multi-packs and so some students found that they had already practiced the paper they were examined on. There is therefore speculation that the consortium may revert to NFER, however this is only speculation and not a fact.
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Thanks guest for putting us in the picture [ unsure whether you are the original guest or not]

Sounds like another Warwickshire problem re Moray House...

Patricia
guest111

Post by guest111 »

Hi Guest,

Where did you get the information about the papers used in last year's watford grammar paper? We have asked the school and they said that both maths and vr will be from NFER and will be standard. :shock:
Guest

Post by Guest »

I think this response is very clear, dont you :?:


Dear Mr ********

Thank you for your e-mail.

We will be sending letters to all families who apply on the Academic
criterion, informing you of the time and venue of the test and we will
attach familiarisation papers in Verbal Reasoning and Mathematics.
Unfortunately, we do not have any past papers but it is possible to
purchase, from any good bookshop, booklets based on the NFER Mathematics tests. The publisher is Nelson. The Verbal Reasoning test is produced by Bond.

I hope this is of help to you but please do not hesitate to contact me
if you require any further information.

Yours sincerely
********
Guest

Post by Guest »

guest111 wrote:Hi Guest,

Where did you get the information about the papers used in last year's watford grammar paper? We have asked the school and they said that both maths and vr will be from NFER and will be standard. :shock:
Dear Guest111,

This year's paper for Watford Grammar from a number of sources checked just now is indeed NFER verbal reasoning standard and NFER mathematics standard. This is a departure to last year's examinations which were Moray House Verbal Reasoning and NFER Mathematics multiple choice.
WP

Post by WP »

Guest (the second one) wrote:This year's paper for Watford Grammar from a number of sources checked just now is indeed NFER verbal reasoning standard and NFER mathematics standard. This is a departure to last year's examinations which were Moray House Verbal Reasoning and NFER Mathematics multiple choice.
We do seem to have a bit of a muddle. It might be re-assuring if you could identify your sources.

Regarding last year, my son took those tests and told me they were both standard format, which is also what the schools had told us in advance. There is also this thread, claiming that last year's VR was the same as the one given by Dame Alice Owens a week earlier.

If the "familiarisation papers" they are promising are the same as they sent out in previous years, they are derisory: half a dozen questions each.

Last year there was a quick familiarization session, with a short practice paper of the same format as the real test, in the test room immediately before the real test. I heard that this was new that year. At the time, I thought it was part of the cynical "no preparation needed" pretence, but I suppose it helped put the children at ease.
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