QEGS Penrith

[Asingh]

Hi
I am new to the forum. I am looking for any help and advise for QEGS Penrith. My daughter is in year 5 and going to be siting for the exam in September 2014. Any help is really appreciated.
Many Thanks

[hermanmunster]

Hi Asingh and welcome to the forum...

Don;t think I have come across anyone on the forum before looking at QEGS Penrith. Lovely part of the world though.

Have moved your post to Lancashire and Cumbria section .. maybe someone will appear?

[harleyquinn]

Hi Asingh, not sure if I can offer you any advice but if you are looking for specific information I will try to help. Most of the info is on the QEGS Penrith website under Admissions.
I can tell you the minimum and maximum scores for each year are as follows:
2005-264-367
2006-267-371
2007-285-379
2008-277-364
2009-285-356
2010-278-368
2011-277-382
2012-258-406
2013-282-399
The test itself is GL Assessment and previous papers can be bought from WHSmiths. Looking at proposed admissions policy for next year and it would seem that yet again LOTS of parents made invalid applications. Would just like to clarify, regardless of your daughter's score, you need to put QEGS first on your CAF (school application form). It does not affect your other choices, regardless of what other Headteachers may tell you!
I have a daughter in Year 8 and have to say it's a great school, she loves it.

[hermanmunster]

Hi HQ - thanks for the info and good to have someone from QEGS Penrith!!

[Katie1]

Hi Asingh,

I also have a daughter in year 5 and looking at QEGS Penrith.....We are going to get some of the test papers from W.H.Smiths and start with those..but welcome any other tips parents may have...

Many thanks

[Juja]

We have lots of friends with children at QEGS and they are very happy. The entry scores vary quite a bit from year to year, last year only 178 took the test for 120 places and they haven't revealed what the entry score is, maybe a low birth year? Our son is at LRGS and he was at school alongside others who went to QEGS. Most did quite a bit of practicing at home and some used a tutor as well. Getting used to the style of questions and keeping to time were the two key skills. We found the GL books 11plus Explained Verbal Reasoning and Non reasoning most useful at home. QEGS forms in Year 7 are based on your child's score in the 11plus. Our daughter is doing the QEGS test this year.

[Asingh]

Hi All
Many Thanks for the kind replies. We have started doing some GL assessment papers which I ordered from Amazon.
harleyquinn : thanks for the comprehensive info about the scores. I have been looking for the previous years papers (any specific ones do you recommend?)
Katie1- all the best with your daughters prep. do you live local to QEGS?
Juja : thanks for the info and good luck for your daughter.

[Janeybee]

Bump

We are considering QEGs for 15/16 entry. We are new to the forum and have only just started with practice papers. Should we just be focusing on NVR, VR and mathematics not English (although the practice papers also have a set of English practice sheets in)?

Can anyone advise how many questions of each type are in the actual test and also how long the actual test lasts for (as the practice paper seems to suggest 50 mins for 50 questions)?

We're wondering if anyone knows re: the GL assessment practice papers roughly what sort of percentages or score our DS should be achieving/aiming for in each section in the practice papers in order to go into the test fairly confidently and be in with a fair chance of passing it?

Looking at past scores which seem to range between 244 to around early 400's so if he achieved say a score of say 280-300 or more in the actual test he would most likely be assured a chance of getting into QEGs comfortably (but unsure how these scores translate from the practice papers)? Whereas, if he only scrapes in can anyone offer any advice on how children who just scrape in cope with the school/work load on a day to day basis?

Considering QEGS is DS's ideas we are not pushy parents. His primary school say he is a bright lad all round but particularly so in mathematics. But we know in terms of homework he often needs assistance with motivation and we don't want a battle every night. Therefore, we are unsure whether GS is the right place for him overall and if we aren't confident he'll pass the test or be motivated enough with the homework we may gently persuade him against putting himself through the test.

Thanks in anticipation

[Katie1]

Hi Asingh,

Thank you for your kind wishes...we are just outside the catchment area ........wishing everyone good luck x

[harleyquinn]

Hi Janeybee,

You are correct in that there is no English exam. NVR, VR and Maths. The maths was indeed 50 questions in 50 minutes but I can't remember NVR or VR. I think it was 80 questions.
I'm sorry I also don't remember what sort of percentages were needed but i'm pretty sure my dd was scoring just over 80% in the practice papers. On the day she scored 292 without finishing any papers! Within her friendship group this seems to be about the norm. Her friend scored the top score that year and we worried right through until allocation day that everyone else had scored similar to her friend and hers wasn't a very good score.
They are in form groups based on the test results and sats results. My dd is in the same form as the top scoring friend.
Another friend had one of the lowest scores and although in a different form the work seems pretty similar. They seem to test every 1/2 term so any gaps in their knowledge are quickly identified. There isn't the underlying low level disruption that my friends talk about in other schools, achievement is encouraged.
I've been pleasantly surprised by the homework, they seem to get less than all the other secondary schools so I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Your son is going to have to motivate himself to do homework whatever school he attends. They do seem to grow up considerably in year 7 and know what is required of them.
Overall, it is a lot less stuffy and formal than we anticipated. The teachers treat the kids with respect and my daughter, (going into year 9), loves it here.