CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

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GGMum
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 6:13 pm

CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by GGMum »

Just thought I would post this for prospective parents - we received an email from the headmistress this morning. Based on the letter the exam will take place over 2 days in January (to accommodate all candidates) - 4th and 5th January 2017. More details to follow.
Sochique
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:42 pm

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by Sochique »

Interesting. Not surprised then that St. Albans are considering doing same.
coolmum123
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:18 pm

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by coolmum123 »

They might actually find that the number of girls taking the exam might drop a bit then ( I don't think it's a bad thing) as currently it's easier to apply and sit the consortium exam at the nearest school.
Middlesexmum
Posts: 1008
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:54 am

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by Middlesexmum »

Another one! Which school is going to be next? It means more exams for girls applying to multiple schools.
Londonmummy
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:12 am

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by Londonmummy »

I agree with Middlesex mum, girls will need to sit more exams which is unfortunate as they appear to be all take place in the first two weeks in January.
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by PurpleDuck »

Londonmummy wrote:I agree with Middlesex mum, girls will need to sit more exams which is unfortunate as they appear to be all take place in the first two weeks in January.
It is not ideal to have to sit more exams, but, on the other hand, they will have more chances of having a go at it if, for whatever reason, they have a bad day on the exam day. There was a bit of a reverse situation with boys' grammars in Sutton - they used to have their separate exams a few years ago and now there is a single (joint) stage 1 Selective Ability Test (followed by individual stage 2 tests for two of the three schools) and if something goes wrong on the SET day, that's the end of the journey. There is so much pressure when a chance of getting into three different schools depends on just one test.
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
Middlesexmum
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:54 am

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by Middlesexmum »

Yes that's a good point purple duck. And I suppose it will make people think a bit more about applying to a particular school if they have to do a separate exam rather than just ticking a box.
PurpleDuck
Posts: 1586
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 10:45 pm

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by PurpleDuck »

It may well do, Middlesexmum.
It felt like I hit rock bottom; suddenly, there was knocking from beneath... (anon.)
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by Daogroupie »

I will be interested to read about their reasons. They will do well alone as Habs. NLCS and SPGS do but ST Albans needs to stay in or they will lose the North London market. Without City St Albans becomes the top school. DG
adelante
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:30 pm

Re: CLSG is leaving the North London Consortium next year

Post by adelante »

At the open day in November, they did complain about the ever rising number of applicants, explicitly pointing out what was in their mind an excessive number of schools people were applying at the same time. Now, I find this complaint by schools a bit disingenuous (surely, these exam results being graded on a curve, parents are simply responding rationally to the increased competition) but such a move will certainly reduce the number of punters.

On the other hand, to take our personal example, DD would never have sat City if it wasn't a free option because she was sitting the consortium anyway, and now she is most likely going to start there, so not all punters are a waste of time for the school, some of us genuinely don't know the academic level at which our DC evolve compared to the competition.

The point above on dispersion of exams being some sort of insurance against a bad hair day is fine, but is more than offset by the need to focus on yet a different format, with different requirements etc etc. The Consortium had the advantage of being extremely straightforward.
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