Maths?

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twellsmum
Posts: 349
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:16 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Maths?

Post by twellsmum »

How did other children find the maths paper? My DD said it was not too bad. I had told that it would be hard and she should not panic but just get her head down and do as much as she could but accurately. Now I am worried that she finished with ten minutes to spare .... she's good at maths but not superstar good! (One of the boys in her year who is mega bright, finished with 25 minutes to spare!). Just wondering what the general consensus was ...
jamthesun
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:46 pm

Post by jamthesun »

Same feedback from DS. Finished with time to spare - woryingly!
jamthesun
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:46 pm

Post by jamthesun »

Same feedback from DS. Finished with time to spare - woryingly!
dadofkent
Posts: 515
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:05 pm

Post by dadofkent »

I wonder if, because the pupils are 4 months younger this year, and have also missed out on 4 months of subject matter, they have made the maths exam easier this year, and overdone it. It would be a shame if they have, because this will benefit less able pupils to the detriment of the more able. Easier questions do not sort out those more capable, and the more able pupils are are sitting there, twiddling their thumbs for 10/20mins whilst all the others have time to catch up.
twellsmum
Posts: 349
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:16 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Post by twellsmum »

I actually wrote to KCC as soon as it was announced that the exam would be in September asking about the contents of the maths exam given that hte children would have missed out on a whole long term of maths education than the children who sat it in January. Although I sent a reminder no one ever answered me and I then heard that it was meant to be *exactly* the same content as the January exam so did not do any more about it. Relieved that others have found it like my DD did and it may not have been a case of her being over confident and whizzing through carelessly ...
twmum
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:20 am

Post by twmum »

Having prepared for the worst! it seems the maths was rather tame... ........not at all what was expected and time to spare!
I saw the news item last night about 11+, highlighting huge increase in pupils taking 11+ and demand for tutors.They interviewed representative from KCC who said it was VR+NVR that were predictors of future potential?!.inferring that having a tutor did little to alter the results.Not sure what research has been done to back this up?
Interestingly i think these papers were surprisingly challenging this year, catching us out! All our focus was on the beastly maths, filling in all the missing curriculum.......it would appear the paper didn't contain the usual challenges of previous years?
Belinda
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Post by Belinda »

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Last edited by Belinda on Wed Oct 31, 2012 11:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tonbridgemum
Posts: 421
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm

Post by tonbridgemum »

Not so good for us. My DS didnt finish the paper in time. He did manage to mark all the boxes but i havent pushed him exactly how many that was!
He is normally quite accurate so i am just hopeful that is enough but of course without actually knowing how many he didnt answer properly....
Everyone i have spoken to (and on here) seem to have finished so it was obviously possible to finish.
Well done to you all (or rather your children !!) who got through it.
tired_dad_2008
Posts: 96
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:24 am

Post by tired_dad_2008 »

My son finished the maths 15 mins early and found it easier than the practice papers (NFERs). It seems that they had 60 minutes rather than 50 minutes, so he was working towards 50 mins, finished after 45 mins and found he still had time to go over everything "four times". There was one algebra question, he said. They haven't done algebra yet at his school but I had taught him some basics.

To be honest, after his tears with the non-verbal and verbal, I was pleased that the maths was apparently better than normal, so he could put the exams behind him with a reasonably positive ending.

The teachers seemed to think that the verbal was particularly difficult this year.
twellsmum
Posts: 349
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:16 pm
Location: Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Post by twellsmum »

One of the teachers at DD's school did the VR and NVR papers whilst the children were doing them (a foible of his, he likes to do the papers every year - whatever turns you on!) but anyway, he did not finish the NVR (two questions short).

I'm rather annoyed there was not more algebra as I had to re-teach it to myself and then teach it to my DD and maths is not my forte (even failed O level first time round) :(

I shall ignore it when it comes to DD2 and you watch, it will be half the paper!
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