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Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:12 am
by mashk
Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has applied for the 11+ entrance exam for this school. I understand that Handsworth Grammar have their own entry test, in comparison to other grammar schools in the area who all use the same test.

Anyway, I was just wondering when we'd hear about an examination date. We received confirmation from King Edwards pretty much straight away.

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 2:03 pm
by hawk
hi, the follwing information is on their website:

The tests will be held on Saturday 15 September, 2012 at 9:30 am in one of the following two venues:
Handsworth Grammar School
Grove Lane, Handsworth Birmingham
or
King Edward VI Handsworth School
Rose Hill Road, Handsworth Birmingham

Details of the test procedure and venue will be sent to you by the start of September, 2012.

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 8:27 pm
by UmSusu
We have also applied for that test. I don't think anyone has had any further details yet. It will probably be nearer to the beginning of term.

Btw, it seems that this year might just be the last year that they have their own exam. It has been suggested that they might become part of the KE / Sutton consortium exam in the future.

Good Luck!

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:24 am
by DIY Mum
Another CEM entrance score to note in the future, then. :)

I'm assuming Handsworth Grammar will have a lower entrance score than BV / KEA perhaps. But who decides (why & which) schools can set the top entrance score? Is it historical or based on demand?

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:09 am
by UmSusu
I am not sure exactly how the scores are set DIYMum. I understood each school ranks their candidates according to score and then places are allocated according to the highest preference they qualify for.

Last year year they offered places in the initial round down to the 285th - 290th (?) ranked candidate for the 120 places. I would guess that their pass mark will be similar to BV - but ultimately it will depend on where they are placed on the CAF forms.

I have mixed feelings about such a move as even more will depend on just one exam. For someone like DS1, he would not have got a place there: even though he is an avid reader with good vocabulary and an able mathematician and got good scores in both exams in English/VR/maths he did not get the kind of score he needed for NVR in the KEGS exam.

Only 4 weeks to go now........

UmSusu

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:24 pm
by mike1880
If HGS join the Consortium their qualifying score will be substantially lower than BV's.

Pass mark isn't set by the school, it's set by the parents...

What I mean by that is that the more people apply for a particular school, the smaller percentage of applicants can be offered places - and because they're offered in score order, that means a higher score. CHB has historically had the highest qualifying score because (a) more people put CHB as first preference than any other GS and (b) it's also the smallest school with fewest places to offer, so it's offering to the smallest percentage of applicants by a very wide margin.

It remains to be seen what the effect will be when people can see their results before they apply.

Mike

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:48 pm
by Paramjeet
I have been meaning to ask for a whole and the opportunity has presented itself now; now that parents will be given a raw score in oct/nov, what will this score imply? Is it a standardised score or very much a raw score in the true sense of the world!

Will parents have to scout around and judge what minimum raw score would be needed to gain entry into preferred selective school? Been out of it for a year and tribg to catch up for information,

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:05 am
by reeyah
Paramjeet, it will be a standardised score. It has to be presented as it always has been, otherwise there would be no point in having the result. Parents should be able to compare to the last few years, as usually very little changes in the marks, and apply to the schools accordingly.

Correct me if I'm wrong, I am just assuming!

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 12:01 pm
by mike1880
Yes, raw scores would be meaningless. It will be standardised.

I assume they're going to send out guidance on previous years' qualifying scores with the results? There's nothing in the handbook as far as I can see. There's really no point sending out scores unless you give parents at least some clue as to what they actually mean.

Mike

Re: Handsworth Grammar school exam dates

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:47 pm
by um
The final standardised score will be sent by 15 October, along with, for reference, a list of the scores for the preceding two years for the consortium grammar schools.