11 Plus Exams Forum

The academy grammars in bucks are using the new c e m selection test this year. Are their admission policies based on:

Achieving a basic pass and the those living closest get a place, or those with the highest score get a place irrespective of distance (superselective) or some of both types

The first

Thanks. So why are some people worried that the new test could result in high scorers from out of the county winning places over and above "just passes" from nearby?

I've no idea! I haven't seen that recently although its' one of the myths that always goes around the Bucks forum It's why Bucks people are alwasy asked not to give scores on the forum, it is just boasting, since as long as the magic 121 is achieved, the schools' admission procedures kick in (catchment, distance, siblings, looked after children etc etc).

mystery wrote:Thanks. So why are some people worried that the new test could result in high scorers from out of the county winning places over and above "just passes" from nearby?

The last time this happened was 2004, before the main oversubscription criteria for OOCs changed to siblings and/or distance. Even then, as now, priority was always given to in-catchment applicants and there was never any question of their places being given to higher-scoring external applicants - the scores were used merely to differentiate between the OOCs once all the in-catchment children had been allocated places. Though it's surprising how many people are still under the impression that OOCs have to get a higher score...I overheard someone saying this as recently as last Thursday!

My prediction is that this test WILL eventually result in more OOC and private school pupils winning out over state educated Bucks pupils.

This test feels much harder to the pupils sitting it that the old test. It IS much harder (looking at feedback from other areas using these tests). This is because this test is mostly used in Super Selective areas where the fine detail at the top end of scoring matters. With the old Bucks test the difficulty range was centered around the 121 part of the test. My fear is that more and more Bucks parents will withdraw their children from the test to spare them the 'trauma' of it all.This means that the average ability of the cohort sitting the test will rise higher and higher. As all children taking the test are compared against all other children taking the test the ability needed to pass the test will rise and rise thus favouring the the 'external' (non-state and OOC) candidates.

Meaning more empty year 7 places initially, until word get's round that the bucks grammar schools are filling up with exceptionally bright kids, and they opt in from further and further away, and some of the academies double think about their selection critetia abd change it to encourage more of the super super bright kids, and less of the local bright kids.

Perhaps it is our duty as a local community to ensure sure that all those that are automatically entered, no matter what their academic standard, achieve something for sitting still and quiet for two hours, other than a headache, and a feeling of failure, but how or what I am not qualified to dream up. Surely it would help if you could see the scores of each part, so praise them for doing well on their best bit, and even help them achieve a good mark in one element, so boosting their confidence, not draining it. My little man will struggle with maths, and nvr a lot next year, but he did the cloze practice with his bruv for fun, as he is freakily good at it. The shame is, it cannot be used by teachers to help them highlight the weaknesses and strenths of their pupils, which would again justify tbe use of the time.

Lets just hope that it is not as horrid as they thought, and 30% of BUcks kids pass, leave the speculation until after results day.

southbucks3 wrote:some of the academies double think about their selection critetia abd change it to encourage more of the super super bright kids, and less of the local bright kids.

There really isn't an agenda to do this among any of the Academies. They are determined that Bucks grammars should be for Bucks children as far as possible.

As SA says there is no agenda to do this (quite the opposite) and my prediction (which I hope does not turn out to be true) would be 1) an unintended consequence and 2) would not result in any empty places (just more filled by OOC and private)

Interested in anyone who'd like to poke holes in my 'theory' as I don't actually want it to happen as as I stated I don't believe the schools want it either. Any thoughts anyone?

There are already quite a few empty places in year 7, as more children pass at a higher pass rate, than actually want a place at the less popular peripheral schools. This applies to children that sit several tests in several catchment areas, then choose their best option. Criminal, that there are empty places in grammar schools at all really. SA posted the quantity of empty spaces once, but i cannot remember it. I hope there is no agenda, i really do,.