A week tomorrow

[tropicmama]

Hi Blueberry, don't worry, I don't think Bucks works that way. As long as you get the qualifying mark which is 121, the grammar school you will get will depend on distance from school (catchment, etc). Although if you have a wander around the other regions on this forum, you will see they work a bit differently. I certainly saw one where they can post the marks their DCs got and I think schools rank them so what might appear to be a high standardised score doesn't gaurantee your first choice grammar school.

Also, yes, it is unfortunate but the reality is that children discuss openly about the 11+. It has been particularly bad this week with the results due to come out on Friday.

[BlueBerry]

Luckily the results are given on a Friday so the children have the weekend to come to terms with it all.

Am I correct in thinking that approximately 30% of the children pass? Presumably if your child is in the tops sets, then he/she should be OK?

[Guest55]

Top sets vary between schools as does the number qualifying.

In my son's cohort over 60% of his class qualified whereas at a school up the road nobody did.

[BlueBerry]

That's interesting. Thanks Guest55

[IncyWincy]

The talk at my son's school has been relentless, his friends even keep on asking me questions about what he will get if he passes. Each time I have firmly told them, "If he qualifies, he will 'get' more choice of school options".

Son keeps on coming home and saying, "x is getting a phone when he passes", "y is getting a laptop...". We've made it clear all along that we will allow him to have a phone and laptop when he starts secondary school and not before. His older sibling was required by school to have a Chromebook or similar from yr7, so will get him one too for fairness, whether he goes to the same school or not.

I do think it's coming from the children rather than the parents though, the other mums don't speak in this way and all seem to have similar concerns about their own children.

[tropicmama]

In my DS's school, certainly over the last 3-4 years, only about 10 - 15% of students qualify every year. Whilst his school is quite small (only 15-20 sit the 11+ every year), the percentage who qualify is well below 30%. If this year follows the trend of the previous years, I don't think my DS would be one of the top two! Thankfully, there is no quota of how many qualify every year and a trend is certainly not a rule so I'm still hoping that my DS' hard work will pay off (fingers-crossed).

[BlueBerry]

By hearing you all speak of this, I am almost tempted to listen to my son & let him finish off his Year 6 at his existing (non-Bucks) primary school. He's quite a sensitive boy & I don't think that he can handle this scrutiny of result discussions.

[anotherdad]

The talk at my son's school has been relentless, his friends even keep on asking me questions about what he will get if he passes. Each time I have firmly told them, "If he qualifies, he will 'get' more choice of school options".

Son keeps on coming home and saying, "x is getting a phone when he passes", "y is getting a laptop...". We've made it clear all along that we will allow him to have a phone and laptop when he starts secondary school and not before. His older sibling was required by school to have a Chromebook or similar from yr7, so will get him one too for fairness, whether he goes to the same school or not.

I do think it's coming from the children rather than the parents though, the other mums don't speak in this way and all seem to have similar concerns about their own children.

They sound like a delightful bunch of friends...perhaps your son will enjoy the company of new friends in year 7, kids that are more concerned by the value of things rather than their price? Good on you for not getting sucked in.

[IncyWincy]

They sound like a delightful bunch of friends...perhaps your son will enjoy the company of new friends in year 7, kids that are more concerned by the value of things rather than their price? Good on you for not getting sucked in.

No matter how that sounded, he does actually have a genuinely lovely group of friends, that leads to one of the biggest worries about this process and how divisive it can be. Although secondary transition does mean a big shake up for all and they all find their own groups, so I guess this is no different than for anyone else.

Son has come home today saying he now has to go to additional support classes for maths through yr 6, he was already doing extra for literacy. Dreading Friday even more! Not sure what we're doing wrong, ed psych assessment came out with him having much higher 'ability' than average and verbally he seems to be so completely different from what emerges on paper.

A high percentage at our school tend to qualify, it's opt in so not all take the transfer tests, but even so well over a third of the class qualify each year. It does sound like it can really vary between schools.

[Guest55]

A high percentage at our school tend to qualify, it's opt in so not all take the transfer tests, but even so well over a third of the class qualify each year. It does sound like it can really vary between schools.

Bucks is opt-out ...