Yesterday's CSSE Exams 2012

[Manana]

Having just seen spoken to a huddle of the mums at the junior school-they are all pretty much saying that their DC thought VR was fine, and that they found either maths *or* English the tricky one. I suppose it just boils down to what they've done the most work on and what they feel most confident on when it comes to the day.

I just want to know the results now, please...

[HPDad]

DD is another who found the VR time consuming and when the 5 minute warning was given still had around 12 questions to go. She remembered her exam technique though and thankfully put down some educated guesses. She finished both English and Maths finding them “OK” but in the latter struggled with one 3 part question. That’s about all we got out of her!

She did her best and went in smiling and came out smiling so couldn’t have asked anything more of her. This is our second time around and I am in awe of what these children cope with at such a young age.

My thanks also to Colchester CHS for making the experience far more bearable than the chaos we experienced at Chelmsford CHS two years ago. Parking was well organised and it was nice to see senior staff from the school welcoming the students.

[harrydog]

My DD also sat at Colchester and I agree with previous post, it was very well organised and my DD said staff and students alike were really nice.
Whatever the results, it would appear my DD had a very positive experience on the day!

Tx

[Marv7878]

Hamilton 12, last year my DS was ranked 126 so was first on the waiting list for CRGS. His standardised score was 340.303 ...those decimal points really do make all the difference. He got offered a place in the 'clearing' process. Not sure how things will shake out this year with the catchment changes and how that might influence scores so my experience may or may not be a good guide for you.

[SEP18]

Hamilton 12, I have just looked up another couple of scores for you from last year to give a perspective of just how close the scores can be.

CRGS - Place 122 - Standardised score of 341.285
Place 115 - Standardised score of 341.847

If you would like to look at more scores, check out the thread Scores 2012.

[bendyspatula]

I've been lurking on here for over a year and have now finally registered so I can post! On Saturday DD sat the CSSE 11+ at Colchester. She found the English easier than expected, the Maths OK but the VR is another story. She says she found it easier than she'd seen before but time consuming and during it she began to feel unwell (subsequently both she and I have had awful colds/flu). She hadn't told anyone she was beginning to feel ill during the break because she thought she just had to carry on and take the VR paper.

Half way through she felt unwell, her head spinning and she began to cry and sniff; the invigilator took her out of the hall because she was "disturbing the others" then even when she'd stopped crying (5 minutes later) they wouldn't let her back in until just before the 5 minute warning at the end of the paper.

She reckons she'd answered 50 of the 80 questions before she was taken out and she used her exam technique to guess at the remaining 30 in the 7 or so minutes she had back in the hall.

For past papers her strengths were VR, Maths then English her weakest so to have health problems affecting the papers in reverse order is a cruel twist of fate.

We are all devastated and just wish her health/emotions had just held out for a half hour longer. It wasn't just nerves, the sneezing and nose blowing with thumping headaches atest to that and I could barely make a cup of tea on Sunday the way I felt!

At the time of her coming out to come home noone (including DD) told us she'd been taken out (as many of your DDs will have seen). She told us in the car and we went back to complain that we'd not been told and to ask what her options were. Had she said she felt ill in the break they may have let her take the VR paper on 1st Oct when those ill etc. on the day will take it but as she'd opened the booklet there is no 2nd chance. She says had she known she'd have told someone in the break....grrrrr....

So, we just have to wait and see, feeling devastated and trying not to let a particular one of those girls she knows who also took the paper be too mean to her for crying (aren't kids awful sometimes).

Now considering whether she could cope with the long days and travel involved in going to one of the Southend schools, should her results be even good enough for there (we hadn't hoped for Chelmsford anyway, and that is clearly off the cards now)... or can we afford one of the private options... or should we stop pushing and accept she'll get a place at the school that is "right" for her and if that is the local comp she'll just have to do her best there...?

Reassured that perhaps the VR was hard for others; it seems so tough that they have to sit 3 papers back to back in a strange environment full of staff and kids they don't know when (in her case) she is only just 10!

[skenty]

totally agree Bendyspatula - my DD was great a VR but found it hard and times consuming - hoping she managed to do enough to pass (she didn't complete the paper)
She was OK in English and Maths and is confident she will get fair marks for those but feeling flat and upset for her. She also cried when she came out but so far her school friends seem to have been OK. I have heard from a significant amount of parents who are quite angry that the VR seems to have been so difficult - so maybe marks will be lower for that this year - good luck!! We are direct catchment for SHSG so hope DD has managed to scrape at least 303

[First-timer]

Bendyspatula - that's rotten luck. I know of a few DC who have come down with the cold just after the exam, including my own DD. She said that several girls were crying during the VR paper and were taken out as it was disturbing the others. I suppose it wouldn't have been obvious that it was illness as there were other girls doing the same thing. Have you asked the CSSE where you stand?

[dez]

Hi Bendyspatula

Sorry to her that your DD was unwell during the VR paper. Since she found english and maths fine and managed to do at least 50 questions, I think she has a good chance of getting through!! My DD was having a cold during the exam as well.

I think you should also talk to CSSE as First-timer has suggested. Good Luck on the 15th Oct!

[sendis]

Hi everyone

My ds mange to finish 39 VR questions and guess the others, he don't know if he did well in math and English or not, DS also cried at the vr exam, and complained that it was so hot, he get sweetie and get dizzy because the sun was direct on his head and back (afternoon exam).Also he didn’t sleep well for three nights before the exam, I don’t think he got any chance now as Vr his strength subject. We had a look in the local school, but we didn’t decide yet