SHSB & WHSB - how many are taking the tests ?

[Jim's Dad]

DS taking his exams Saturday 21st - we're in catchment and I think there are around 125 places available at each school so assuming pass mark attained he needs to get in top 250 ? How many are taking, any ideas ?

And is it as simple as that ???

[Araucana girl]

DS taking his exams Saturday 21st - we're in catchment and I think there are around 125 places available at each school so assuming pass mark attained he needs to get in top 250 ? How many are taking, any ideas ?

And is it as simple as that ???

Jim's dad, if he gets above the magic 303 he stands a very good chance of getting a place. The Southend schools have a quota for in catchment and it is hardly ever filled so most years every child that gets above 303 in catchment obtains a place. I think one year one of the schools, might have been SSHB, went up to 313 for the minimum but otherwise 303 is the magic number.

[MacPac]

I have a DS taking the exam next Saturday. Not sure I'd like to know how many other boys are taking it, I'm worried enough as it is! I'm not holding out much hope at the moment. I'm feeling very deflated this morning and regretting not doing more.

I know about 25 other boys taking the test. I find that number scary enough haha.

[Jim's Dad]

This 303 target I was aware of, but the formula changes doesn't it so I'm told....

DS weakest area is English, can you still pass if you only got say 40% in that paper ?

For example, did a mock session this morning and he got:

English 44% (normally gets around 60%)
Maths 47.5% (silly mistakes, normally gets around 65%)
Verbal Reasoning 89% (which he gets as standard)

What sort of score would that get you ??

[Blitz]

This equates to 67.3%... So as a complete guesstimate I would say it would score 337ish.
(Based on last year's scores.) VR very hard in the real thing though.

Good luck.

This 303 target I was aware of, but the formula changes doesn't it so I'm told....

DS weakest area is English, can you still pass if you only got say 40% in that paper ?

For example, did a mock session this morning and he got:

English 44% (normally gets around 60%)
Maths 47.5% (silly mistakes, normally gets around 65%)
Verbal Reasoning 89% (which he gets as standard)

What sort of score would that get you ??

The average for last year's English paper was 38%

[moved]

I know a very nice yr 12 girl who got 8/37 in maths and still went to grammar.

[aang]

The formula for calculating the standardised score has been the same for umpteen years and as far as I know is the same this year.

What does vary from one year to another is the actual arithmetic mean for each subject as well as the standard deviation. For example, in the 2013 entry, the mean English score was 37.4% and for Maths 54.6% . However for 2012 entry, the mean English score was 46.0% and for Maths 54.1%. Getting the mean score in all three subjects would equate to a standardised score of 100 for each subject and an overall standardised score of 300. Being in catchment for Southend has meant a score of 303 is almost certainly going to result in an offer so you only need to be marginally above average in one subject.

If the mock results were for 2013, that would translate to a standardised score for English of 106.9 and for Maths 94.0, which is marginally above average. If the mock results that you posted were for 2012, that would translate to a standardised score for English of 97.8 and for Maths 95.2 which would be below average.

I would treat the verbal reasoning scores with a large dose of salt as we never get to see the actual papers and the reported scores often show a significant difference between practice and actual. The mean scores for verbal reasoning in 2012 and 2013 was 56.9% and 57.1% suggesting the actual papers are much harder than some of the practice papers available. I would also be very cautious if the verbal reasoning scores are so substantially different than the subject scores, especially the Maths one, but this is one area where practice can so substantially boost one's score..

In any case, good luck. Being in catchment means you already have a huge advantage!

[Slogger]

Last year for the 2 Southend boys schools we were told there were 240 in catchment places and 170 boys had attained the 303 score who lived in the catchment area. Of course a few of these may have opted for Chelmsford or Colchester or even private schools. We were advised by both headmasters that if you put the two schools 1st and 2nd in either order on the application form that if you didn't first choice you'd get the second. I don't know of anyone who didn't get their first choice for this September's entry. I suppose this year there may be more demand from the enlarged catchment area (the 2012 test was the first year that Rochford and Castle Point resident children were in catchment) and I also understand 2001 - 2002 was a low birth year but this suggests that if you can get 303 you should get a place in one of the schools.

Good luck. My son has been at SHSB for the last fortnight and he's settling in well

[sisterofgloucestermum]

My son is taking the test this Saturday too. He's in catchment at a junior school that's known to be a grammar crammer. To give you an idea they started VR lessons in year 3. From this school alone approximately 60 boys are taking the test! From statistics I have read on-line approximately 800 boys take the test at the Southend grammars and to secure a place you would need to be roughly in the top 22% of those boys.

My son has done really well in recent mocks and regularly scores 95% plus in GL assessment VR papers but I am still sceptical of his chances of success. The three papers combined are exceptionally difficult as we all know and because no one has ever seen an actual CSSE VR paper we must assume that the practice papers are easier than the real thing!

Good luck to everyone taking the test on Saturday