2017 Entry

[seriousmum]

so what happens if a child is still unwell on the reserve date??

[ToadMum]

I totally understand needing more than a week between dates in the event of illness. It's the extra time being afforded to late entrants which has frustrated me.

I really don't understand why multiple schools can't be used simultaneously to enable all non-sick entrants to sit their test at the same time and whilst I admire your optimism, Worried Dad, I don't believe any of us actually do have any proof that it's worked well in the past. Who has it actually worked well for? I guess that rather than looking for proof that it works, maybe we need to just have faith that it will.

One of the problems with regard to capacity is that in the past three years or so, two of the original twelve schools have left the Consortium (CCHS and Cecil Jones).

If it's any comfort, DS2's friend, who had to sit the exam on the reserve date due to illness, failed.

[SlighlyStressedMum]

I would imagine that if it wasn't working and there were leaks which had an effect on the second paper, then CSSE would see that a higher percentage passed on the reserve date and then see there was a problem. I am quite sure they do all they can to make it fair. There has to be a second date for sick children and for those who have genuine reasons for not sitting on the Saturday.

I can't see how getting kids to sit it in primary schools instead would work. Maybe in Independent Schools where I imagine the majority of kids take it, but at my ds's state primary there were less than 15 kids (out of 90 in the year) who took it, and the school had nothing to do with it whatsoever. Can't see them wanting to get involved!

My advice is try not to stress about it, at least until nearer results day.

[Wilderness]

Thanks ToadMum. Your point regarding the 2 schools leaving the consortium definitely helps explain the lack of space for the first sitting.

SlightlyStressedMum: I'm certainly not advocating every primary school's involvement as my dsughter's primary school had even less representation than yours. It wouldn't make sense to have low numbers of children rattling around in huge, empty halls!
However, I think you make an interesting point regarding the independent schools. As they appear to 'push it' so hard (one particular school could have filled a hall on it's own at my Dd's sitting), it would be really positive if they were able to be involved and on a weekday.

I maintain the second sitting should only be for the genuinely ill.

[ToadMum]

Thanks ToadMum. Your point regarding the 2 schools leaving the consortium definitely helps explain the lack of space for the first sitting.

SlightlyStressedMum: I'm certainly not advocating every primary school's involvement as my dsughter's primary school had even less representation than yours. It wouldn't make sense to have low numbers of children rattling around in huge, empty halls!
However, I think you make an interesting point regarding the independent schools. As they appear to 'push it' so hard (one particular school could have filled a hall on it's own at my Dd's sitting), it would be really positive if they were able to be involved and on a weekday.

I maintain the second sitting should only be for the genuinely ill.

The numbers of children travelling in (reasonably and possibly not quite so, but that is another issue) from non-CSSE area schools would necessitate the main centres continuing to be the member schools themselves. Holding the exam at the weekend causes the least disruption to them and to the parents of current pupils; to host an event for 96 or so extraneous children on a working day is one thing, but the school would need to be free of everyday activity to cope with several hundred.

We have had few concerns about the way the CSSE has run the exam on the three occasions that our DC have sat it, or on the occasions when I have helped with refreshments, but I for one would not feel happy about a third party school, particularly one of the independent primary schools, being involved, unless it was purely for the use of the premises, with the oversight of the actual exam being undertaken by staff from a CSSE school. Given the aim of the Southend grammar schools to increase the participation of local state primary children in the 11+, I think that even that would possibly give the wrong message about the process.

[SlighlyStressedMum]

Toadmum I agree. I wouldn't have wanted my child to sit the exam at an independent primary. I think it needs to be on neutral turf, as it were.

I understand the concerns but I can't see anyway of getting around it. Most parents don't work at the weekend so are free to drop their kids. And Toadmum is right, there are some kids making journeys that I wouldn't even consider for a commute myself let alone send an 11 yr old on, but it's not against the rules and those kids need a wkd sitting too.

It's all a palaver basically, but hopefully worth it

[seriousmum]

Good luck to the DC sitting their exam tomorrow.