smorgasbord wrote:
My daughter scored 115.
Please reassure me that she still has a chance of grammar! I know Pate's is now out of the question, unfortunately.
Thank you.
Personally I have found CATs to be highly unreliable as a predictor of future success. In some areas of the country these tests are done more than once, even more than twice, and for some DC the results differ wildly each time, which rather casts doubt on their reliability as measures of fixed intelligence (which is another debate). I know a child who got a below average CAT in the quantitative measure, and was set accordingly (this was at primary school), in the expectation that the DC was going to struggle with Maths. Some years later this same child attained top grades at early (taken at 14 because of school policy for top set) GCSE, FSMQ and A level Maths, which given the supposed CAT, wasn't going to happen. Equally I have taught a few children who scored 141 on all 3 CATs and who certainly did not live up to that headline promise, failing to grasp concepts which those with lower scores clicked onto easily. So, firstly, they are not everything, I can assure you.
Secondly, the tone of your posts - 'being up beat for her' - is rather sad: it is only a silly snapshot test! I have never shared my children's CAT scores with them, ever, nor assumed they would limit them or predict glory. If you really want her to go to Pates, then I am sure it is not 'out of the question' (and whether that is 'unfortunate' is also a matter of opinion - there are lots of other schools). If your heart is set on grammar school then presumably she is being prepared in some way for the 11+ and it is advisable to make sure that she knows that success is not guaranteed and she may end up going to one of several schools. That is the same for everyone who does it.
Relax, really.
