Is there a late entrance test for 11+ in Kent

[leondawson]

If a parent did not apply for the 11+, I have heard there is a late application test in April time, does anyone know if this is true? They are from the Dartford area.

[All over]

I know of someone who sat the 11+ in January 2011 for September 2011 entry who had moved to Kent after the July 2010 cutoff for sitting 11+ in September 2010. I think that is the only circumstance you can sit it late if you hadn't already applied to sit it in the original timeframe. See the link to KCC website which says applications are closed but gives details of how to get in touch if you have recently moved to Kent.

http://www.kent.gov.uk/education_and_le ... -plus.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[twinkles]

Well I don't know the exact details but at my DS's old school this year there was apparently a girl who didn't sit the 11+ in September as it was felt she wouldn't cope with grammar. But did sit it in April as it was thought she had improved sufficiently in those months. She passed and has gone to grammar.

I know there were some DD's from this school who narrowly missed the pass and who appealed but they did not have their appeals upheld.

I think is completely unfair as who is to say that had those girls had the opportunity of taking (or retaking) the exam in April along with this other girl that they too wouldn't have passed.

[tigger2]

This is a real sore point in the Tigger household ....I don't expect anyone to recall our story with ds a couple of years ago but he took the test and narrowly missed it....in the schools letter of support one of the points made was that the test came too soon for him ...we were appealing for him at local grammars and we got talking to other parents and heard that there were numerous late entries...I asked and they said that they had not moved into the area recently .... these ds's had scored over 360 and their parents were appealing following testing in late April. The parents appealed in early May and their appeal was heard along with the rest of the parents who had appealed on or shortly after March 1st. The gap between our ds and their ds's being tested was 7 months...whilst I know someone will undoubtably say that these are age standardized tests so there is no advantage but all late sitters will have the advantage of completing most of the year 6 curriculum by the time they get to April. I know that you can never be certain but for our ds another 7 months would have been a great benefit.

[Daogroupie]

That is just shocking Tigger2. I have never heard of anything so unfair in the whole process. How can they sit an exam in April that everyone else sat in September? How was that ever allowed to happen? That is actually quite a chunk of their life later! Of course they are going to be better equiped and with two whole terms of Year 6 teaching compared to none at all. DG

[twinkles]

This is a real sore point in the Tigger household ....I don't expect anyone to recall our story with ds a couple of years ago but he took the test and narrowly missed it....in the schools letter of support one of the points made was that the test came too soon for him ...we were appealing for him at local grammars and we got talking to other parents and heard that there were numerous late entries...I asked and they said that they had not moved into the area recently .... these ds's had scored over 360 and their parents were appealing following testing in late April. The parents appealed in early May and their appeal was heard along with the rest of the parents who had appealed on or shortly after March 1st. The gap between our ds and their ds's being tested was 7 months...whilst I know someone will undoubtably say that these are age standardized tests so there is no advantage but all late sitters will have the advantage of completing most of the year 6 curriculum by the time they get to April. I know that you can never be certain but for our ds another 7 months would have been a great benefit.

Yes I agree with Daogroupie, Tigger2 (hello by the way, hope you are OK?) this is outrageous that this can go on. It's completely unfair and unethical. I would have been fuming if I had found out that this sort of underhand thing happens when my DS narrowly missed the pass mark 3 years ago. Do you know what the criteria is for a late test in April? Can anyone just ask to take it in April or does it have to go through a HT? Could I, for example have decided not to let my DS sit it in September but wait for him to have had 6 months+ of year 6 teaching and then just contact KCC and ask for him to sit it in April? I am sure not many people know that this sort of thing goes on. It makes me sooo cross!

[tigger2]

The info from kcc at the time was that this very late test was only for children moving into Kent after September. The thing is that if I have been given the right info I don't think that they really check ...one set of parents that I spoke to at the time had been living just outside Tonbridge for 20years. But there were other parents at the group appeal that we went to that had also entered their ds for a late test and dh knew one of them from a local club.....if the whole appeals process hadn't been so hard I would have pursued this .....

Hi Twinkles ! We are fine thanks....well having said that dd has just sat the test....will I ever learn????

Tigger
x

[twinkles]

Hi Tigger2 - glad you are all OK. Fingers crossed for your DD and hope you don't have to go through the awful appeal process again.

The girl I mentioned has definitely not just moved to the area but has lived in the area for all of her life. I can't believe that KCC don't check on this sort of thing.

Perhaps someone who is currently involved in the 11+ process should ring KCC and ask them what is going on?

[penguin]

Medway do something similar

my daughter has sat the Kent test on the in-county dates this year.
I had planned (not very well) for her to also sit the Medway test

but as we were studying over summer I was in two minds about it for various reasons (including that Chatham grammar will accept a pass in the Kent test) and down to my own stupidity, I missed the date for registering her.
I sent a written application form to Medway and they have correctly decided that my selective amnesia doesn't 'constitute an exceptional circumstance'

I thought I'd thrown the letter away because I didn't want any evidence hanging around of my idiocy - but I've found it today and have checked the info on it

they've said that her registration form will be held pending and arrange for DD to be tested after 1st March 2013 and that if I name a Medway grammar on CAF, it won't be offered on that date but can be considered under reallocation processes after she's assessed.

when I was researching the Kent test, I'm sure there was something similar for late applicants. i.e. if you miss the registration and your child sits the test later, you appeal for places that are available after 1st allocations - which is a very dangerous game because surely you are competing for far fewer places and there is no guarantee that any are available?