The Judd confirm they will use own entrance exam

[doodles]

This could mean that boys in this area could sit 3 or 4 different tests 11+, the Judd test, the St Olave's test and the Bexley exam. Surely this can't be seen as an improvement especially as those of us on the ground, so to speak, know full well it is not going to reduce coaching / preparation.

[mystery]

They can sit all those tests if they are lucky and the dates don't clash.

Four chances has to be better than one maybe?

[Kentishmaid]

Dover and Folkestone take on the Kent test or their test, so those children are already likely to be taking two tests. However I agree that adding to the number of tests taken is only likely to increase tutoring, as people try to cover all possible areas.

[doyouthinkhesaurus]

...
I can't imagine it will make much difference to their results though. The teaching is way more important.

In the past The Judd have had to run special English classes for many of they boys who got in but weren't great at writing or spelling.

I doubt very much they are changing to make it more like primary school or to decrease the amount of tuition (Personally I think it's just going to add an extra element to the tuition you need to do). I think it has far more to do with league tables and getting children who can get A* in the humanities without having to attend special English classes.

[tonbridgemum]

The whole thing with the pressures of Judd just makes me sadder every time something like this happens.
Historically Judd has always been a 'top' school. Im sure all of us will know of people our age who went (or who went themselves) when you went because you got good results at school and the pressures just werent there.
In fact, my son who started at Judd 13 years ago, although took the 11+ he had no coaching/tutoring because in those days(!) we just didn't know about it!!! Just think how things have changed in relatively such a short time.
I genuinely cant think what Judd think they will achieve by introducing an exam of their own except another frenzy of parents trying to tutor their way around it.

[Daogroupie]

Having to run catch up classes for English in Year 7 for students who are not of the expected standard would seem to be a very good reason to introduce their own creative writing exam. What is the point of selecting students if they arrive without fundamental writing skills? DG

[mystery]

....because if you select on the basis of whether you have been taught to write well creatively you may miss out on some very intelligent children who have not been taught to write creatively to a high standard.

I would hope that a decent English teacher from the ages of 11 to 16 could make up for the sins of the terrible English teaching at my daughter's primary school without special English classes.

Also, creative writing isn't everything. Writing for the humanities isn't creative. Very few people need to write creatively to a high standard in their lifetime. Those who earn some money from it are the incredibly lucky few.

Perhaps it's the training and selection of English teachers that needs to be looked at these days rather than the exact contents of an exam at 10+!

[Daogroupie]

We are not talking about being able to write novels, just about being able to express yourself and articulate your opinions and know the difference between their/there and they're, where/were and too/ to This is something that parents should be able to help their dcs with at home. It is not rocket science. It is not going to be of a high standard, it is going to be the current year group just focusing a little bit more on basic "literacy and writing skills" For an outstanding school ( that is considered to be the second best in Kent) with an English specialism and in the top twenty in the league tables to introduce this with 18 months notice does not appear unreasonable. Surely all your local private schools have creative writing as part of their entrance exams why should the states be any different? Perhaps parents can request that the local primary schools put some more focus on this area. DG

[mystery]

I know what you are saying DAO, but round here it would still not be fair. Some of the teachers themselves are struggling with punctuation, spelling and grammar!

[Daogroupie]

So how are your schools coping with the new SPAG paper in Y6 sats then? DG