Email today from Kent 11+ team

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mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by mystery »

The Bucks email sounds better than the Kent one. Has it worked? I wonder what it does say.

I wonder if there's a whole better way of allocating the "passes" and the places so that people who sit the test but don't want a place does not result in children not passing who could have done which then results in more appeals after allocations day to give places to children who didn't pass but who do what places.

Score based waiting lists after allocations day could be one possibility?

Behind all this lies the bigger question of what is "grammar school standard"?
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by Sally-Anne »

mystery wrote:The Bucks email sounds better than the Kent one. Has it worked? I wonder what it does say.
This is the text of the Bucks email:

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Testing Newsletter

Dear Parent,

You have registered your child to take part in the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Testing Process for possible entry to Year 7 in one of our grammar schools in September 2019.

Are your child’s details correct?
You have registered your child’s details as:
Child’s name – xxxxx
Child’s current school – xxxxx
Emergency contact number – xxxxx
If any of these details are incorrect then please contact us and we will update our records.

Test Dates
We would like to remind you of the test dates. They are:
• Tuesday, 11 September 2018 – Practice Test
• Thursday, 13 September 2018 – Secondary Transfer Test

Important Information
The costs of Secondary Transfer Testing are met by the Buckinghamshire grammar schools so please consider the following very carefully before your child takes the tests.
Will your child be able to attend on the dates above?
These dates are during the week and your child will need to take time off school in order to sit the tests. Alternative dates will not be offered unless there are proven, exceptional circumstances why your child was not able to attend – we will require evidence of this before we consider offering a further date.

Are you just using the Buckinghamshire test as practice?
The Buckinghamshire test appears to be used by some parents as free practice for their child for tests in other areas. For instance, we have noticed large numbers of children from south and east London, the Midlands and the Hampshire area registering to take the test and believe that in most cases there are no plans to move to our area or to apply for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place.
The test provider for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test has changed this year to GL Assessment. The test is specially designed for entry to the Buckinghamshire grammar schools and cannot be considered as suitable practice for entry tests for other schools. Please do not use it as such.

Will you take up a Buckinghamshire grammar school place if your child qualifies and a place is offered?
Each year a large number of children sit the test with no intention of seeking a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school. If you have no intention of applying for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place then your child should not take our tests. Please withdraw your child if you do not intend to apply for a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school.

Are you planning to move to Buckinghamshire if your child qualifies?
If you are planning to move to Buckinghamshire, please be aware that for the first allocation round most grammar schools will require you to be resident by 31 October 2018 to be considered in the catchment area of the school. The deadline for moving into the Dr Challoner’s Grammar School catchment area for the first allocation round has already passed (1 April 2018). Make sure you check each school’s admission rules carefully.
Is your child likely to be offered a place at a Buckinghamshire grammar school?
You should also be realistic about whether, if your child qualifies, they are likely to be offered a place at your preferred school.
Details of the locations of the children offered a Buckinghamshire grammar school place on 1 March 2018 are available here :-
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/allocationofplaces" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You will notice that for children living in certain areas no Buckinghamshire grammar school places were offered – for example the majority of the London boroughs together with areas such as Reading, Berkshire, Surrey and Wokingham.
Please also be aware that we are frequently not able to offer places to all qualified children wanting a place who live in the areas neighbouring Buckinghamshire – for example, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire (including Luton), Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, parts of Slough and Northamptonshire.
For September 2018 entry we have not been able to offer a grammar school place to any child, without a sibling already at the school, living further than 15.5 miles (as the crow flies) from the school.
All schools give priority to qualified children who are resident in their catchment area and grammar school entry is entirely dependent on whether a score of 121 has been achieved. Beyond requiring a qualification score of 121 or above each grammar school sets its own criteria for admissions – the full admission rules can be found here or on the schools’ websites. Buckinghamshire grammar schools do not give priority to children with higher scores – this is different to some selective schools in other areas.

How would your child travel to a Buckinghamshire school?
You should consider how your child would get to school if they were offered a grammar school place. Further information is available on our website.

Withdrawing your child
If, having considered the above, you no longer want your child to be tested then please withdraw them from the process now. You may also withdraw them if you have simply changed your mind about them taking our test. Withdraw your child using the link below
https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/withdrawfromtesting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Test Invite
For those children taking the tests in September, we will email an invitation to testing on 18 July. If you have any queries or would like any further advice or help, please contact us.
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/contactadmissions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Further information can be found the following web pages
https://www.thebucksgrammarschools.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/transfer-testing-2019" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yours sincerely,
Admissions & Transport
Buckinghamshire County Council
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by mystery »

That is pleasant and helpful.

What date is the Saturday Kent test for OCC candidates this year?
ciaowood
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:46 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by ciaowood »

Received an email on Friday telling us where the test will be, anyone would think we're not welcome to take the test from OOC lol:

"In addition to this email we have also sent you a letter in the post which contains more information. We cannot offer anyone an alternative to the allocated test centre because of the very high number of children taking the test on the day. If you wish to withdraw from the Kent Test please reply to this email."

The Kent test is on the 8th September Mystery.
Thwaitsey
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 1:57 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by Thwaitsey »

I agree with ciaowood, it makes you feel that if your from across the border your child isn’t good enough and neither are we as parents. The email from Buckinghamshire is a lot nicer than ours and does anybody know if it was handed out to everyone or just those very weird, strange people from across the border :lol: That’s what’s hurt the most the fact that not everyone received that email.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by kenyancowgirl »

Ciaowood, Reading it as a complete outsider (no horse in this race), I don’t see it as saying anything except that they have a very high number of applicants so the test centre allocated is the one you accept....I’m not sure I see any OOC snub, sorry.

I would, however, recommend that all parents check school admissions very carefully to ensure that they have a realistic chance of a place, as Kent have suggested!
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by Guest55 »

Bucks is an opt-out Transfer Test and it is assumed all pupils will sit it. Parents write to the school to withdraw their child from testing and children at Bucks Primary schools [and Partner schools] sit the test in their own school.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by mystery »

ciaowood wrote:Received an email on Friday telling us where the test will be, anyone would think we're not welcome to take the test from OOC lol:

"In addition to this email we have also sent you a letter in the post which contains more information. We cannot offer anyone an alternative to the allocated test centre because of the very high number of children taking the test on the day. If you wish to withdraw from the Kent Test please reply to this email."

The Kent test is on the 8th September Mystery.

Thanks - 8 th September. Bucks is GL now and the Kent test is before the Bucks one. So we have to blame Bucks for all the gazillions of 11 plus tourists which the unpleasant emails have been designed to fend off? :lol:
annaksig
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 20, 2018 9:01 am

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by annaksig »

HELLO,
I HAVE RECEIVED NO EMAIL AND I LIVE IN CANTERBURY. MY DAUGHTER IS SITTING THE TEST ON THE 6TH SEPTEMBER 2018. IS THE 11+ TEAM THE OFFICIAL ADMINISTRATOR? I THOUGHT GL WAS.
ToadMum
Posts: 11945
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Email today from Kent 11+ team

Post by ToadMum »

annaksig wrote:HELLO,
I HAVE RECEIVED NO EMAIL AND I LIVE IN CANTERBURY. MY DAUGHTER IS SITTING THE TEST ON THE 6TH SEPTEMBER 2018. IS THE 11+ TEAM THE OFFICIAL ADMINISTRATOR? I THOUGHT GL WAS.
Kent CC is responsible for the administration and organisation of the Kent Test; Have a look on the KCC website for a contact.

GL Assessment is the company the authority has contracted to provide the test.

(Btw typing on Caps Lock is the internet / email equivalent of shouting :) ).
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
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