Writing Element - is it ever used?

[Kiwi]

Hi,

Is there any data, or does anyone know whether the 40 min writing element of the Kent test is ever used?

I know it is meant to be only used for tie-breaker situations, but what does this actually mean in reality?
Is it only used by Kent council to determine whether someone who is borderline can be graded as "selective" or not?
Or is it used by the individual schools to allocate their places where 2 or more candidates get the same total score and they only have 1 space left? That last question is only relevant to schools that allocate some of their places based on score alone such as Judd and Dartford, of course.

TIA!

[PettswoodFiona]

I wouldn't use the word 'tie-breaker' at all in relation to the writing piece. The writing piece is used when the child isn't assessed in the test as suitable for grammar, but the results go to the headteacher who will review and they may spot someone they think should have passed and will put them forward to be assessed suitable for grammar and then a panel will review that recommendation, often using the writing piece as part of that evidence.

Schools use their stated over-subscription criteria for allocating places, often that is score, distance, siblings etc. I haven't seen any school mention the written piece to be used, I don't believe they generally have access to it to be a factor either.

Where scores are tied the school states in their over-subscription criteria how they will prioritise one over the other e.g. distance or a higher score in NVR etc.

[Kiwi]

Thanks Pettswood Fiona

The Kent council website does state this:

"There will also be a writing exercise which will not be marked but may be used by a local headteacher panel as part of the headteacher assessment stage of the process. 40 minutes will be allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes planning time."

OK, so in essence the writing task is only useful if you were not deemed selective based on the test scores and is used in the headteacher appeal bit only. Makes sense that the individual schools don't get to see the writing as that would be administratively difficult to do. Seems an awful lot of effort is required by the children for something that is most likely never looked at!

[PettswoodFiona]

Yes, if you are fairly confident in your child’s ability then it isn’t worth worrying about. We didn’t do any practice for this for DD as we knew it was highly unlikely to be needed. It added to a long test session too so was tiring.

[Kiwi]

Correct me if I'm wrong , but if you're OOC then there is almost no value in doing it at all!

If you didn't score high enough to pass the test through score alone then the Headteachers Assessment wouldn't get you an OOC place since all it does is shift your status from not selective to selective but on same score.

[PettswoodFiona]

Correct me if I'm wrong , but if you're OOC then there is almost no value in doing it at all!

If you didn't score high enough to pass the test through score alone then the Headteachers Assessment wouldn't get you an OOC place since all it does is shift your status from not selective to selective but on same score.

Kiwi, you seem to have posted a question and initially sounded confused about the purpose of the test. I was answering as someone whose DD sat the test many moons ago and is now in sixth-form but hangs around on this site to help others. You then answered your own question twice. Is your child sitting the test and are you OOC? Do you need any more guidance or have you worked it all out yourself now?

[Kiwi]

Just thinking out loud.

Sat it and was OOC, but was curious.

Thanks!

[Fmmg]

My DD was OOC and passed 2 areas of the test with high scores but in one area she was 1 mark off the minimum score to be automatically deemed selective. Therefore although she scored 395+ IIRC she would have been deemed non-selective but the head teacher did appeal (presumably with reference to her written task in the test) and she was deemed selective and she could've been offered a Kent grammar school place like a few of her local OOC friends had she wished.

So I'm not sure what you mean by saying that if you are OOC the written part of the test is of no value?

[Kiwi]

Fmmg, I had forgotten the rule that you must pass each element to be deemed selective. I had only thought about total scores!

So you have proved me wrong and there are genuine cases where the written work can be important even for OOC.

Thank you!