What happened on Non-Verbal?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Kent

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Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

I must admit, I've always subscribed to the "one paper harder than the rest" theory, but what Perplexed says makes perfect sense. Surely it doesn't matter what the raw scores are? If the top scores of 70% for NVR and 80% for maths both, when standardised, equate to 140, how does that make the NVR a "harder" paper to pass?
shuff
Posts: 205
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:54 pm

Post by shuff »

I suppose I feel that making maths a harder paper seems fairer than NV because it is a subject ALL children study at school and makes it more of a level playing field. I believe coaching can only improve technique for NV so seems more unfair for those who have hardly ever seen a NV paper before and are confronted with an extremely difficult paper in their 11 plus.
Bexley Mum 2
Posts: 851
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
Location: Bexley

Post by Bexley Mum 2 »

Hmmm - maths is a bit of an issue with me. I really don't understand why it figures so highly in 11+ tests. Here in Bexley we're now down to maths and vr, which means that mathematical ability counts for 50% of the assessment of a child's suitability for GS.

I went to a GS (no 11+, just some mysterious form of assessment). From Y7 - Y10 I never scored more than about 25/30% in a maths exam, though I did manage to get an O'level, thanks to the efforts of one brilliant teacher in Y11. Despite my ineptitude with maths, I still managed 10 O'levels, 3 A'levels and a university degree. Yet, under the current system, my maths would have weeded me out of a GS education.

There are loads of really clever people who are good at Arts, Sciences, Languages etc, but who can't do 2+2. I've seen some truly gifted children who are brilliant at English, but can't do maths. I don't understand why they should be denied a GS education.

Sorry, a bit off topic, I know!!!
medwaymum
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:45 pm
Location: Medway & Kent

Post by medwaymum »

Perplexed is right - the fact remains that there will always be the 140's, 139's, 138's, all the way down to the 110's etc.
I don't know who got those 140 scores for NVR but for the standardisation to work they must have been given out.
shuff
Posts: 205
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:54 pm

Post by shuff »

Popular opinion seems to be that the girls did better than the boys in NVR. There is no gender standardisation therefore there could be a lot more 140 girls. Could be wishful thinking too!
georgex
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:47 am

what happened on non verbal

Post by georgex »

Hi, The girls did well in my daughters class 5 girls and 2 boys got 140 for NVR. 1 boy got 420 and 3 girls got the same.
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