Email from heads of Sutton and Wilson's schools
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:28 pm
Dear Mr ****
Your son took the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) run jointly by the six schools in Sutton which have selective places. The result is used in two different ways for boys. At Greenshaw High School and Wallington County Grammar School the SET result alone determines whether your son is deemed of selective ability by that school. At Sutton Grammar School and Wilson’s School, it is used as a filter test so that a second set of papers is taken only by those with a realistic chance of securing the selective standard. The decision on the final passmark is down to each school’s Governing Body.
We appreciate the high quality of all the selective schools in Sutton and you have the opportunity to select the schools that most suit your son. All are excellent but there are small differences of curriculum, support systems, ethos and journey times (for example) that should allow you to rank us in order on the CAF form.
As headteachers of Sutton Grammar School and Wilson’s School we are sending this letter to the 781 recipients of an emailed letter from Mr Wilden at Wallington County Grammar School as we wish to ensure you, as parents, have a complete picture before you submit your CAF form.
As Wallington County Grammar School is using the SET alone to determine eligibility they have set a pass mark for the SET test that is higher than for our schools. This does not mean that Wallington County Grammar School has a higher standard for entry. At our schools the SET is used as a broad filter to select those for a different type of test (using open questions not just multiple choice) and the evidence of both tests will determine the final pass mark at our schools.
We believe that two stage testing allows every boy to demonstrate the best of his abilities. Going back a few years every selective school had its own tests and many weaker boys took multiple tests in which they scored low marks. One purpose of the SET was to have a single filter test so that weaker students were let down gently and only took one test in total. Brighter boys (and girls) do have to return for more tests that cover a broader spectrum of skills than can be assessed with multiple choice items only. The atmosphere at the second stage tests in the past has been very positive with many boys enjoying the challenges set.
Most importantly, the schools do not know the order of preference that you put on the CAF form. If your first choice school is Wallington County Grammar School please place it first, but please be clear about the way the co-ordinated admissions process works. If your son scores highly in our tests he could be ranked in the lists of several selective schools. The local authority will try to place him in his first preference school, but if that school is unable to offer him a place it will try to place him in his second preference school. If that school is not able to offer him a place it will look at the third preference school. This process is repeated until every boy has a place at the highest preference of school that is able to make him an offer. It is completely fair and parents should name the schools in THEIR GENUINE CHOICE ORDER. You will have received an invitation from both our schools to second stage testing and we strongly encourage you to attend so that you have a full picture of which schools your son is eligible for and then you can make selections on your CAF form based on your true preference order.
Yours sincerely
G D Ironside and N J Cole
Heads
Sutton Grammar School and Wilson's School
Your son took the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) run jointly by the six schools in Sutton which have selective places. The result is used in two different ways for boys. At Greenshaw High School and Wallington County Grammar School the SET result alone determines whether your son is deemed of selective ability by that school. At Sutton Grammar School and Wilson’s School, it is used as a filter test so that a second set of papers is taken only by those with a realistic chance of securing the selective standard. The decision on the final passmark is down to each school’s Governing Body.
We appreciate the high quality of all the selective schools in Sutton and you have the opportunity to select the schools that most suit your son. All are excellent but there are small differences of curriculum, support systems, ethos and journey times (for example) that should allow you to rank us in order on the CAF form.
As headteachers of Sutton Grammar School and Wilson’s School we are sending this letter to the 781 recipients of an emailed letter from Mr Wilden at Wallington County Grammar School as we wish to ensure you, as parents, have a complete picture before you submit your CAF form.
As Wallington County Grammar School is using the SET alone to determine eligibility they have set a pass mark for the SET test that is higher than for our schools. This does not mean that Wallington County Grammar School has a higher standard for entry. At our schools the SET is used as a broad filter to select those for a different type of test (using open questions not just multiple choice) and the evidence of both tests will determine the final pass mark at our schools.
We believe that two stage testing allows every boy to demonstrate the best of his abilities. Going back a few years every selective school had its own tests and many weaker boys took multiple tests in which they scored low marks. One purpose of the SET was to have a single filter test so that weaker students were let down gently and only took one test in total. Brighter boys (and girls) do have to return for more tests that cover a broader spectrum of skills than can be assessed with multiple choice items only. The atmosphere at the second stage tests in the past has been very positive with many boys enjoying the challenges set.
Most importantly, the schools do not know the order of preference that you put on the CAF form. If your first choice school is Wallington County Grammar School please place it first, but please be clear about the way the co-ordinated admissions process works. If your son scores highly in our tests he could be ranked in the lists of several selective schools. The local authority will try to place him in his first preference school, but if that school is unable to offer him a place it will try to place him in his second preference school. If that school is not able to offer him a place it will look at the third preference school. This process is repeated until every boy has a place at the highest preference of school that is able to make him an offer. It is completely fair and parents should name the schools in THEIR GENUINE CHOICE ORDER. You will have received an invitation from both our schools to second stage testing and we strongly encourage you to attend so that you have a full picture of which schools your son is eligible for and then you can make selections on your CAF form based on your true preference order.
Yours sincerely
G D Ironside and N J Cole
Heads
Sutton Grammar School and Wilson's School