when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
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when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
On the Highgate Website, 11+ admissions informations site it states:
The maths and NVR papers are specially designed so that no specific syllabus or preparation is desirable or necessary.
Who would take this literally and not prep??
The maths and NVR papers are specially designed so that no specific syllabus or preparation is desirable or necessary.
Who would take this literally and not prep??
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Daogroupie
- Posts: 11107
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
- Location: Herts
Re: when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
No.
Because securing a place is not about what you do or do not do but about what everyone else is doing.
NVR and Maths are both topics that respond well to preparation, especially NVR.
There are three groups of students who will be preparing:
1. Students in prep schools will be preparing during the day doing papers.
2. Some students in state schools, especially those who already know that their marks for the state selectives are not high enough, will be preparing in the evenings and weekends.
3. Some students from prep schools who were planning to go to state selectives but discovered that they were out prepared by others and did not rank highly enough for places. Some will be preparing at school and after school.
It is all very well for the school to tell you not to prepare but they will allocate their places to the highest scorers who will give them the best possible rank in the league tables.
What's done cannot be undone.
You cannot lose anything by preparing but there is certainly a lot to be lost if you don't.
They are not going to give you a place if you follow their instructions and everyone else does not and gets higher marks because of preparation. DG
Because securing a place is not about what you do or do not do but about what everyone else is doing.
NVR and Maths are both topics that respond well to preparation, especially NVR.
There are three groups of students who will be preparing:
1. Students in prep schools will be preparing during the day doing papers.
2. Some students in state schools, especially those who already know that their marks for the state selectives are not high enough, will be preparing in the evenings and weekends.
3. Some students from prep schools who were planning to go to state selectives but discovered that they were out prepared by others and did not rank highly enough for places. Some will be preparing at school and after school.
It is all very well for the school to tell you not to prepare but they will allocate their places to the highest scorers who will give them the best possible rank in the league tables.
What's done cannot be undone.
You cannot lose anything by preparing but there is certainly a lot to be lost if you don't.
They are not going to give you a place if you follow their instructions and everyone else does not and gets higher marks because of preparation. DG
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fairyelephant
- Posts: 588
- Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:59 am
- Location: N London
Re: when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
I don't know if its still the case but certainly when my DS did the test the maths was certainly regarded as easier than at some other schools, and more geared towards what should have been taught in schools to date, however I have heard that the pass mark can be very high. It is also slightly different in style in that it is in sections and once completed students can't go back to check, so you need to check as you go along.
Its difficult to believe that many, if any, pupils would turn up not having practised NVR. However, I do remember the school does say that it very carefully considers each child (which I guess must include current school, age etc) so perhaps if the NVR score is very low but maths and English standard high, adjustments will be made. That said I agree with DAOGroupie, the competition will have been preparing like mad. Our prep was a bit scanty but to do none at all would make me very nervous.
Its difficult to believe that many, if any, pupils would turn up not having practised NVR. However, I do remember the school does say that it very carefully considers each child (which I guess must include current school, age etc) so perhaps if the NVR score is very low but maths and English standard high, adjustments will be made. That said I agree with DAOGroupie, the competition will have been preparing like mad. Our prep was a bit scanty but to do none at all would make me very nervous.
Re: when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
I'm with DAO on this one.
My personal experience is that it's not the brightest who succeed at grammar schools exams, but the best prepared kids (also bright but not necessarily the brightest). The indies may weed out the over-tutored at the interview but you have to do well enough to get into the interview room in the first place.
My personal experience is that it's not the brightest who succeed at grammar schools exams, but the best prepared kids (also bright but not necessarily the brightest). The indies may weed out the over-tutored at the interview but you have to do well enough to get into the interview room in the first place.
Re: when website says no prep needed - do you believe it?
I agree that not preparing would be foolish. But dropping all activities and overload kids with tutoring may:CestMoi wrote: The indies may weed out the over-tutored at the interview but you have to do well enough to get into the interview room in the first place.
- backfire, as the kids (as anyone else) need enjoyable activities, etc. Even if they want the school.
- may mean that they only get to interview stage at an indie - no bragging rights for it
- or you may even get a place in the wrong school for them, which is great for tutors as they also get regular clients. Not sure what happens when they get to uni or real life, would the tutor follow them?
Moderate preparation is needed, ideally by the school. If not, parents or tutors may help.
