11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi,
We've discovered quite by accident today - through a close family friend who is a teacher and also left-handed - that our left-handed daughter writes much more neatly with a rollerball pen than she does with an ink pen.

Her school insists that all children use ink pens and in general, that's fine, but given that her writing is the only area where she isn't certain to get a level 5 in her KS2s - which is important both for setting at her upper shcool next year and for the possibility of taking the 12+ - should we ask the school that she be allowed to use a rollerball so her work appears neater?

Thanks.

Hi Rob,
I think it is worth asking, I'm sure they will agree, if it makes her work look better, that's a good thing, surely ?
LFH

In respect of her KS2 SATs the 'handwriting' aspect is only worth a maximum of 3 marks out of 50 total. Unless her writing is very poor it is likely she would score 2 or 3 for this aspect.
Long writing task = 28 marks
short writing = 12
spelling = 7
handwriting =3

My own daughter's handwriting, which is not great, was scored a 3 last year. My son, who is dyspraxic, scored 2. It is amazing how neatly they can write when it matters!

Thanks for the breakdown, toony. I was aware that handwriting only accounted for a few marks, but that plus her spelling are holding her English back a little (in contrast she has a reading age 3 years ahead of her actual age), so these are the areas we are concentrating on.

LFF - yes, you'd think wouldn't you? As we've found, though, schools don't always have the same agenda as parents. Hopefully, where KS2 is concerned it is in the school's interest for the children to do their best.