Support from Head
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I agree, even if a child gets a perfect 100% the most they can be awarded is a 5a - so even for those children who are exceptional and might easily get a 6, it cannot be awarded, therefore it might not be taken seriously by a panelGuest55 wrote:I would query the level 6 - it is not possible in the test and might weaken your evidence.
mad?
Stowe - my GD got 320 in the test (pass mark 326, lowest score -that we know of - gaining a place, 331.) She got 344 in the one 'mock' test I gave her, and just fell apart with nerves on the 'big day.'
Other girls we know who gained places had all been intensively tutored - by which I mean, since the beginning of Year 4, they had all done two to three hours a week of VR, non-VR and Maths, with, in Summer Term of Year 5 and Autumn Term of Year 6, fully staged 'Mock' 11+ tests every weekend - about twenty in all. In my view, only one of them is really GS material - and she made Tiffin as well.
It's always a tricky situation with tutoring - we are certain that the panel will conclude that GD has what they would call a 'facilitating environment' because her GF was a Head, I more or less live with the family & am well known to the school in various ways connected with education, and two of my GS went to Grammars. Oddly, it's not really a true picture, since my son is a craftsman with little knowledge of these matters, and my DinL is now a nurse. They do live in a very nice house (and the school knows it well!) but that's because when my DH passed away, I sold up and put the proceeds into a house for them and a flat for me.
We had agreed that GD ought not to be intensively tutored - partly because it seemd to be ruining the childhoods of the others, partly because we felt on principle that it is wrong - so she had some mixed tutoring of about one hour a week from August to November, plus going over a few papers with me. Now, of course, I'm kicking myself - so it ruined their childhoods for a couple of years? But it got them in to a wonderful school where they will have 7 great years, and will be made for life. Guilt!
Other girls we know who gained places had all been intensively tutored - by which I mean, since the beginning of Year 4, they had all done two to three hours a week of VR, non-VR and Maths, with, in Summer Term of Year 5 and Autumn Term of Year 6, fully staged 'Mock' 11+ tests every weekend - about twenty in all. In my view, only one of them is really GS material - and she made Tiffin as well.
It's always a tricky situation with tutoring - we are certain that the panel will conclude that GD has what they would call a 'facilitating environment' because her GF was a Head, I more or less live with the family & am well known to the school in various ways connected with education, and two of my GS went to Grammars. Oddly, it's not really a true picture, since my son is a craftsman with little knowledge of these matters, and my DinL is now a nurse. They do live in a very nice house (and the school knows it well!) but that's because when my DH passed away, I sold up and put the proceeds into a house for them and a flat for me.
We had agreed that GD ought not to be intensively tutored - partly because it seemd to be ruining the childhoods of the others, partly because we felt on principle that it is wrong - so she had some mixed tutoring of about one hour a week from August to November, plus going over a few papers with me. Now, of course, I'm kicking myself - so it ruined their childhoods for a couple of years? But it got them in to a wonderful school where they will have 7 great years, and will be made for life. Guilt!
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ConcernedMum
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:17 pm
SATs
Officially the highest you can get is a 5a but at my son's school if they get more than 95% in the practice papers for maths they are encouraged to try a level 6 paper.
Huntlie,
I really feel for you and your situation. I presume we are talking Nonsuch or Wally Girls with a 326 cut-off mark. My daughter managed to get Nonsuch but not with a high score. That said the scores we know about do really seem to reflect the amount of coaching. She only got three months of maths to boost her confidence and no VR(just me, to her annoyance!) Ironically she found the maths OK but the VR hard. Some of the girls had over two years twice a week with loads of mock exams, we didn't do one. I am hoping that although her score is not high she will cope quite well because she basically got there on her own. In your situation I would like to know the difference between 320 and 331. Do you have any idea in percentage terms or number of correct questions how much those 11 marks are really worth? It could be quite interesting if the difference in the scores only indicate one or two questions because as a whole the intake did well in the test. This would also be an indication of the 6 marks short which would I presume would have put her on the waiting list.
I really feel for you and your situation. I presume we are talking Nonsuch or Wally Girls with a 326 cut-off mark. My daughter managed to get Nonsuch but not with a high score. That said the scores we know about do really seem to reflect the amount of coaching. She only got three months of maths to boost her confidence and no VR(just me, to her annoyance!) Ironically she found the maths OK but the VR hard. Some of the girls had over two years twice a week with loads of mock exams, we didn't do one. I am hoping that although her score is not high she will cope quite well because she basically got there on her own. In your situation I would like to know the difference between 320 and 331. Do you have any idea in percentage terms or number of correct questions how much those 11 marks are really worth? It could be quite interesting if the difference in the scores only indicate one or two questions because as a whole the intake did well in the test. This would also be an indication of the 6 marks short which would I presume would have put her on the waiting list.