Second sitting of exam

DenDe · Post by **DenDe** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 8:26 pm

I completely agree with The Troll but it will be a bit better next year when the admissions dept have to give parents the results before they fill in the school application form.

That's news to me Magwich2. What great news! Any idea if B'ham are doing the same? That would cut out months of needless stress when we go through the process next time.

um · Post by um » Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:46 am

Really, Magwich2 - is that definite?

I know some LAs publish test results before parents fill in preference forms, which seems an eminently sensible thing to do, but this doesn't happen in the West Midlands at all.
Would love to know - it will be too late for dc2 but would help a lot with decision making for dc3.

As for sitting the test late out of choice, my understanding was that you needed a reason to do so, such as moving into the area or being ill?

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:51 am

We changed date of Kent test from January to September a few years back, which was much better, although some people are now moaning that it is too early in the year!

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:59 am

um wrote:Really, Magwich2 - is that definite?

A new draft Admissions Code was published for consultation earlier this year, and that required admission authorities to ensure that 11+ test results were known to parents prior to completing the CAF. The draft Code has now been taken down from the DfE website.

What we don't know is what the final Code, which requires the assent of Parliament, will look like following the consultation. The most recent step in the process of approval was a one-off Select Committee hearing on 11th October. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... 151301.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The new Code is due to be introduced by February 2012.

Post by **mitasol** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:36 pm

Sally-Anne wrote:The draft Code has now been taken down from the DfE website.

I'm not sure if they took it down or the link just got lost. I did search for it yesterday to no avail however today it has appeared again. I'm convinced people in high places read the EPE forums.

http://www.education.gov.uk/consultatio ... 744&menu=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sally-Anne · Post by **Sally-Anne** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:43 pm

mitasol wrote:I'm not sure if they took it down or the link just got lost. I did search for it yesterday to no avail however today it has appeared again.

How intriguing! It had been gone for several weeks - I recall WP (I think) mentioning it on the forum a while back. I have now saved copies of both draft Codes just in case they vanish again.

I'm convinced people in high places read the EPE forums.

It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

The Troll · Post by **The Troll** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:12 am

nmf wrote:Warwickshire do seem very relaxed about the 11+. My Dc sat 1st October. Parent's milling about in the exam hall for up to 45 minutes, exam papers sat on the desks. In fact there was an announcement at about 9.20 for people to stop looking through the exam papers on the desk!
If it wasn't so important it would be funny.

Are you saying that the actual exam papers were on the desks, and not sealed in envelopes and could be viewed by the parents? Which test centre was this? Was it reported?

Last year papers were on the desks, but the exam papers were not available to be viewed. There was other paperwork.
Children did go on to other sections, were caught, had names recorded and were not penalised. In fact Warwickshire did not even receive the list of names.

I don't understand why they even let parents in to the test hall.

As for knowing questions beforehand for a later test, is this really cheating, when Warwickshire are not bothered? I accept it gives a child an unfair advantange, but so does private tuition and parent tuition. Not everyone can afford this or provide it. Where do you draw the line?

I admit I provided question pointers to others for later sittings last year and such students easily scored above the qualifying mark. I even told Warwickshire I was going this to do so to see how they would react. They insisted a child could not remember the questions and any advantage was minimal. So it's not cheating. Then again my son already had a place, and I would be happy if his friends gained a place!

The exam set up is a joke. They should consider 2 tests, one week apart and take the highest scores in any one test. If a child misses one test, the other test is their highest score by default. Any late testers should only be offered a place after round 1.

Late testers should have have standardised scores reduced to take in to account the extra knowledge in the run up to Sats.

Anyone can be tested late. Excuses such as "we did not know he could take the 11+ or have changed our mind, or we going to move" are all aceeptable.

I still think the 11+ should be held during February, some 4 months later. Better still, set up a national 11+ exam where every child sits the same papers on the same days. (Two tests, and the highest score counts). Late testing then disappears. Or use the year 5 Sats test results as the 11+ exam, or use Sats Year 6, taken after Easter holidays, with offers delayed to June. Appeals can be held at the end of June, with the summer holidays for "clearing".

nmf · Post by **nmf** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 9:48 pm

I would prefer not to say which exam centre my DC sat at.

On one side of each desk was the form with the child's photo and Head Teacher's signature. On another part of the desk was the exam paper, it was not sealed, or in a wallet, it could be viewed by parents &/or children. Neither I nor my DC opened the paper. Too goody-goody (or stupid). However, the fact that there was an annoucement to request people in the hall stop looking through the exam paper suggests to me that others might have grabbed the opportunity.

Reporting this to Warwickshire would be pointless.

The Troll · Post by **The Troll** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:20 am

nmf wrote:I would prefer not to say which exam centre my DC sat at.

On one side of each desk was the form with the child's photo and Head Teacher's signature. On another part of the desk was the exam paper, it was not sealed, or in a wallet, it could be viewed by parents &/or children. Neither I nor my DC opened the paper. Too goody-goody (or stupid). However, the fact that there was an annoucement to request people in the hall stop looking through the exam paper suggests to me that others might have grabbed the opportunity.

Reporting this to Warwickshire would be pointless.

Well, I am sure that people would have gone through the questions with their children.
What a shambles!

You should report it, however pointless it is. At least it would be documented and perhaps avoided in the future.
I would be interested to know what Warwickshire would have said!

pabrighton0 · Post by **pabrighton0** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:29 am

magwich2 wrote:it will be a bit better next year when the admissions dept have to give parents the results before they fill in the school application form.

Makes sense to make all the information available as early as possible. Similar to when the banks were allowed to keep your money for 5 days while it's being transferred - as if a message would take as long as post in the old times. It took many years of complaints before they got around to change it.