11 Plus Exams Forum

http://www.courier.co.uk/Judd-School-s- ... story.html

Robert Masters wrote:A new “tutor-proof” Kent Test is being launched this September by Kent County Council, but Mr Masters believes it will still favour middle-class families able to pay for coaching. "It is easy to write a fair test – it is impossible to ensure people have the same preparation".

KS2 SATS? wrote:The test would only include a syllabus taught in primary schools up to Year 5 and so eliminate the need for intensive coaching. He said Judd governors were keen to see a new test focusing on maths and English.

It is easy to write a fair test, but... wrote:He also said he would like to see a system in which pupils with hidden potential could be selected by a school panel. “The difficulty is subjectivity. I am not allowed to interview and not allowed to do anything subjective but that is exactly what you need to do.” And: "The child would benefit from coming to your school – we know they are bright enough but they might not do well in test".

Every quote is a gem! I love the way he rubbishes the new KCC 11+ before revealing his own brilliant test, and then volunteers that a "school panel" (illegal?) is actually what you need to identify the "hidden potential" of children who might not do well in the test...

I have concluded that there is not a single tutor proof test. Only focus of tutoring changes.

Even if he did find the holy grail of tutor-proof tests, I don't see how it is going to make a significant difference to the intake of the school. Where is he losing a lot of undiscovered genii to who together, would, significantly increase the already high results of the school to mega-high?

Perhaps his reason for wishing to break away from the Kent test could be a theory that a superselective in Kent with its own test on its own chosen range of dates would attract more candidates from far and wide thus improving the competition for the school and the field from which the school can pick. This would provide more grade uplift surely than any test tweaking.

I hope that they don't fall for an infinite catchment area, like Tiffins did for last 20 years, and totally destroy their connection with the local community and also cause horrendous travel for many children. In a area like Kent, with so many grammars, the catchment for Judd need not be more than 7 to 10 km radius.

Tiffin is in a larger, more densely populated area isn't it?

Catchment areas? What are they? Are they a form of discrimination? We don't want you in our school?

Grammar schools should not have catchment areas. Highest marks should get places. A natural catchement area would form in the basis of logistics of travel.

Closer to the school - higher property prices is not the way forward.

If someone insists of local children, do not got to a grammar!

Horrenous travel? A nanny state? Let the parents be the judge of the travel. What stops a family moving 20 miles away once they have their place?

Tiffin's catchment area is being challenged with the OSA.

Tiffin's catchment area is being challenged with the OSA.

I hope that OSA would decide that 14 km radius is too broad catchment area, attracting nearly 1900 applications for 150 places last year, and would order school to narrow it down. I seriously hope that OSA would also consider Academies Act requirement of taking students wholly or mainly from the area in which the school is situated.

Hi all,

Please also remember that this argument has been had elsewhere in the forum. All I have to add is that there is no catchment area for the teachers! Many teachers from my borough travel to neighbouring boroughs with Grammars. Our schools would be much better with those teachers. There is freedom of movement and it is up to the parents to either move after the exam or make reasonable travel arrangements for their children.

make reasonable travel arrangements

In Tiffin, some parents consider Slough to Kingston as reasonable travel.

Neither have I seen any admission arrangements where teachers from other areas (other than school's own staff) have any priority.

What I meant is that the good teachers go to the grammars. Rightly, nobody is stopping them and asking them to teach in their borough. So, the argument of the local school goes local school for local children. Well, if the good teachers stayed in their borough maybe the schools would improve and children would not need to travel?

I think reasonable travel is difficult to define. Would you say 1/2 hour? 45 mins? Would the number of transport changes count? What if you are rural?