11+passes

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:58 pm

How disappointing. Only 2 children passed at my daughters primary school and both boys had had tutoring by teachers in their year 3 times a week at a hefty cost. My daughter missed out by 3 points with only my tutoring - all her own work. I did consider tutoring but wondered if it is good for these children to get through the test and then be out of their depth at grammar school? Very disappointed in her primary school as are alot of mums, feel let down. Awaiting Kent test results, interestingly they advise no tutoring for pupils taking this test for a more accurate result. Really question the motives and standard of teaching at my daughters school - seems the teachers can do it privately but not publically!

virtualmomma · Post by **virtualmomma** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:33 pm

I'm sorry to hear that, my DD didn't pass either, I know she missed out because she didn't complete her VR paper she got quite a low mark, 103, for what should have been her strongest subject.

I'd be quite angry if I found out that DD's teacher thought he needed more money in order to help his students prepare for their 11+.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:37 pm

virtualmomma - teachers/schools in Bexley aren't allowed to prepare children for the 11+, although I suppose there's nothing to prevent them doing it in a private capacity.

Sorry to hear about your daughter - sounds like quite a few kids were caught out with the time.

virtualmomma · Post by **virtualmomma** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:43 pm

Bexley Mum 2 wrote:virtualmomma - teachers/schools in Bexley aren't allowed to prepare children for the 11+, although I suppose there's nothing to prevent them doing it in a private capacity.

Sorry to hear about your daughter - sounds like quite a few kids were caught out with the time.

Really? my DD's teacher gave out the NFER Maths papers for them to do at home during the holidays and then he went over the answers in class showing them where they went wrong and how to approach the questions. I thought they where allowed to do this with Maths but not VR.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:15 pm

Bexley does not encourage coaching for the tests and my understanding has always been that this is extended to schools as well as parents. Does your dd's school generally do this or was her teacher doing it independently?

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:26 pm

My daughter's teachers were doing this privately, last year they had booster classes, but not so this year, all they did towards the selective test was to do the mock paper which is available on the Bexley website. The teachers were charging Â£20 a session tutoring at the child's home or in school, some were having 3 sessions a week! Nice little earner. What is the point of doing the selective test if you do not support it with preparation work - is it to deflate and destroy our children's confidence - this is not sour grapes as my daughter missed out by such a small amount, it is really the whole system, do you this this really objectively tests our children's skills? Thank goodness my little one is happier today and we do have a good school to go.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:33 pm

Nutmeg - does your HT condone teachers tutoring their own children for payment? This sounds very unethical to me.

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:59 pm

Bexley mum - I am not sure if the HT agrees - I thought I might ring Hillview on Monday just to run it by them - do not want to cause any problems but it just sounds wrong to me - will also ask the school about their policy - thank you good point, I think it also creates a class system - I didn't even know the tutoring was on offer and I am on the PCC. I would not have taken it up anyway, feel an element of their own ability with a little enhancing gives a more realistic picture of their ability to cope with grammar.

Would not recommend my child's school to anyone who wants their child to pass the 11+!

Bex mum · Post by **Bex mum** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:27 pm

I suspected my DS teacher was privately tutoring on school premises and it was quite frustrating when I need to speak to her after school but she was with children from another class. As I wasn't sure, I didn't say anything.

I will watch this thread with interest...

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:17 pm

Will post what happens on Monday, have a brother and sister in law who are teachers up in the Lake District, the educational system seem to stick together - worse than politicians!

Hope all your children have settled into their results!