11 Plus Exams Forum

Any news on what the pass mark was this year?

Hello,

I have no direct experience of the NW exams I'm afraid, although I know quite a lot about Kent!

NW, Bexley and Kent all test different things. For example NW do not have a maths paper and I gather Bexley are dropping NVR. Kent tests both of these in addition to VR. Which set of exams your daughter finds hardest will probably depend on her particular strengths or weaknesses.

NW takes the top 130 scorers in their exam. There is no "pass mark" as such. As they are very oversubscribed most girls will probably find it harder to get an offer from NW than to pass the Kent test. However, if you are in catchment for NW you will not be in catchment for any of the Kent grammars which accept a bare pass. Competition to get into TGS is likely to be comperable to NW. I can't comment on Bexley.

Taking reasoning papers early will not disadvantage candidates unless they are late to mature in relation to other children born in the same month as them. All children will be in the same boat. As far as maths is concerned, again everyone is in the same boat and even if tests are delayed until January the syllabus may not have been completed.

Your daughter's test scores certainly don't rule her out for a place at NW, but it's a bit early to predict!

Thank you for your reply. When is a good age to start predicting?? The school has said she is grammar material and she is in the top 5% which is why I wondered about the chances for NW.

I haven't got into the debate on whether to tutor or not, my current view is if a child is able, familarization is probably a good thing.

I've heard private schools 'tutor' child to pass the 11plus and wonder if this gives them a real advantage or does it catch up with them in the end.

Coopers is my catchment school and I have heard mixed views hence why I am keen to start getting an understanding.

Thanks

PW Mum

PW Mum wrote:Hi all Mums, my thoughts are with you all as you are waiting for results, could I benefit from what you have picked up please;

1) Are the Newstead Woods exams tougher than say Bexley/Kent
2) What has been the pass mark for NW in previous years.
3) Is a child disadvantaged doing exams at the beginning of Year 6 ie not having finisned KS2?
4) My daughter got 4cs in all subject and a Standarised score in reading of 137, 126VR and 138NVR at end of year 3 and, looks like having another good year in Y4 - does she have a chance with NW?

Thanks you

Hi PW Mum,

My daughter started at Newstead in September after missing out on the original cut by one point. I won't bore you with all the traumatic details however this time last year we recieved our last place school, my house was on the market, my hair was greying, eyes on stalks and I had consumed copious amounts of Bison. Thank goodness for the team here on the Forum!!!

Anyway...... with the scores your daughter is currently displaying she looks a good bet. How does she feel about NW? Does she really want to go there? I ask this because the expectation is so high in terms of getting in. I found though talking to friends that many teachers at the Bromley state primaries do not encourage taking selective tests, if they do they prefer to guide you towards taking the Bexley test and frown somewhat on the Super Selectives!

The current test (check that they are not changing it as St Olaves have done) is VR and NVR. Ensure that your daughter is comfortable and familar with all the types she may encounter - you will know whether she can manage the test! Remember it is super selective. My daughter finished one of the tests with 20 minutes left... she did very little checking and just sat there afterwards watching the clock... there is a lesson for you. I did not have her tutored in VR or NVR as I felt she was strong on these I just did some practice with her at home..... there is a lesson. I had her tutored in Maths, not because she was weak but - as you have alluded to in your question - she would not have covered the entire maths syllabus by time she took the test(Bexley and Kent have a Maths paper). I should have asked someone to take her through test taking techniques.... a lesson.

Over the past few years the lowest they have taken in is 218 - these were offered as late as May. First cut (offers out in March) have been around the 222/221/220 mark.

Hope this helps. Incidentally, my daughter is flying through!!! Her CAT scores put her in the top 2% and 5% for the three tests (cannot remember what they were) and she is performing a lot better all round in all subjects than many of the girls that, I fear, were coached to pass the 11 plus by their mainly private schools!!!!! Also, tellingly she is doing really well in Maths where some girls are struggling.

Anyway...must get on with my day job. A year ago I was sitting here with my head on the desk in a pool of tears. I have today just seen my dear, happy daughter off to her local (hurrah for Newstead) school, happy and smiling.....

Regards,

reTired Mum

Tired Mum wrote:

PW Mum wrote:Hi all Mums, my thoughts are with you all as you are waiting for results, could I benefit from what you have picked up please;

1) Are the Newstead Woods exams tougher than say Bexley/Kent
2) What has been the pass mark for NW in previous years.
3) Is a child disadvantaged doing exams at the beginning of Year 6 ie not having finisned KS2?
4) My daughter got 4cs in all subject and a Standarised score in reading of 137, 126VR and 138NVR at end of year 3 and, looks like having another good year in Y4 - does she have a chance with NW?

Thanks you

Hi PW Mum,

My daughter started at Newstead in September after missing out on the original cut by one point. I won't bore you with all the traumatic details however this time last year we recieved our last place school, my house was on the market, my hair was greying, eyes on stalks and I had consumed copious amounts of Bison. Thank goodness for the team here on the Forum!!!

Anyway...... with the scores your daughter is currently displaying she looks a good bet. How does she feel about NW? Does she really want to go there? I ask this because the expectation is so high in terms of getting in. I found though talking to friends that many teachers at the Bromley state primaries do not encourage taking selective tests, if they do they prefer to guide you towards taking the Bexley test and frown somewhat on the Super Selectives!

The current test (check that they are not changing it as St Olaves have done) is VR and NVR. Ensure that your daughter is comfortable and familar with all the types she may encounter - you will know whether she can manage the test! Remember it is super selective. My daughter finished one of the tests with 20 minutes left... she did very little checking and just sat there afterwards watching the clock... there is a lesson for you. I did not have her tutored in VR or NVR as I felt she was strong on these I just did some practice with her at home..... there is a lesson. I had her tutored in Maths, not because she was weak but - as you have alluded to in your question - she would not have covered the entire maths syllabus by time she took the test(Bexley and Kent have a Maths paper). I should have asked someone to take her through test taking techniques.... a lesson.

Over the past few years the lowest they have taken in is 218 - these were offered as late as May. First cut (offers out in March) have been around the 222/221/220 mark.

Hope this helps. Incidentally, my daughter is flying through!!! Her CAT scores put her in the top 2% and 5% for the three tests (cannot remember what they were) and she is performing a lot better all round in all subjects than many of the girls that, I fear, were coached to pass the 11 plus by their mainly private schools!!!!! Also, tellingly she is doing really well in Maths where some girls are struggling.

Anyway...must get on with my day job. A year ago I was sitting here with my head on the desk in a pool of tears. I have today just seen my dear, happy daughter off to her local (hurrah for Newstead) school, happy and smiling.....

Regards,

reTired Mum

That should have been 'a pool of tears and snot'

Seriously, though, reTIRED MUM, thank you for that post.
It wi11 give this year and next year's parents some insights into this happy proce55.

Best wishes and great to see you.

Please visit REHAB.(Plea from Worried Mum: she's very lonely)

Thank you for your reply - I can imagine the relief you must feel when you look through the logs.

I haven't spoken to my daughter about schools although I think playground gossip is starting to filter through so I am sure it will be on the agenda soon!

My daughter goes to Crofton and each year a few manage to get to NW but it is trying to understand what makes those girls different to ones that pass say Chis and Sid.

My thinking is taking me towards getting an assessment done and take the advice of the assessor. Does that seem sensible? There is a small private school on Widmore road and they do an hour long assessment - the pupils that attend there all go on to grammar schools.

PW Mum wrote:Thank you for your reply - I can imagine the relief you must feel when you look through the logs.

I haven't spoken to my daughter about schools although I think playground gossip is starting to filter through so I am sure it will be on the agenda soon!

My daughter goes to Crofton and each year a few manage to get to NW but it is trying to understand what makes those girls different to ones that pass say Chis and Sid.

My thinking is taking me towards getting an assessment done and take the advice of the assessor. Does that seem sensible? There is a small private school on Widmore road and they do an hour long assessment - the pupils that attend there all go on to grammar schools.

Hi PW Mum,

I went to The TF - in Widmore Road too at the end of year 4 with my daughter and it provided me with comfort that she would be able to cope at Newstead. What it also did though was make me take my eye off the NVR and VR as my daughter's scores were so good - I explained this before!!

I know Crofton very well - my daughter was at Perry Hall and has many friends at Crofton though dance, swimming, athletics etc. The difference between Newstead girls and Chis and Sid girls ..... the uniform ) both schools are excellent (I have a number of friends with daughters at C & S) and apart from Newstead being super selective and local I would be happy with a place at Chis and Sid too - it was third on my list behind Newstead and Townley (girls only).

Hope these ramblings help.

reTired Mum

Thanks for your reply. it was actually Ashgrove I was thinking of they have a very good secondary transfer record but I will look at TF.

PW Mum wrote:
My daughter goes to Crofton and each year a few manage to get to NW but it is trying to understand what makes those girls different to ones that pass say Chis and Sid.

To get into NW you have to have one of the 130 top scores of those who sit the exam in a particular year.
To get into Chis & Sid you have to pass the Bexley selection test. There are approx 840 selective places up for grabs (about 4500 sit the papers)and about 200 of those places are at Chis & Sid. However only the top 180 scores are guaranteed a selective place in Bexley schools.

I have heard of Bexley children who have also sat the Kent tests for places at Dartford/Wilmington, but personally have not heard of any that have taken the test for NW.I imagine distance is something of an issue? My guess is that those who score in the top 180 in the Bexley test would probably also do well in the NW test.

We received our daughters marks back from the Newstead test yesterday. The cut off was 222 and my daughter got 220.

I thought missing out by only 2 points would put us in with a fair chance of being offered a place but we are 20th on the list to be offered a place