11 Plus Exams Forum

Well, it's been many years since I frequented this forum and it has mushroomed in the meantime! (But still notice Sally-Anne is going strong).

My daughter didn't get through the Bucks 11+ initially, but goes to a good Oxfordshire comp. She's now in year 9 - very happy and doing well (all level 7s, G&T), but we are facing a dilemma in that GCSE options will not allow her easily to take what she wants. The school is not particularly strong on languages and she is keen to take two to GCSE.

Just so I know our options, is there anyone out there who knows how full the current Year 9 is at AHS or the Floyd? Has anyone transferred into Year 10 of a grammar? How did it go? I don't think we'll go down this road (I think she rather likes the less pressured atmosphere!), but it might be worth knowing anyway.

Jed

I know this isn't ideal but would you consider letting her do a distance learning GCSE?

Hi Jed!

How wonderful to hear from you again, and also to hear how incredibly well your DD is getting on. You must be very proud of her.

I cannot unfortunately access information on the numbers for Floyd in Year 9 at present, so we will have to wait for someone to turn up who knows the situation at first hand.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but I just had to drop by to say "hi"!

Best wishes
Sally-Anne

T.i.p.s.y

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't know you could do distance-learning GCSEs in languages (or anything else come to that). Where do I find out more?

We have also considered a private tutor for one of the languages and we might go down this route if the school can't accommodate. But it did occur to me that AHS is a language college so perhaps worth looking at.

Sally-Anne - how nice of you to drop by and say hello!

Jed

There are various distance learning sites on google but this might be the easiest one as it assumes you are under 16. They don't ask if you home-ed but it may be better to say yes.

http://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/

Hi Jed,

Nice to see you on the forum again - why don't you telephone the Floyd and see whether they have a place and how you apply.

Their option system is very flexible - details here:

http://www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk/p ... cks&sid=21

scroll down for Options stuff.

I used to test for KS4 entry at a GS and so it does happen - we did tests in core subjects plus French but I don't know what other schools do.

.

Thank you all for your help. That's definitely given us some food for thought.

Looking at some of the other schools' websites has also brought home the fact that different schools arrange the options in different ways, but that does not necessarily give you more choice overall.

Perhaps better to work with what you have?

Jed

My son sat a language GCSE being privatelyd tutored as his school couldn't offer it. It was amazing how quickly he progressed with a private tutor, they covered so much ground one on one and school let him enter it at school so they did all the sorting out. He had no homework and was tutored for an hour a week in term time and really enjoyed it.

Jed,

I have PM'd you