11+ outcome 2018

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anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by anotherdad »

Sally-Anne wrote:Did you check whether you live close enough to a Bucks school before you put your son through the test? If not, by achieving a qualifying score and not taking a place, he has displaced a local child who will not now receive a place.
Does that matter? After all:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, the rest is up to them.”

Or perhaps that should read:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, never mind the rest of them.”
CSB
Posts: 55
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:25 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by CSB »

ilelo wrote:Perhaps someone whose DC didn't do any extra or so much but did well enough for the super selectives can provide a rebuttal.
DS did well enough for super selectives; his twin didn't get past the stage 1 test. Same approach with both of them:
- 2 mocks (Sutton)
- Sutton tests only
- DIY tutoring for year 5, 2 hrs per week. They didn't know what a grammar school was before year 5.
- Didn't consider giving up their extra-curricular sports or music for a year. These activities provide an important release, and help to maintain some level of normality. They're only 9 or 10 years old, and too many forced hours of study must pose some kind of risk to their mental health I'd have thought.

The twin that didn't make it to GS actually benefited most from the extra work - made excellent progress in Y6, boosted confidence, had excellent SATs, and is thriving at the comp. Tutoring DS was easy in comparison - he's a quick learner, a keen reader, and is doing very well at the GS so far. It was important to do some coaching with him to learn what to expect at the test, and practice the style of questions to improve his speed on the papers, but in our case any more than 12 months' tutoring I think would have led to burn-out (us and them!)
blaised
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:17 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by blaised »

Sally-Anne wrote:
blaised wrote:He sat for three exams Bucks, Berks and QE.
His Slough score was really good as was his Bucks score.

If distance to school is the only criteria, then unlikely DS would get a place in a good school.
Ah, but you see, for Bucks, once a qualifying score of 121 or more is achieved, the only criteria is distance to school.

Did you check whether you live close enough to a Bucks school before you put your son through the test? If not, by achieving a qualifying score and not taking a place, he has displaced a local child who will not now receive a place.
Really? So if DS does not take his place, the school will have fewer students in that year?
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by anotherdad »

blaised wrote:Really? So if DS does not take his place, the school will have fewer students in that year?
Possibly, yes. If not, empty spaces left by tourists like you will be filled with children who've had to go through selection reviews. There are plenty of those people on the Bucks forum if you're brave enough to go on there and explain your tactics. There are at least two this year with scores of 120.75, one of whom would almost certainly have qualified automatically if you hadn't entered the process as a mock/back-up. Now they're having to go through an awful lot of trouble, as are their respective headteachers, and have an anxious wait for the results of a selection review which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of pounds.
blaised
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:17 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by blaised »

anotherdad wrote:
Sally-Anne wrote:Did you check whether you live close enough to a Bucks school before you put your son through the test? If not, by achieving a qualifying score and not taking a place, he has displaced a local child who will not now receive a place.
Does that matter? After all:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, the rest is up to them.”

Or perhaps that should read:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, never mind the rest of them.”
If I understand you correctly, you make decisions considering others first and then your family members?
That is fantastic, I am afraid that my primary consideration is the well being of my family first and then the rest of the planet.
anotherdad
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:33 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by anotherdad »

blaised wrote:
anotherdad wrote:
Sally-Anne wrote:Did you check whether you live close enough to a Bucks school before you put your son through the test? If not, by achieving a qualifying score and not taking a place, he has displaced a local child who will not now receive a place.
Does that matter? After all:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, the rest is up to them.”

Or perhaps that should read:

“IMHO we provide the best opportunity we can for our DC, never mind the rest of them.”
If I understand you correctly, you make decisions considering others first and then your family members?
That is fantastic, I am afraid that my primary consideration is the well being of my family first and then the rest of the planet.
I can see that by putting your young son through "two hours a week of tuition", "tons of homework", "a number of mocks" (even you can't remember how many) and then ferrying him around for three tests is definitely considering the wellbeing of your family. I'm impressed.
blaised
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:17 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by blaised »

anotherdad wrote:
blaised wrote:Really? So if DS does not take his place, the school will have fewer students in that year?
Possibly, yes. If not, empty spaces left by tourists like you will be filled with children who've had to go through selection reviews. There are plenty of those people on the Bucks forum if you're brave enough to go on there and explain your tactics. There are at least two this year with scores of 120.75, one of whom would almost certainly have qualified automatically if you hadn't entered the process as a mock/back-up. Now they're having to go through an awful lot of trouble, as are their respective headteachers, and have an anxious wait for the results of a selection review which will cost the taxpayer hundreds of pounds.
Resorting to name calling/labelling to back up your position without knowing anything about my situation is quite immature. Grow up.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by kenyancowgirl »

What, tourist? Education tourism is a term used in government to describe people who move around "just" for the purposes of education - often linked with address fraud but not explicitly so. Anotherdad is right, by your own admission you are an exam education tourist, so it is not really labelling or name calling.
blaised
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2018 1:17 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by blaised »

Sigh.
It is sad to see people being rude without any background information.
I haven't moved house in 20 years.
Anyways, I don't have to read this meaningless drivel.
kenyancowgirl
Posts: 6738
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:59 pm

Re: 11+ outcome 2018

Post by kenyancowgirl »

It's not meaningless drivel - and that in itself is rude from you! You said yourself that "if distance to school is the only criteria, then unlikely DS would get a place in a good school".

Sally-Anne pointed out to you that after a score of 121 in Bucks, distance is the sole criteria, therefore, unless you live close to a bucks school, you will not get a place. I am not aware of many places where you are in catchment for Bucks/Berks and QE - they are quite far apart - so it is likely that your son has sat exams for schools that he has no or very little chance of getting a place at, thereby displacing children who do live within catchment distance. If you are not planning on moving and are equidistance between the 3 areas then your son will have a long journey each day - this may impact on how much he can get involved in the school extra curricular programme. But you have "moved" for the tests - applying in areas you probably have very little chance - that is exam tourism.

Nobody has an issue with people sitting tests for schools they are genuinely interested in - your cavalier comments about how many tests, mock tests, tuition etc he has had, coupled with an apparent lack of understanding of how the system works - and a real disregard for how your actions contribute to the thousands of wasted tax payer money each year in pointless reviews/appeals (which, incidentally does affect your child as well) shows no genuine interest in a school (except perhaps QE.... :shock: ) and that is why your attitude is upsetting particularly Bucks parents.

However, there is very little point in trying to debate with someone who frankly doesn't appear to care. What is that phrase? I'm alright Jack?
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