11 Plus Exams Forum

Daogroupie wrote:I suggest you start looking now.

It takes a long time to find somewhere you like and move there.

You will have the additional problem that Barnet will be much more expensive than where you are currently living.

There are reasonable commutes that can be made from Herts. A very good overground line into New Barnet that goes onto Moorgate and a good bus 614 that comes in from places such as Hatfield that are considerably cheaper than Barnet.

Do you have other siblings that will need to find local schools? DG

Thanks DG, your responses have always been full of advice and reassuring, will consider these when moving, Barnet prices are similar to where we are currently living

No, don’t need to find schools for sibling.

I think of standardised scores as a kind of percentile in reverse. So, say, 230 and above represents the top 16% (I’m just guessing the actual numbers here). And it’s always about the same percentage every year, however many candidates there are. Then if there are lots of candidates that 16% represents more actual children. And since there are the same number of actual places then the percentage who are offered a place goes down.

(Also, I hesitate to post at all on a QE thread, but I think it gets an unfairly bad rap on here sometimes. I’m fairly local to QE and know quite a few local people who have or have had sons there and been very happy with it. Because it was the right school for them. It is not the Holy Grail perfect school for everyone of course, but then no school is. I’m not aware of any particular general negative stigma associated with it. I think there is perhaps a level of disappointment though that there is a potentially great school right on the doorstep that is so difficult to get a place at.)

Current QE exam format, which is based on GL assessment Maths and English, tests standard English and Maths of KS2.
English (Comprehension, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Standard Maths, which covers KS2 syllabus, allows everyone to perform at best of their abilities. I think this format brings everyone on same page with or without very much tutoring.
CGP books on 11+, FPTP books and GL assessment question papers provide the exam specific details.
Maths book on KS2 by David Rayner covers Maths syllabus.
A descriptive english composition aspect can be thought of a shortcoming in selection process, though IMHO that aspect is covered in higher classes.
Its great school and will continue to be much sought after.

[quote="Albatross"]I think of standardised scores as a kind of percentile in reverse. ....

Someone wrote a calculator for Kendrick school, which might help to understand
http://kendrickcalculator.weebly.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Albatross wrote:I think of standardised scores as a kind of percentile in reverse. So, say, 230 and above represents the top 16% (I’m just guessing the actual numbers here). And it’s always about the same percentage every year, however many candidates there are. Then if there are lots of candidates that 16% represents more actual children. And since there are the same number of actual places then the percentage who are offered a place goes down.

(Also, I hesitate to post at all on a QE thread, but I think it gets an unfairly bad rap on here sometimes. I’m fairly local to QE and know quite a few local people who have or have had sons there and been very happy with it. Because it was the right school for them. It is not the Holy Grail perfect school for everyone of course, but then no school is. I’m not aware of any particular general negative stigma associated with it. I think there is perhaps a level of disappointment though that there is a potentially great school right on the doorstep that is so difficult to get a place at.)

I quite agree and this makes a lot more sense. Talking about 11+ tourists who push the standardised score up- I think your logic is valid that they do have certain percentage of kids lying under certain cap bands. What we have seen in past years is that there is no significant rise in the cutoff scores(last boy entered) though the number of candidates each year increases in 100s. This year it was over 2500, would be interested to know what previous years were?
Email from QE stated:
A list of raw scores was returned to GL Assessment. These scores were standardised in such a way as to take your son's age (in complete years and months) into account.
The standardised scores were combined with each test carrying equal weighting.

Zoe007 wrote:

Albatross wrote:I think of standardised scores as a kind of percentile in reverse. So, say, 230 and above represents the top 16% (I’m just guessing the actual numbers here). And it’s always about the same percentage every year, however many candidates there are. Then if there are lots of candidates that 16% represents more actual children. And since there are the same number of actual places then the percentage who are offered a place goes down.

(Also, I hesitate to post at all on a QE thread, but I think it gets an unfairly bad rap on here sometimes. I’m fairly local to QE and know quite a few local people who have or have had sons there and been very happy with it. Because it was the right school for them. It is not the Holy Grail perfect school for everyone of course, but then no school is. I’m not aware of any particular general negative stigma associated with it. I think there is perhaps a level of disappointment though that there is a potentially great school right on the doorstep that is so difficult to get a place at.)

I quite agree and this makes a lot more sense. Talking about 11+ tourists who push the standardised score up- I think your logic is valid that they do have certain percentage of kids lying under certain cap bands. What we have seen in past years is that there is no significant rise in the cutoff scores(last boy entered) though the number of candidates each year increases in 100s. This year it was over 2500, would be interested to know what previous years were?
Email from QE stated:
A list of raw scores was returned to GL Assessment. These scores were standardised in such a way as to take your son's age (in complete years and months) into account.
The standardised scores were combined with each test carrying equal weighting.

Yes, I think 11+ tourism doesn’t really disadvantage “serious” candidates in a one-stage exam like QE has, because the non-serious ones don’t apply (or don’t put QE first anyway) even if they have a very high score and so the offers go down to a lower ranking on the list, which may be about the same standardised score. It disadvantages the school, because they have to contend with more candidates, but not the candidates themselves.

Where 11+ tourists are bad for serious candidates is when you have a two-stage exam. So a “serious” candidate can be pushed out of the second round altogether by a tourist candidate who has no intention of taking up a place. E.G. Mill Hill County (if they still do this, I don’t know), HBS, Latymer.

Daogroupie wrote:This will depend on whether QE is offering 180 places on allocation day or 192.

Last year it was 192 and it still stopped at 231 with some on 231 not getting a place.

If it is 180 this year it is may well stop on 232 this year. DG

DG - QE will offer 192 places on allocation day.

CluelessDad wrote:

Daogroupie wrote:This will depend on whether QE is offering 180 places on allocation day or 192.

Last year it was 192 and it still stopped at 231 with some on 231 not getting a place.

If it is 180 this year it is may well stop on 232 this year. DG

DG - QE will offer 192 places on allocation day.

Thanks for the info CluelessDad. Was this told in the school tours? Sadly was unable to book a place as all places for tours were gone by the evening.

This information was not given in the school tours in October.

Prospective parents were informed that the governors would be meeting in November to discuss this.

I am interested to hear where this information has come from.

It is good news and will of course impact the score of the last boy to get in on March 1st if 192 places are being allocated on March 1st. DG

Daogroupie wrote:This information was not given in the school tours in October.

Prospective parents were informed that the governors would be meeting in November to discuss this.

I am interested to hear where this information has come from.

It is good news and will of course impact the score of the last boy to get in on March 1st if 192 places are being allocated on March 1st. DG

Correct - no info in October tours.

It was not discussed by the governors in November but was agreed to at the governors meeting last month.

My source are impeccable. There will be an additional 12 happy boys and parents this Friday.