Difference between Birmingham and Wiltshire Tests

[mattsurf]

We have finaly decided to relocate to Salisbury this summer.

My Son will be taking his 11+ in November; he is currently being tutored for the Birmingham grammar school exams, however, he will now be taking the Wiltshire 11+. Can anyone tell me what the differences are - I know that both are NFER tests, but I am confused by the different tyes of test.

Also, we are contemplating getting our son to take the papers in Birmingham - we have been told that if he passes here, he would automatically be offered a place in the Grammar in Salisbury; is this the case? If so we may be better off leaving him at school in Sutton Coldfield until Christmas as it would be less disruption for him in the critical run up to the 11+

Does anyone know when they take the 11+ in Wiltshire - is it possible to do the 11+ in 2 different regions?

Thanks

Matt

[Guest55]

Welcome!

Usually LAs do NOT recognise the 11+ from another area so I think your information on that may be incorrect. I know children in Kent GS do have to be retested for a GS place in Bucks.

Scroll down to the area sections and ask there - I'm sure someone will know.

[hermanmunster]

yes you can take the 11 plus in 2 regions but can only fill in one CAF and hence only give one set of school choices. If you are still living in B'ham in October then it will be a Birmingham form you complete even if it ends up having Salisbury schools on it. Hopefully you will have the results of the 11 plus by the time you have to complete the form - not sure if you will though as the The Bishop Wordsworth exam is 21/11 and the girls is on 22/11

[fm]

I doubt you could simply transfer. I would think you would have to appeal for a place with a case strengthened by a pass in another area. I would phone Salisbury education authority rather than rely on hearsay.

If they are both NFER exams, then I would think your tutor could easily cater for the Salisbury exam. You could then keep your child in their current primary school to minimise disruption but travel down for the exam in November.

My elder daughter travelled down on the train from Scotland to sit the KE exam some years ago and it worked very well. She felt under no pressure to pass because she was the only person she knew taking the exam and it was almost like a weekend away, with overnight stay at B and B. We got to sleep about 2am but it didn't affect her performance. Children are very resilient and also follow your lead. Be upbeat, and they will be full of confidence.

[sycamore]

Hi Matt,

Firstly take a look at this. Although it is out of date , the information is correct except that according to my daughter, who sat the exams in November, the VR is 21 types, not 15.

Also, have a good look at the Bishop Wordsworth's School website.
http://www.bws.wilts.sch.uk/

South Wilts Grammar School (for girls) has the same exam and the two schools work closely so there is also probably some good info on here.
http://www.swgs.wilts.sch.uk/

Both schools have the same 11+ exam, to be held this year on the morning of Saturday 21st November. The children sit the exam at the relevant Grammar school.

The results are posted on Allocation Day so you won't be able to fill in your CAF with the benefit of knowing your son's score.

As stated before, you need to put BWS on your CAF form but make sure it is your 1st choice. Otherwise, you may be offered a place at a school higher on your preference list even if your son passes.

I know the schools have arrangements for overseas students to sit the exams in their own country. There are a large number of forces families living within catchment so I guess they are used to this. However I'm not sure if they would allow him to take the Wilts 11+ in Birmingham and I am almost certain that they would disregard his results in exams taken for other areas in their decision about whether he qualifies.

Most importantly you need to take advice about timing your move. You need to find out whether your school allocation depends on the address on your CAF or whether you can inform the LA inbetween submitting the form and Allocation Day. Otherwise you could end up in the situation where your son passes the 11+ but does not qualify for a place at GS because he officially lives in Sutton Coldfield!

If you need any more info don't hesitate to ask.

[capers123]

we have been told that if he passes here, he would automatically be offered a place in the Grammar in Salisbury; is this the case?

I think that someone is confusing taking the exam and transferring.

With some schools, if you transfer to them in-year and the child is already at a selective school, they will take that as evidence of academic ability and not test them again.

I've not heard of taking the exam in one LEA and that being used to calculate a pass in another one. For a start, the test types are likely to be different, along with a different cohort, so working out a standardised score would be impossible.

You would need to take the Wilts test in accordance with their rules, if you wanted entry for Y7.

In my county, most children don't start tutoring until Christmas / Easter before the November exam, although there are of course a few who start earlier. Wiltshire may be similar, whereas I think Birmingham is quite competitive (so longer tutoring). Ask in the Wiltshire forum.

Or consider moving to Gloucestershire instead

[sycamore]

Ask in the Wiltshire forum.

Have you been down there lately?

It's just me and the tumbleweed.

[mattsurf]

What is the difference between VR 21 Types and VR 15 Types? Do you need to study any differently?

I am pretty sure that I read that there is a late application date for people moving into the area, however, I will double check

Can you recomend a Primary School in Salisbury - I will be looking for a school for all 3 of my kids, however, as the oldest will only be there for a year, it may be feasible to put him into a different school from the other 2

Moving just before the 11+ is a bit of a logistical nightmare

[sycamore]

Hi Matt,

The list of question types is here. This is the format for Bucks and some other areas so it's probably worth looking at the information for those for more detailed advice.

Make sure the late application date puts your son through the allocation process along with the rest of the cohort, otherwise he might end up on the waiting list.

Apart from looking at Ofsted reports, this is the only other indicator of Primary school performance I've come across recently.

I couldn't even imagine the nightmare of new job/house move/new schools/11+ prep all at the same time.

[mattsurf]

The job is sorted - I have been working in Southampton since July last year - I wanted to see how it was going before making any decisions about relocation.

It is really tough being away from the family all week, the job is pretty good, and as all of my kids are still in primary school a move is not too disruptive - I think that it is a case of now or never.

Salisbury is the best bet; I am a great fan of Grammar Schools, having attended one in Bucks myself. Since my son has a realistic chance of passing the 11+ I know that we would always regret not giving him the chance. From my research BW seems like a great school.

Looks like the Wiltshire forum will have a new member - I hope that 3's not a crowd.