Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

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Tricia5
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Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 1:07 pm
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Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by Tricia5 »

Please see below press release from Medway Council, great news for the children! :) Medway Test exams set to head back to primary schools

Medway Council’s Cabinet have agreed proposals for the Medway Test to be undertaken in primary schools for the majority of children, rather than in independent test centres.

The council’s Cabinet met on Tuesday, 14 February, to discuss the proposals for the testing of children attending Medway maintained primary and junior schools and Medway independent schools on a school day in their own schools, following a two month long consultation.

The proposals formed part of an annual admissions consultation, which seeks the views of parents, carers and schools on admissions arrangements into primary and secondary schools.

Under the plans approved by Cabinet, pupils taking the test this year can do so at their own schools over two days on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 September, although it is up to each individual school whether they opt into these new arrangements.

The consultation ran from Friday, 18 November until Friday 13 January and set out key dates for the application process for entry into primary and secondary schools in 2013.

The consultation documents were circulated to primary schools, children’s centres and nurseries across Medway as well as being freely available on the Medway website for parents to read and respond, and 147 responses were received, 133 of which supported the option for the testing of Medway children to be undertaken in primary schools, rather than independent test centres.

Other issues addressed in the consultation that were approved by Cabinet members included increasing the published admissions number of children at five primary schools in Medway and changes to the criteria for entry into community and voluntary controlled schools, including the number of children who can be admitted.

The council will now contact all primary and junior schools in Medway to inform them of the decision and ask whether they will opt into the new arrangements.

Full details of the test arrangements will be included in the council's admissions guide for parents, which will be published in June this year.

If a school opts out of the new arrangements, testing for children attending those schools would need to take place in an independent test centre on Saturday 22 September, alongside children from out of the area.

Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Cllr Les Wicks, said: “Our main concern is always to do what is best for Medway children and I’m glad to see support for the proposal to return the test to local schools.

“By moving the test back to primary schools, I believe children will be able to benefit from taking the test in a familiar environment where they are more likely to perform to the best of their abilities.”
HOO1
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:50 am

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by HOO1 »

When will schools have to decide if they are going to do the test in school
rubyhettybetty
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:26 pm
Location: Rochester

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by rubyhettybetty »

My daughter actually wanted to do it at the test centre!!!!
Opalmoon
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:39 am

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by Opalmoon »

Tricia5 wrote: Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Cllr Les Wicks, said: “Our main concern is always to do what is best for Medway children and I’m glad to see support for the proposal to return the test to local schools.

“By moving the test back to primary schools, I believe children will be able to benefit from taking the test in a familiar environment where they are more likely to perform to the best of their abilities.”
It seems our local school doesn't agree with the above. They have decided to keep the test in a test centre. :( I would be interested to find out what the ratio will be for test centre/ own school, but I'm not sure how I'd go about it?
Samlet
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Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:18 am

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by Samlet »

I'm not sure how you'd find that out, but I reckon there will still have to be at least two test centres to cater for all the candidates from areas such as Hempstead and outlying villages which are technically Kent, but closer to Medway as well as candidates from Maidstone, Gravesend, Sittingbourne etc who may sit the Medway test as a fallback. Plus there will be children from at least two independent schools I can think of who wouldn't support the test in school.

I just hope that they keep on the efficient test centres. Still haven't heard that our school has opted in, although I'd be amazed if they didn't.
Opalmoon
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:39 am

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by Opalmoon »

I think I might have to look into it somehow, maybe contact the council at some point in the near future and see what they say. Personally, I feel having some in schools and some in test centres is going to cause a bit of a hoo-har for ICC's when the tests and results come round. Time will tell I guess. :?
medwaymum
Posts: 827
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 6:45 pm
Location: Medway & Kent

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by medwaymum »

I think this puts local children who live in Medway and Kent on an even playing field as both should be able to take their local authority test in their own school but attend a test centre for out of area. Let's hope most schools opt in!
Samlet
Posts: 306
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:18 am

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by Samlet »

One interesting aspect of this which I only realised recently, is that if you want your DC to sit both Kent and Medway, and their school has opted in to the in-school testing, then they will have to sit the Kent test in a test centre somewhere in Kent (and may not be local - my DS1's was in Ashford for a 8.30 start) on Saturday, then the Medway tests on the immediately following Tuesday and Wednesday.

Makes me think twice about going in for both and sorry, for those who really don't have a choice.
rubyhettybetty
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:26 pm
Location: Rochester

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by rubyhettybetty »

Just to say that some medway grammars are accepting a kent test pass so maybe no need to sit both?
reddebs
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:21 pm
Location: Medway/Kent

Re: Medway Test Heads Back to Primary Schools THIS YEAR!

Post by reddebs »

I think relying on the Kent test only to secure a Medway school place has the potential to backfire. Not enough information has come out of the 2 Medway schools regarding their admission criteria and it is not clear whether the statement refers to Kent residents trying to get to Medway schools or Medway residents chosing to sit the Kent test only as they see it as a "easier" test.

I also agree that the closeness in the test dates mean that a child sitting both tests could have less than a week between tests and parents should consider this when deciding what tests to opt for.
red_debs
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