What's on your mind while you wait for results?
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What's on your mind while you wait for results?
Good luck to parents still waiting for results, ie. HBS, DAO and Latymer (round 1).
While you are twiddling your thumbs, do any of these questions currently feature in your thinking? (These may also be relevant to QE and MHCHS applicants who have not yet submitted their CAFs.)
1. If your DC achieves a 'very' high score at a school that would not have been your first choice, will you change your CAF preferences and place this over a school for which you have a less secure (borderline) score? Is the received wisdom that applicants stick with their original preferences, get on CI lists, and live with an extended period of uncertainty?
2. If your DC gets a low or borderline score at your first choice of school, will you still list it as first choice? Will you omit schools on the CAF for which DC seems to have little chance of getting a place? Are there other schools which you would consider adding now you know you'd be wasting a choice on a selective?
3. If your DC gets a 'very' high mark at QE, DAO, MCHSH or HBS, and also gets through the first round of Latymer, will you still commit your DC to taking Latymer round 2 at the end of November?
4. If your DC gets a low score and is unlikely to be offered a place at a selective school, have you come to terms with your non-selective Plan B that may not offer what you originally wanted for your DC? How much do you really know about the local school/s for which they will definitely secure a place?
5. Are your CAF preferences affected by sibling policies, with particular reference to DAO and MHCHS?
6. Have you spoken in any depth with parents of the schools for which you are applying or prioritising?
Although these choices will settle themselves before the end of the month, what's your current thinking?
Toucan
While you are twiddling your thumbs, do any of these questions currently feature in your thinking? (These may also be relevant to QE and MHCHS applicants who have not yet submitted their CAFs.)
1. If your DC achieves a 'very' high score at a school that would not have been your first choice, will you change your CAF preferences and place this over a school for which you have a less secure (borderline) score? Is the received wisdom that applicants stick with their original preferences, get on CI lists, and live with an extended period of uncertainty?
2. If your DC gets a low or borderline score at your first choice of school, will you still list it as first choice? Will you omit schools on the CAF for which DC seems to have little chance of getting a place? Are there other schools which you would consider adding now you know you'd be wasting a choice on a selective?
3. If your DC gets a 'very' high mark at QE, DAO, MCHSH or HBS, and also gets through the first round of Latymer, will you still commit your DC to taking Latymer round 2 at the end of November?
4. If your DC gets a low score and is unlikely to be offered a place at a selective school, have you come to terms with your non-selective Plan B that may not offer what you originally wanted for your DC? How much do you really know about the local school/s for which they will definitely secure a place?
5. Are your CAF preferences affected by sibling policies, with particular reference to DAO and MHCHS?
6. Have you spoken in any depth with parents of the schools for which you are applying or prioritising?
Although these choices will settle themselves before the end of the month, what's your current thinking?
Toucan
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
My DC is only trying for Latymer. He did sit other exams for practice but he lives too far away to actually go to any of these other schools. So I am hoping that other people answer 'no, my DC won't sit round two' to question 3 - more chance for my DC to get in then!
Qu 4 - We live near an excellent comprehensive that achieves Grammar school standard results for the high attainers but due to their admissions criteria my DC has more chance of getting into Latymer. It is an unfortunate situation to be in.
Qu 6 - I have spoken in depth to parents of children at the local comp but know only a handful of parents whose DCs go to Latymer.
Qu 4 - We live near an excellent comprehensive that achieves Grammar school standard results for the high attainers but due to their admissions criteria my DC has more chance of getting into Latymer. It is an unfortunate situation to be in.
Qu 6 - I have spoken in depth to parents of children at the local comp but know only a handful of parents whose DCs go to Latymer.
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
Mamonaku,
Thanks so much for your thoughts. It's good to get some feedback. Good luck with Latymer.
Toucan
Thanks so much for your thoughts. It's good to get some feedback. Good luck with Latymer.
Toucan
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
Toucan,
Good topic. I am sure everyone is going through the trials and tribulations of the 11+ process. The one thought that has crossed my mind is the relevance of the information provided by the schools under the guise of results. Telling a parent that their dc has scored 'x' standardised points and last year every score above 'y' won a place at the particular school is likely to cause more uncertainty.
Another compouding factor is the effect of early testing this year. What impact will this have on the results. Will there be an overall lowering of the scores? This question adds to the uncertainty, especially for parents whose dc's have borderline scores compared to last years' entry levels. Add to this the easy maths paper in the SW Herts consortium, which appears to have raised the standardised score average, reflecting in lower then expected final scores. How is this going to effect the the lowest entry level score - again questioning the validity of providing the results in the format selected.
I am not blamng the schools - it's the system that is questionable. Some food for thought.
Tagore
Good topic. I am sure everyone is going through the trials and tribulations of the 11+ process. The one thought that has crossed my mind is the relevance of the information provided by the schools under the guise of results. Telling a parent that their dc has scored 'x' standardised points and last year every score above 'y' won a place at the particular school is likely to cause more uncertainty.
Another compouding factor is the effect of early testing this year. What impact will this have on the results. Will there be an overall lowering of the scores? This question adds to the uncertainty, especially for parents whose dc's have borderline scores compared to last years' entry levels. Add to this the easy maths paper in the SW Herts consortium, which appears to have raised the standardised score average, reflecting in lower then expected final scores. How is this going to effect the the lowest entry level score - again questioning the validity of providing the results in the format selected.
I am not blamng the schools - it's the system that is questionable. Some food for thought.
Tagore
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
Tagore - I have read this a few times but still don't really understand! I have heard the maths paper was easy this year .... my DC said it was really easy . He did ok , not brilliantly, but got a borderline score so may get into our chosen school ...he would have got in in 2011, 2010 and 2009 but not in 2012. However I have heard from lots of people that their children also said it was easy but were shocked by the low results. I think I understand that because everyone did so well they have stretched the marks somehow to show the difference but in real terms does it mean there are lots of children with super high results and our borderline score is in fact low...or will it mean that the overall score this year will be lower and our borderline score will in fact be quite high! I know we can't know for sure but would be interested in your view! It is all so stressful trying to work it all out and second guess it.
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
elby - good morning.
I am simply posting my thoughts. My knowledge of the standardisation process is limited at best. However, there was extensive posting on one of the threads about how everyone was surpirsed at the low Maths score by their dc's. Someone offered the explanation of the average standardised score, in this case 200, of moving the "bell". It seemed plausible. Hence I inferred that there may be a lowering of the entry level score, when you add in the factors of the change this year and earlier tests.
In any event, I wish you luck with your dc's future.
Tagore
I am simply posting my thoughts. My knowledge of the standardisation process is limited at best. However, there was extensive posting on one of the threads about how everyone was surpirsed at the low Maths score by their dc's. Someone offered the explanation of the average standardised score, in this case 200, of moving the "bell". It seemed plausible. Hence I inferred that there may be a lowering of the entry level score, when you add in the factors of the change this year and earlier tests.
In any event, I wish you luck with your dc's future.
Tagore
Re: What's on your mind while you wait for results?
thanks - I know it is all guess work but its nice to get other peoples views and especially when they say there may be a lowering of scores.. it gives us all hope at least ! as I said before we are borderline but I know a lot of people with unexpectedly low scores who are very worried - not sure this process is helping anyone really - maybe those at the top who may be given more choices but it has given everyone else a lot more worry ....or has it? maybe it was just as bad not knowing the scores....I dont know!
thanks
thanks
