Queen Mary's exam 2013

Eleven Plus (11+) in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Wrekin

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Salander
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:11 pm

Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by Salander »

Hi, I know you're all nervously awaiting results for this years school admissions but was looking for a little advice.
We have a wedding in July and have booked a holiday (I know very irresponsible during term time-but a total one off)which means that my dd would miss the exam date July 2nd.
I did send them an email from the link on their web site about 2 weeks ago but as of yet have heard nothing. Does anyone know if there is an official route I have to go down to request an alternative date, and am I being a little to eager and expected a reply to soon?
All this 11+ stuff is quite stressful and I've only just started!
Thanks
morgu
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:14 pm

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by morgu »

Hi salander,
Sorry, I don't know if there are any more 'official' routes to go down, but I don't think you are being too eager. I would phone them, and ask.
Turtlegirl
Posts: 521
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:54 pm

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by Turtlegirl »

My goodness! Thanks for the heads up on the date. How did I miss that?! Ah well, a good practice round for the KE exam in September I guess. Pity the kids who won't even be 10 taking that - as my daughter would have been if she'd sat it. At least her brother will be older than she was when she sat the 11+!
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by um »

I suggest that you telephone the school directly to explain your situation.

For general browsers, it is worth noting that the Queen Mary's (Walsall) examinations are on 2 July, the Birmingham Consortium (including Handsworth Grammar this year) will hold their examination on 7 September, and the Warwickshire Grammar examinations will also be on 7 September.

Warwickshire LA have told me that where a child wishes to sit both Birmingham and Warks examinations, they should make this clear on the Warks 11 Plus application form, and will sit the Birmingham exam on 7 September and will sit the Warks exam late (date yet to be confirmed).

From next year, it is understood that all three consortia will join together with one CEM examination on the same date. This is most likely to be the first Saturday in September.
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by Okanagan »

um wrote:From next year, it is understood that all three consortia will join together with one CEM examination on the same date.
Where did you see that? I've not seen it reported anywhere else.
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by um »

Minutes from KECH meeting.
Okanagan
Posts: 1706
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by Okanagan »

Unless they're going to use the same exam to produce seperate scores for each area then something is going to have to give. KE at the moment standardise to get two scores on English/VR and NVR/Numerical, whereas Warwickshire and Walsall have three with NVR and Numerical assessed seperately. If Warwickshire and Walsall adopt the Birmingham model it shifts the balance more towards candidates who are strong in English than the current situation, at the expense of those stronger in the maths/NVR areas. It also makes all that carefully collated historical qualifying score data a lot less meaningful going forwards, particularly for Warwickshire, but possibly also for Birmingham as we don't know that the profile of the candidates in each area is the same, so standardisation across all 3 areas could produce some differences.

I wonder if this is a local initiative to go this way, or if it's been prompted by CEM (perhaps sold as a money saving measure since only one paper will need to be created) since they're taking on so many new areas at the moment that their resources must be getting stretched.
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Queen Mary's exam 2013

Post by um »

I understand that the cost of 'buying' a CEM paper is very high (I heard £40,000K+) and it is this which has prompted the idea of working across consortia to 'share' one paper.

It is also the case that quite a number of children will take the exam in two or three of the LAs each year, and that, for last year and this year, the clash of the Warks and Bham dates must cause logistical problems - and the issue of late sitters fishing for information unfairly.

How this would work in practice remains to be seen. I have a feeling that the Birmingham model of English/Literacy taking precedence in the mark scheme, will remain - not the Warks system of a third each for Literacy/Maths/NVR. But the Warks Grammars have priority areas which complicates the system further.
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