News from Council re 2008 testing
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News from Council re 2008 testing
Tests have been confirmed as VR and Maths (not NVR) and will be held on 16 and 17 Sep 08.
Dear Tracy
Thanks for sharing your information. I have found the link for anyone wishing to know a little more...
http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/educat ... index.html
Patricia
Thanks for sharing your information. I have found the link for anyone wishing to know a little more...
http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/educat ... index.html
Patricia
I have raised some issues with Bexley council and have received the following repiles:
I asked:
1. Will the scores from both papers be added together to give a total mark or will each paper have a separate pass mark?
Answer:
The scores for each paper will be added together to give a total mark.
2. VR paper - NFER type 15 or type 21?
Answer:
The VR paper will be produced by NFER, but I have no information on the type.
If Bexley council don't know, how are we supposed to know!!!
3. You say that schools will cover the subjects tested on the Maths papers. Due to the early timing of the exams does this mean that the children will only be tested on the topics that the curriculum would have covered up to the end of year 5?
Answer:
Yes, only the curriculum that children will have covered by that stage will be tested.
Does anyone else not have confidence in this reply??
In the event of a child being 'non-selective':
4. Will there be a Head Teachers' Review before the results are released to parents?
Answer:
There will not be time for a Head Teacher’s review before the results are published to parents, but arrangements are being made for a review early in November. There will still then be time for the appropriate offer to be made if the selective decision changes. Guidance will be given to parents on how to complete their application forms if they
feel that their child’s results may be subject to change.
Sorry Bexley Council - I can see pigs taking to the skies first!
5. Will the child be able to apply to a grammar school? This would surely involve being turned down and then going through the appeals procedure.
Answer:
No reply received on this one.
I asked:
1. Will the scores from both papers be added together to give a total mark or will each paper have a separate pass mark?
Answer:
The scores for each paper will be added together to give a total mark.
2. VR paper - NFER type 15 or type 21?
Answer:
The VR paper will be produced by NFER, but I have no information on the type.
If Bexley council don't know, how are we supposed to know!!!
3. You say that schools will cover the subjects tested on the Maths papers. Due to the early timing of the exams does this mean that the children will only be tested on the topics that the curriculum would have covered up to the end of year 5?
Answer:
Yes, only the curriculum that children will have covered by that stage will be tested.
Does anyone else not have confidence in this reply??
In the event of a child being 'non-selective':
4. Will there be a Head Teachers' Review before the results are released to parents?
Answer:
There will not be time for a Head Teacher’s review before the results are published to parents, but arrangements are being made for a review early in November. There will still then be time for the appropriate offer to be made if the selective decision changes. Guidance will be given to parents on how to complete their application forms if they
feel that their child’s results may be subject to change.
Sorry Bexley Council - I can see pigs taking to the skies first!
5. Will the child be able to apply to a grammar school? This would surely involve being turned down and then going through the appeals procedure.
Answer:
No reply received on this one.
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Bexley Mum 2
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- Location: Bexley
Tracy - I've just emailed them to ask pretty much the same questions. If enough people ask them, you never know, they might answer them properly!
I'm intrigued by the statement on the website that practice papers will be available for parents and schools to work through with pupils. Do you think this marks a move away from discouraging schools to prepare children for the 11+? That could be disastrous as some schools will go overboard whereas at my son's school they probably still won't do anything. Incidentally, someone was telling me the other day that the head of a Bexley primary school was cross because only 20 out of 60 pupils had passed the 11+! We had 3 out of 75 pass - and that's two more than last year!!
I'm intrigued by the statement on the website that practice papers will be available for parents and schools to work through with pupils. Do you think this marks a move away from discouraging schools to prepare children for the 11+? That could be disastrous as some schools will go overboard whereas at my son's school they probably still won't do anything. Incidentally, someone was telling me the other day that the head of a Bexley primary school was cross because only 20 out of 60 pupils had passed the 11+! We had 3 out of 75 pass - and that's two more than last year!!
Hi BM2,
Info I have received suggests that there is a move away from the familiarisation papers and this is on the website. A couple of reasons for this. 1.Some schools do more than they should. 2. Some that do the excercises, in my experience, do not do it properly. So it's hit and miss what the child gets before the real thing and there's a clear uneven playing field. From what I understand, no school will do familiarisation excerises at all but at least we will all know where we stand.
The council suggest all parents visit WHSmiths if they want to see any practice papers - that's if the queue to the Post Office allows you to get through the doors, of course!
I don't believe the Council's reply re the Maths paper. My daughter (untutored) told me that having done both the Bexley and Kent tests, there were questions that she had not come across that came up in both counties. I think that the same/similar Maths papers will be rolled out again and only those kids who have had the extra support at home or with tutors covering year 6 work will be in a position to answer the questions. I believe the Council may be misleading parents by telling them that only Maths on the year 5 cirriculum will be tested.
At our school up until a few years ago, we had approx 20-22 passes out of 60. It has been going downwards for the last few years until last year was just 8.
A lot of parents pulled their younger kids out of the school and I seriously thought about it.
But we have an upward trend now, along with new staff, and this year I understand it's 13. Let's hope the upward trend continues and those kids who should be at grammars do gain their rightful places instead of being failed by imcompetent teaching staff.
I would be happy with 20 out of 60, but 3 out of 75, oh dear!
Info I have received suggests that there is a move away from the familiarisation papers and this is on the website. A couple of reasons for this. 1.Some schools do more than they should. 2. Some that do the excercises, in my experience, do not do it properly. So it's hit and miss what the child gets before the real thing and there's a clear uneven playing field. From what I understand, no school will do familiarisation excerises at all but at least we will all know where we stand.
The council suggest all parents visit WHSmiths if they want to see any practice papers - that's if the queue to the Post Office allows you to get through the doors, of course!
I don't believe the Council's reply re the Maths paper. My daughter (untutored) told me that having done both the Bexley and Kent tests, there were questions that she had not come across that came up in both counties. I think that the same/similar Maths papers will be rolled out again and only those kids who have had the extra support at home or with tutors covering year 6 work will be in a position to answer the questions. I believe the Council may be misleading parents by telling them that only Maths on the year 5 cirriculum will be tested.
At our school up until a few years ago, we had approx 20-22 passes out of 60. It has been going downwards for the last few years until last year was just 8.
A lot of parents pulled their younger kids out of the school and I seriously thought about it.
But we have an upward trend now, along with new staff, and this year I understand it's 13. Let's hope the upward trend continues and those kids who should be at grammars do gain their rightful places instead of being failed by imcompetent teaching staff.
I would be happy with 20 out of 60, but 3 out of 75, oh dear!
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
Well, my response from Hill View was even less informative than yours Tracy! It was:
"I do not have any information on which type of question the Bexley VR test will use. The tests are produced by NFER Nelson.
Bexey primary schools have until now carried out a familiarisation exercise with children, adn the sample questions will replace this. All other preparation will continue to be discouraged. The sample questions will be freely available and will be pubished on the Council's website.
The maths test will only cover the national curriculum areas that children should have been taught by the time of the tests."
In addition I asked about standardisation and was told, "all tests are standardised separately by entering the raw scores and birth dates into a formula. I do not have any information on how many marks this might add to the score of a younger child".
All very helpful
"I do not have any information on which type of question the Bexley VR test will use. The tests are produced by NFER Nelson.
Bexey primary schools have until now carried out a familiarisation exercise with children, adn the sample questions will replace this. All other preparation will continue to be discouraged. The sample questions will be freely available and will be pubished on the Council's website.
The maths test will only cover the national curriculum areas that children should have been taught by the time of the tests."
In addition I asked about standardisation and was told, "all tests are standardised separately by entering the raw scores and birth dates into a formula. I do not have any information on how many marks this might add to the score of a younger child".
All very helpful
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
when I asked where I might obtain information about whether or not VR would be 15 or 21, and about standardisation, this is the response:
"I regret that the answers will not be available. The sample questions when published will enable you to see the question types. The standardisation process does not enable us to make direct comparisons between older and younger children, as each test is standardised separately and the raw scores will be different in every case.
We monitor the final scores to ensure that they reflect the proportion of children born in each month. From this year the results will be standardised using software provided by GL Assessment."
"I regret that the answers will not be available. The sample questions when published will enable you to see the question types. The standardisation process does not enable us to make direct comparisons between older and younger children, as each test is standardised separately and the raw scores will be different in every case.
We monitor the final scores to ensure that they reflect the proportion of children born in each month. From this year the results will be standardised using software provided by GL Assessment."
VR Type 15 or 21
I have noticed people mentioning VR type papers - what does this mean exactly? Can anyone enlighten me. The only practice papers I have come across are Nfer and Bond - are these any good do you reckon?
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Charlotte67
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Bexley Mum 2
- Posts: 851
- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
I see that Bexley have put their specimen 11+ maths and VR papers on their website (follow the link in Patricia's post second from top on this thread). I hope nobody has been holding their breath for these - only 20 maths questions and 21 VR questions. Not had a chance to look through properly yet.
I just wish they'd get rid of the "Admissions 2008" booklet and put the 2009 one on there!
I just wish they'd get rid of the "Admissions 2008" booklet and put the 2009 one on there!
