Statistics on Bucks 11+ passes

[Wycombe Mum]

I heard the other day (at a party, so only hearsay) that 85% of the children who passed the Bucks 11+ last year came from independent primary schools. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, that's shocking - what about the chance for social mobility that grammars are supposed to provide?

I am still dismayed that state primaries are not allowed to provide their pupils with any 11+ preparation at all, whereas independent primaries (I assume) can provide as much as they see fit (I had never heard of CAT tests before coming to this forum). My son's state primary typically has only 10% of the Y6 pupils passing the 11+, whereas an independent primary just up the road - which is non-selective on admissions - is advertising on its website a 90% success rate. I'd be surprised if the pupils at the two schools differ in inherent ability by *that* amount. Doesn't seem like a very level playing field...

[anotherdad]

I heard the other day (at a party, so only hearsay) that 85% of the children who passed the Bucks 11+ last year came from independent primary schools. Does anyone know if this is true? If so, that's shocking - what about the chance for social mobility that grammars are supposed to provide?

It's not true. And neither is the myth of social mobility.

[scary mum]

No, it's not true. What is correct is that a higher percentage of children who sit the 11 plus from private schools pass, but this isn't the shocking statistic that he newspapers pretend it is - they are a self selecting group who chose to sit the 11 plus if there is a high possibility that they will pass.
I'm sure Sally-Anne will have some figures to reassure you with. I had a look on the Bucks County Council website & couldn't find the figure for 2018, but you can see how many children from each primary school qualified in 2017. If you take this away from the total number who qualified, you will see that the rumour you heard is simply not true.
As is so often the case, cross posts with anotherdad

[Sally-Anne]

I heard the other day (at a party, so only hearsay) that 85% of the children who passed the Bucks 11+ last year came from independent primary schools. Does anyone know if this is true?

It's rather too late this evening for me to debunk that ludicrous idea with absolute facts and statistics that I hold going back to around 2004.

What I can say is that, currently, around 5 - 6,000 Bucks-resident children take the test each year.

Of those, no more than 500 are at Bucks prep schools, and perhaps 50% of those children qualify.

That's 5%.

There are around 5,000 out-of county children who take the test, but the vast majority are from state schools, so the statistics won't differ very much.

(And I have cross-posted with anotherdad and scary!)

[Guest55]

In addition Heads of Private schools strongly discourage those they think won't qualify from even sitting the Transfer Test. If you look at the number sitting from some Private schools it is not the same as the number of Year 6 students.

https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/services/edu ... tatistics/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[greengekho]

Hi WycombeMum

I can understand your frustration and concern.

I think what the others might be trying to highlight is...at the private schools, they only enter the kids who are likely to pass. That's part of the reason they have great (carefully worded) pass rates "80% of our entrants qualify"...erm yeah...because you only enter the ones you think will pass!

The same can be said about some tutors (not all!) Some drop students they don't feel will pass to maintain their reputation.
I can honestly say that in my (limited) experience, kids from state schools most certainly do stand a chance. If you look at the spreadsheet that shows how many qualify from each school, there are lots of children who get through. My children attend a state school and ust under third of the kids qualify each year (though admittedly, a large number of them are tutored).

Please don't feel all is lost! A bright child will do well no matter what, it might just take a little longer for the star to shine. I didn't even have the chance to take the 11+ (the area I lived in required you to travel to sit the exam and my mum frankly couldn't be bothered to take me because it meant taking TWO, not one, but TWO buses - ha ha! Oh the sacrifice!) I still made it to one of the top Uni's though. On my post grad there were guys (it was mainly guys) from the like of Eton etc...yet we all ended up in the same place. So try not to worry - though I can totally understand how frustrating it can feel. All the best for you and your little one(s).