Bucks test results 18th Oct. 2019
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Bucks test results 18th Oct. 2019
Please read this before posting.
The Bucks test results are only two days away now, and we know how nerve-racking that can be.
Could we take this opportunity to advise/remind everyone of a few points?
• Issuing of results - Bucks and partner schools
1. Children at Bucks state schools and Partner Schools (in and out of county) will bring the results letter home at the end of the school day.
(It is not possible to tell from the thickness of the envelope what news it contains!)
2. Please do not open the envelope while you are on school premises. The sight of children and parents alternately whooping and wailing is an unedifying spectacle.
• Issuing of results - out of county/non-partner schools
3. Results for children at out of county/non-partner schools will be posted first class on Thursday 17th in the hope that they will arrive on Friday 18th.
4. If your letter does not arrive on Friday, there is no point immediately contacting Admissions. They cannot help until next week. You will be able to register the absence of a letter with them if it still hasn't arrived on Monday.
5. If you do need to contact Admissions next week, go online here, click on "My query isn't listed", explain the problem, and give your registration details (including your address).
6. Admissions will inform you when a replacement letter might be sent, but the non-arrival of results beyond three postal deliveries (Friday/Saturday/Monday) is very rare.
• Scores above 121
7. Every year there are a number of people living a long way from Bucks who come on to the forum asking whether, with a score of 140, they stand a better chance of a place!
The flat qualifying mark will be 121, as it has been for time immemorial. All children achieving 121 or more are eligible for a place at a Bucks grammar school, depending upon the remaining admissions criteria for their preferred school such as distance. It makes absolutely no difference to the application process whether your child has scored 121 or 140 (or even higher!).
8. For that reason, please do not post scores above 121 on the forum! It is not necessary. On this forum it is viewed as boasting.
We are sadly familiar with some parents coming on to the forum to make make their one and only post to announce that their precious child achieved fifty zillion marks. We don't want to know that, and any such posts will be edited or removed.
By all means share your good news and happiness with us, but all you need write is "My child has qualified".
• Support for those who've scored below 121
9. Please show sensitivity towards those who have not received the results they hoped for.
If you are among them, we will support you to the very best of our ability.
10. First of all, it is in your interests to be as well-informed as possible about reviews and appeals, but there is no quick, easy short cut. Please do lots of reading before asking questions on the forum. Start here.
11. Remember that, for a successful review or appeal, extenuating circumstances (such as the error in this year's test) will not on their own be sufficient. Strong academic evidence of grammar school suitability will be needed.
12. Please be aware that, if you opt for a review, and are unsuccessful, this could seriously prejudice an appeal, because any subsequent appeal can only be considered if the Appeal Panel decide that your review was not "fair, consistent and objective". Follow the link in point 10 above.
• Try not to raise your child's expectations with regard to a review or appeal.
13. Sadly, most reviews and appeals aren't going to succeed. You don't want your child pinning all their hopes on a successful outcome because the sense of rejection at being 'turned down' again can be so very upsetting. The less you say about reviews/appeals at home, probably the better. Play down the possibility of a favourable decision. 'Big up' the likely alternative school.
Appeals are a long way off (in the summer term), and some parents - wisely - don't even let on that they are appealing!
• Questions
14. General questions and news can be posted on this thread, but if you have specific questions about your own case for review/appeal you must please start your own thread on the Appeals forum. We can do a much better job of helping you if all the information about your case is in one place in your own thread on the Appeals forum.
The Appeals forum can be found here
Please name your thread:
15. Please do not say "My child has failed." He/she may not have got a qualifying score on one particular day in September (a snapshot that cannot be 100% reliable), but many in this situation go on to be outstandingly successful.
Remember that you are very welcome to post your news on this thread as it arrives, provided that scores above 121 are not stated.
Our very best wishes for Friday to everyone anxiously waiting.
The Bucks test results are only two days away now, and we know how nerve-racking that can be.
Could we take this opportunity to advise/remind everyone of a few points?
• Issuing of results - Bucks and partner schools
1. Children at Bucks state schools and Partner Schools (in and out of county) will bring the results letter home at the end of the school day.
(It is not possible to tell from the thickness of the envelope what news it contains!)
2. Please do not open the envelope while you are on school premises. The sight of children and parents alternately whooping and wailing is an unedifying spectacle.
• Issuing of results - out of county/non-partner schools
3. Results for children at out of county/non-partner schools will be posted first class on Thursday 17th in the hope that they will arrive on Friday 18th.
4. If your letter does not arrive on Friday, there is no point immediately contacting Admissions. They cannot help until next week. You will be able to register the absence of a letter with them if it still hasn't arrived on Monday.
5. If you do need to contact Admissions next week, go online here, click on "My query isn't listed", explain the problem, and give your registration details (including your address).
6. Admissions will inform you when a replacement letter might be sent, but the non-arrival of results beyond three postal deliveries (Friday/Saturday/Monday) is very rare.
• Scores above 121
7. Every year there are a number of people living a long way from Bucks who come on to the forum asking whether, with a score of 140, they stand a better chance of a place!
The flat qualifying mark will be 121, as it has been for time immemorial. All children achieving 121 or more are eligible for a place at a Bucks grammar school, depending upon the remaining admissions criteria for their preferred school such as distance. It makes absolutely no difference to the application process whether your child has scored 121 or 140 (or even higher!).
8. For that reason, please do not post scores above 121 on the forum! It is not necessary. On this forum it is viewed as boasting.
We are sadly familiar with some parents coming on to the forum to make make their one and only post to announce that their precious child achieved fifty zillion marks. We don't want to know that, and any such posts will be edited or removed.
By all means share your good news and happiness with us, but all you need write is "My child has qualified".
• Support for those who've scored below 121
9. Please show sensitivity towards those who have not received the results they hoped for.
If you are among them, we will support you to the very best of our ability.
10. First of all, it is in your interests to be as well-informed as possible about reviews and appeals, but there is no quick, easy short cut. Please do lots of reading before asking questions on the forum. Start here.
11. Remember that, for a successful review or appeal, extenuating circumstances (such as the error in this year's test) will not on their own be sufficient. Strong academic evidence of grammar school suitability will be needed.
12. Please be aware that, if you opt for a review, and are unsuccessful, this could seriously prejudice an appeal, because any subsequent appeal can only be considered if the Appeal Panel decide that your review was not "fair, consistent and objective". Follow the link in point 10 above.
• Try not to raise your child's expectations with regard to a review or appeal.
13. Sadly, most reviews and appeals aren't going to succeed. You don't want your child pinning all their hopes on a successful outcome because the sense of rejection at being 'turned down' again can be so very upsetting. The less you say about reviews/appeals at home, probably the better. Play down the possibility of a favourable decision. 'Big up' the likely alternative school.
Appeals are a long way off (in the summer term), and some parents - wisely - don't even let on that they are appealing!
• Questions
14. General questions and news can be posted on this thread, but if you have specific questions about your own case for review/appeal you must please start your own thread on the Appeals forum. We can do a much better job of helping you if all the information about your case is in one place in your own thread on the Appeals forum.
The Appeals forum can be found here
Please name your thread:
- "[user name]'s case (Bucks)"
15. Please do not say "My child has failed." He/she may not have got a qualifying score on one particular day in September (a snapshot that cannot be 100% reliable), but many in this situation go on to be outstandingly successful.
- "It's ok to not to succeed. Not succeeding does not shape your personality; it's how you react ...... Do you dust yourself off and mope or do you dust yourself off and come back stronger the next time? Eventually you will win. It may not happen the next time, it may take a little time but you will win in the end."
- “Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, but by those who fought, fell and rose again.”
Remember that you are very welcome to post your news on this thread as it arrives, provided that scores above 121 are not stated.
Our very best wishes for Friday to everyone anxiously waiting.
Etienne
-
TenseParent
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:49 pm
Re: Bucks test results 18th Oct. Do not post scores over 1
Our DD has qualified. We live in Maidenhead (Cox Green actually). With the new catchment rules, do we still stand a chance of getting into Wycombe High?
And I just want to say this. A lot of crazy things happened this time in the 11+ saga. Qualifying or not boils down to, in some cases, just one question getting answered correctly. It is not a measure of a child's capability or intelligence by any stretch of imagination. Subjecting 10-year-olds to this kind of pressure - It is debatable I guess.
So, congratulations to all who have qualified. If your child hasn't qualified, remember this - it doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things. There will be plenty of opportunities and avenues to succeed in the days to come by.
Oh well, tomorrow dawns a new day.
And I just want to say this. A lot of crazy things happened this time in the 11+ saga. Qualifying or not boils down to, in some cases, just one question getting answered correctly. It is not a measure of a child's capability or intelligence by any stretch of imagination. Subjecting 10-year-olds to this kind of pressure - It is debatable I guess.
So, congratulations to all who have qualified. If your child hasn't qualified, remember this - it doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things. There will be plenty of opportunities and avenues to succeed in the days to come by.
Oh well, tomorrow dawns a new day.
Re: Bucks test results 18th Oct. Do not post scores over 1
Our DS has passed, am so relieved especially since our school did not stop the clock for the 2 “wrong questions” and all the kids were putting their hand up etc.
Good luck everyone.
Good luck everyone.
Re: Bucks test results 18th Oct. Do not post scores over 1
DD2 has qualified, and will be joining DD1 at a Bucks Grammar, which is what she desperately wanted. Unlike with DD1, with the rollercoaster we had there, this time it has gone as we hoped for.
It has been a very tense 48 hours as the results from West Herts (we are OOC, but on the border) were much lower than expected - two of her classmates had similarly disappointing results. So we were all prepared for more disappointment, but they have all qualified (very comfortably in some cases) which makes the West Herts results quite mysterious.
It has been a very tense 48 hours as the results from West Herts (we are OOC, but on the border) were much lower than expected - two of her classmates had similarly disappointing results. So we were all prepared for more disappointment, but they have all qualified (very comfortably in some cases) which makes the West Herts results quite mysterious.
Re: Bucks test results 18th Oct. Do not post scores over 1
Have spent the last week planning the selection review in my mind - son was ill on the day and dosed up on Calpol, didn't eat that day or move from the sofa afterwards until bedtime, he also said that he didn't have time to do the last 15 questions on the maths paper. He was actually really surprised to see that he qualified.
We (naively?) made the decision not to go down the tutoring route and did very minimal preparation (6 30-45 min practise papers over the summer holidays) as we were worried about it putting more pressure on them - particularly if they didn't qualify. The two of our children that we were confident were very capable did qualify. The one whose school results, although above average were not top third material, didn't.
Glad they are all through this stage now, but this time I did find the wait particularly stressful, wondering if we should have done more. Luckily I took all the stress and son didn't get caught up in it. We did focus on the comprehensive with the option to apply to grammar as a bonus of having more choice rather than the be all and end all.
We (naively?) made the decision not to go down the tutoring route and did very minimal preparation (6 30-45 min practise papers over the summer holidays) as we were worried about it putting more pressure on them - particularly if they didn't qualify. The two of our children that we were confident were very capable did qualify. The one whose school results, although above average were not top third material, didn't.
Glad they are all through this stage now, but this time I did find the wait particularly stressful, wondering if we should have done more. Luckily I took all the stress and son didn't get caught up in it. We did focus on the comprehensive with the option to apply to grammar as a bonus of having more choice rather than the be all and end all.
Re: Bucks test results 18th Oct. Do not post scores over 1
Thanks for the following, bucksmum33! 
Please see the first post of this thread.
A general reminder that individual appeal/review cases are dealt with on the Appeals forum.bucksmum33 wrote:Last year our daughter obtained 117 and we were part of the 25% of that score that got in through selcetion review. That's down from 60% the previous year that got in. I spent hours/days on here reading, asking advice, preparing, researching to make sure I submitted the best possible application (it was 12 pages with a covering letter and appendixes). With the help of the moderators here and 'Mary's Letter' I was able to fully understand what I needed to do.
So...I promised to come back and help people that were going through the same thing. I dont have nearly the amount of experience that the moderators have on here and I would never pretend to. But I do have experience of doing this one year ago and I remember it like yesterday. So if I can add any value to the moderators on here, I'm happy to.
Good luck to everyone going through it. It's not an easy time, but you are in control of what you submit so get as much information as you can.
Please see the first post of this thread.
- 14. General questions and news can be posted on this thread, but if you have specific questions about your own case for review/appeal you must please start your own thread on the Appeals forum. We can do a much better job of helping you if all the information about your case is in one place in your own thread on the Appeals forum.
The Appeals forum can be found here
Please name your thread:- "[user name]'s case (Bucks)"
Etienne
