.. are there more taking the exam this time?
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hermanmunster
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I have to say, as an out of catchment parent, I was surprised at how FEW independent school pupils sat the exam in Ripon (noted by their uniforms).
It may be, because the exams were sat so soon in September, the credit crunch hadn't had such an effect back in August, when the cut off for applications was.
Even taking that into account, I truly thought there would be more children sitting the exam - at a rough guess there were 116 in all (calculated because my daughter was in the 6th group of 20 and there were a few places spare in her group - then a few more didn't turn up for the final exams).
It may be, because the exams were sat so soon in September, the credit crunch hadn't had such an effect back in August, when the cut off for applications was.
Even taking that into account, I truly thought there would be more children sitting the exam - at a rough guess there were 116 in all (calculated because my daughter was in the 6th group of 20 and there were a few places spare in her group - then a few more didn't turn up for the final exams).
This article is not strictly accurate in attributing the rise in children taking the 11+ in Kent to the credit crunch.
The real reason for the increase of 2000 children taking the test this year is because this is the first year in 30 years that children do not have to opt out of the 11+ if they want to attend particular comprehensives. For example, in Tunbridge Wells, if you wanted your children to go to one of the local church schools, your application would not be considered if your child had sat the 11+.
Also the reason that tons of people are using tutors is because Kent finally decided to change the date of the exam from January 2009 to September 2008 at the end of May this year! They would not release any information about the content of the maths paper and so many parents (myself included) hired tutors to teach their children maths topics that these children will be taught in Y6, term 1 as it was thought that these would feature in teh 11+.
I personally would not have considered hiring a tutor for my daughter if the exam had been in January but I felt that we had to at least try to ensure she had been taught every subject that was likely to be on the maths paper.
The real reason for the increase of 2000 children taking the test this year is because this is the first year in 30 years that children do not have to opt out of the 11+ if they want to attend particular comprehensives. For example, in Tunbridge Wells, if you wanted your children to go to one of the local church schools, your application would not be considered if your child had sat the 11+.
Also the reason that tons of people are using tutors is because Kent finally decided to change the date of the exam from January 2009 to September 2008 at the end of May this year! They would not release any information about the content of the maths paper and so many parents (myself included) hired tutors to teach their children maths topics that these children will be taught in Y6, term 1 as it was thought that these would feature in teh 11+.
I personally would not have considered hiring a tutor for my daughter if the exam had been in January but I felt that we had to at least try to ensure she had been taught every subject that was likely to be on the maths paper.
I do think knowing if the children have passed the 11+ before applying for school has made a big difference - I think people have decided to have a go because if they do not pass they have their full number of choices of schools, rather than 'wasting' a choice on a grammar school if their child failed.
The church - school thing hasn't been a problem for a couple of years, since 'first prefence first' was made illegal two years ago, as church schools would not know where they had been placed on the CAF. However, I do know some church schools (and one or two others) were still asking parents where they had ranked them on the form, sometimes on the supplemetary form, which is against the admissions policy. So I think that is why some parents still incorrectly believed they couldn't take the 11+ if they wanted a church school.
At best, this change in test date saves a place on the SCAF, that's all - but many parents still haven't looked in to the process. It scares me that so many parents decide their children's future without finding out anything about what happens - as opposed to those of us on this forum who give it too much thought, I suppose!
At best, this change in test date saves a place on the SCAF, that's all - but many parents still haven't looked in to the process. It scares me that so many parents decide their children's future without finding out anything about what happens - as opposed to those of us on this forum who give it too much thought, I suppose!
quote - "as opposed to those of us on this forum who give it too much thought, I suppose!"
Tell me about it! I spend most of my life at the moment weighing up pros and cons of each school and deciding what to do based on how well DS does (or doesn't) score in both the 11+ he sat, - some schools go by distance, some by score, some by a mix, some by what colour socks you wore on the day .........Plus the decision whether to sit yet another entrance exam.
Both my sister and my sister-in-law ( in different areas) had the choice between two good, well performing comprehensive schools, and that was it. They can't understand all the time I'm spending trying to sort it out.
My DH just says "wait until we get the results" but as Kent results will only be out a couple of days before we put in the CAF I do think that's leaving it a little late.
Only a month to go and it will be done and dusted.
Then i can start worrying about how the waiting lists work (the three areas I'm involved with all seem to work different systems.)
Tell me about it! I spend most of my life at the moment weighing up pros and cons of each school and deciding what to do based on how well DS does (or doesn't) score in both the 11+ he sat, - some schools go by distance, some by score, some by a mix, some by what colour socks you wore on the day .........Plus the decision whether to sit yet another entrance exam.
Both my sister and my sister-in-law ( in different areas) had the choice between two good, well performing comprehensive schools, and that was it. They can't understand all the time I'm spending trying to sort it out.
My DH just says "wait until we get the results" but as Kent results will only be out a couple of days before we put in the CAF I do think that's leaving it a little late.
Only a month to go and it will be done and dusted.
Then i can start worrying about how the waiting lists work (the three areas I'm involved with all seem to work different systems.)
