AQE Exam Results

facingthefuture

susiesus wrote: »

Thats an interesting table compiling the cut off's.
Do the schools decide before or after they have all the scores what their particular cut off score is?
My child didnt get into his first choice but we (and him) are happy enough with his second choice.
My beef is the unmentionable religious aspect of our education system.
We have 3 Grammars in our locality but my child can only partake fully in the curriculum of one because of his religious background, is this not an important discussion that should be brought up in amongst this mess?
The elephant in the room!

Good point, but surely this cuts both ways. I have asked a number of parents from both sides of the community. To be frank it seems those from both sides that are most "staunch" are choosing "their own" type of school and as such get their child to do only one type of exam, whilst those with less shall we say 'strong views' (either politically or religiously) are more prone to enter their child into both exams and choose the best school.

I think if any school tries to exclude a child based on their religion, we are going the way of the nazis. I appreciate how religious based school could set a criteria to enhance the selection of their natural candidates but this must be done most carefully and within the discrimination laws.

I also think your point is very valid though, it should be discussed and debated. Just remember, the unionists gave education to SF (why didn't they choose it first?)who could use this as an argument to reduce the quality of all schools so that certain kinds are no longer desired.

newtownabbey_mum

Hi, Does anyone know anything about bus passes? i have filled the form in for my daughter who is going to BRA but i had to put the other schools down that i had put on the form and i think Belfast High is closer as i live in newtownabbey. Does that mean she wont get a bus pass?

ni-mum

How far is it from your house. You get a free bus pass if there isn't another school in the same category within 3 miles.

susiesus

My child only sat one of the tests as I didnt think the stress of two was worth it. We were lucky, I suppose, in that the non grammar school is also very good and I do tend to think that a child will get to where it wants to be in the end, regardless of the school environment. I know I did.
Secondly I don't want my child to be used as a 'personal test case' as our education system does run along religious fault lines and I couldnt live with myself if she was bullied because of something she doesnt understand and has no interest in. What certain schools say in their glossly prospectus quotes and what they practice can be very different. That goes for them all!

Ex-Spendaholic

From my perception (and I stress that this is my perception and not an attempt to illustrate fact before anyone jumps down my throat) I see that the "AQE schools" are interdenominational and religion will not come into it. Takes the likes of Methody, BRA etc. I don't see that there is any religious bias in these. However with the "GL schools" ie predominantly the catholic schools I really cannot forsee a child from the Shankill or Newtownards Road fitting in. For example imagine a child from Sandy Row telling his class mates in Aquinas where he was from. I just don't think it would work. Maybe in more rural areas it would be less of an issue.

The one school that really annoyed me in the transfer 2010 fiasco was Lagan College. They claim to be integrated but chose only to accept the GL test. Now for a protestant child who was most likely to take the AQE test the only school open to them by doing GL was Lagan or Victoria if a girl. To me this was wrong. In claiming their integrated status I think they should have accepted both AQE or GL tests rather than only the GL (which in my perception was a test taken mostly by the catholic community).

I for one would have included Lagan College on the list of schools but I simply was not putting him through a fourth day of testing when it would only potentially open up one more school to him.

leftieM

You should approach Lagan College with this concern. It's the first year of tests so many things will change. LC had to pick one test - they are not equal tests so you can't easily select from a combination of the two. If they tried they'd be accused of inequality. If they picked AQE they'd exclude catholic children. They can't win.

The current situation is not the schools' fault.

Ex-Spendaholic

Yes I'm aware that they aren't equal tests and that is another issue in itself.

As I said before Victoria College were happy to accept either test so I don't see why Lagan couldn't. I know you could argue this with every school but in my opinion it is not right to claim integrated status and then use the test of one section of the community and not the other.

I won't be approaching Lagan, my child got the school we wanted so I'm happy. Had I been adding Lagan to the list then it would have been number 7 on the list so not top priority. Maybe though someone with a child yet to go through the tests would be interested in taking up the matter or there again maybe no-one else cares. :rotfl:

Ardara1

Sullivan apparently accepting a score of 86 for entry.

cheesypuff

Does anyone on hear know anything about Bloomfield Collegiate's marks? am surprized this school has not been mentioned.

I heard Glenlola took down to 90.

facingthefuture

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

Yes I'm aware that they aren't equal tests and that is another issue in itself.

As I said before Victoria College were happy to accept either test so I don't see why Lagan couldn't. I know you could argue this with every school but in my opinion it is not right to claim integrated status and then use the test of one section of the community and not the other.

I won't be approaching Lagan, my child got the school we wanted so I'm happy. Had I been adding Lagan to the list then it would have been number 7 on the list so not top priority. Maybe though someone with a child yet to go through the tests would be interested in taking up the matter or there again maybe no-one else cares. :rotfl:

I agree, I think integrated schools should accept both tests. There must be some way of equating them. Is one set harder than another (genuine question!)?

I attended a convent grammar and there were protestants at our school and I know they were in no way ostracised or bullied. That said, perhaps Belfast is more polarised. No-one would like to put their child in a situation whereby they would get bullied especially for their religion.Incidentally,arrangements were made whereby these children received pastoral visits from their ministers.

One thing for sure, all the parents on this board care deeply for their children and no doubt understand the dangers of sending their children to certain schools. If they feel their child would be bullied for their religion, my goodness that's so sad. Frankly I hang my head in utter shame that this could still be happening in our society 2010.