AQE Exam Results

Ex-Spendaholic

Its here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qnvfb/Saturday_Magazine_06_02_2010/

JosieJoBelfast

I know it clutching at straws and remaining upbeat for the kids.

I know Methody is 240 places. This is their results over the last 3 years:

2007 - they went down as far as Ds - this was a bad year for them a they had a new Principal Mrs Galloway and their popularity was hit as she rocked the boat.
2008 - 200 As, 23 B1s, 12 on special provisions and 5 boarders
2009 - 187 As, 25 B1s, 15 B2s, 14 on special provisions and 1 boarder..

Of course the intake every year is different - could be a high scoring/low scoring year. With this new system no-one outside of AQE has seen all the scores - but they are apparently 'happy' with range of scores.

neveranymoney

My daugher got 101 and like many here, we were quite shocked - had expected higher due to her practice paper scores. Many of her friends seem to have done that wee bit better and we are putting a brave face on it for her sake, but definitely feel that the grammar school place she herself assumed was hers is getting further away. Should I just put down the schools that we originally were going to, (three Grammars and an integrated - which is harder to get into than the Grammars) and hope for the best or change our choices entirely?? We have gently broached 'which high school did you like the best?' but she has changed the subject! I HATE that this whole disaster makes me sound like an obsessed, pushy mom who has probably bored to tears anyone who will listen to me about it. Ex - spendaholic, you and me both!

Ex-Spendaholic

Neveranymoney, the advice from the grammars has been to put down your order of preference regardless of your score. The Principal of Grosvenor stressed this over and over again at the open nights and was also in our primary school saying the same thing last week. I would tend to do that as you wouldn't want to go putting something else down and then finding that kids with lower scores got in but your daughter didn't as she didn't include them in the form.

We only looked at one secondary - Ashfield. We lived in the belief that he would go to Grosvenor and if not there he should get into Campbell. I'm wondering if even Campbell will end up oversubscribed this year despite the fees.

Ex-Spendaholic

You are right about boring everyone to tears. At the end of the day unless you have a child going through this then you simply aren't interested. I just know that my work colleagues are dreading seeing me tomorrow. They've had to listen to this for over a year now and will have to ride it out until the end of May. Everyone else can successfully avoid me - they are stuck with me. :rotfl:

JosieJoBelfast

It will completely depend on where you live...some areas due to the population will always be harder to get in to...schools with a narrower catchment may have to extend their intake scores to ensure that they fill their places - thus easier to secure a place.

A score of 101 is in the quintile that AQE are saying is equivalent to B1 and top B2 and many schools have accepted students with this in the past.

It is hard and no answers and just a long wait.

Hopefully the primary principal will have an idea of the range of scores in your school and will have spoken to colleagues to gauge the interest in neighbouring primaries, this should advise on school preferences.

Ex-Spendaholic

JosieJo, tell me to sod off if you want but what school or even area is your daughter's school in (just so I can get even more paranoid about 65% of them being in the 116-119 bracket)

JosieJoBelfast

she goes to a primary school in south belfast.

we are looking at schools there and then lisburn as we moved to dunmurry about 2 years ago but didn't want to move her to a new primary.

her school provided support for those students that were choosing to do either test - which is why i don't want to mention it't name - they did 1 test a week and gave them some recommended work for over the summer.

Ex-Spendaholic

Thanks for that JosieJo. I fully understand where you are coming from. I have the utmost respect for those schools who put the kids first in all of this. You've the best of both worlds there with South Belfast and Lisburn being an option. I hope your daughter gets the school she wants.

ni-mum

JosieJoBelfast wrote: »

she goes to a primary school in south belfast.

we are looking at schools there and then lisburn as we moved to dunmurry about 2 years ago but didn't want to move her to a new primary.

her school provided support for those students that were choosing to do either test - which is why i don't want to mention it't name - they did 1 test a week and gave them some recommended work for over the summer.

I wonder if there were many who didn't support their pupils at all. Most I know of did a lot to prepare the children.