Good luck - 11 transfer Northern Ireland

Doggies

SnoJo, your are exactly right. My daughter had a tutor for a few months as her Maths was pretty poor&I wasn't doing very well in trying to help her. In a class of 30 her teacher didn't have the time to spend going over and over things. Tutor did help a lot with the basics, but I also helped her do tests etc at home. Anyway according to her teacher at the start of P7 her standardised scores where around 96, then she got up to 109, but she got 95 in test. Think she did a little less than expected, but I'm still happy enough. Lots of kids were tutored for months in her class, but scored less, so it doesn't always work. Her principal thinks she is well able to cope with grammar school.

Although I didn't show it on Sat, I was disappointed with our result as she was doing much better, but now I feel a lot happier and was encouraged by the Head saying it was a good enough score and she should be happy with that as she was never top of her class. Not everyone can be brainboxes. I know my daughter is very lazy and I am just thankful she got her act together in the couple of months before the test. She is stubborn and will not be MADE to do anything. So all in all its a good result. Hopefully you will get some more info this evening. xx

snowJo

Thank goodness for this forum. I have read most of last year's forum on the same issues and found it really helpful. It's great to hear from lots of parents who are experiencing the same problems. Look forward to following up on this again in May when the next letter comes through the door.

beccasmum

Hi all, has anyone heard what the top score was this year? Last year when my DD sat the test it all made more sense when we knew the range of scores and where our kids sat in the pecking order. I have a DS doing it this year and am not looking forward to it but if the upper scores are still around the same then the schools intakes should be roughly the same although this year was a smaller group so schools could go lower due to the fact they have less kids to choose from. I hope this all makes sense but as soon as I started hearing scores on Sat I immediatedly started to think oh oh it will be my DS next...

jogym

My daughter got 119 which we were v pleased with. Now we have the decision to make our choices. Can I ask if anyone has any opinions on a single sex school compared to co-ed one. I have read different things and we wanted to put down an all girls school as 1st choice and 2nd choice with a co-ed 3rd. Our co-ed one is v academic apparently and dd although capable for it I am not sure if it would be too much pressure. She really liked the all girl school so should I just go along with where she thinks she will be happiest?

snowJo

Doggies, thanks for your post and of course you are right. Not all kids who were tutored will have made massive improvements to scores. Hopefully I will be able to post something later if my son arrives home with more information. I hope to find out what the general state of scores were in his class, as I only know of a couple so far. Roll on 4pm till he finishes after-school football. He, of course, is not in the least anxious as to where he will go in September, which is great. At least he hasn't picked up on my anxiety. We made a big thing about his score of 93 on Saturday and he was well pleased with it. We were pleased too, but would've been happier if it was in the late 90's as less boerline. Never mind, what will be, will be. Also, I know how you feel about trying to get your kids to work. My son is more interested in X-Box than doing any school work!!

snowJo

steveymp wrote: »

Thanks for the kind words on here, this forum is a great place :T:T

Just back from meeting with headmaster, both himself and his teacher where equally surprised at my sons score as we where:o

DS had heart set on certain Grammar school and it broke his heart when I explained it was pointless trying to get there now with his score. Headmaster and Teacher talked us around today and 1st pref school is now the Grammar:eek:

Last year the Grammar took in lower scores than DS attained, so fingers crossed and now we have another lovely wait until the last weekend in May :eek::eek::eek:

Well done to everyone's DS and DD for going through this process, it hasn't been easy:o

Oh and a final big thanks to the idiots on the hill for scraping the 11+ in the first place. Nothing like placing an 11 year old in unfamiliar surroundings for 3 Saturday mornings :mad:

ABsolutely put down the grammar. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!!

steveymp

Doggies wrote: »

Steveymp, our principal said exactly the same, go with your preferred choice. Who knows what way the applications and scoring will go this year. I know my daughter liked all the schools including the secondary, so she will not be do disappointed no matter where she goes. Do you mind me asking what yours got? If you'd rather not say, tell me to mind my own business! I read all of last years posts and its nice to follow who got what and what schools everyone gets in the end of this process!

Good Luck to all. At least the exams are over, and I am actually very happy and proud of my daughter.

Lets just say it was quiet below 100:o I don't want to embarrass him publically as I'm sure he tried his best and scored significantly higher in home and class tests:o

Principal actually said applications are down this year and last year my preferred Grammar accepted scores a lot lower than DS got, he also reiterated that my child had chosen to go forward for the test with the blessing of his Primary 6 teacher, who only put through children she considered "Capable" of getting a good score.

I think we are at a slight advantage in the North West that our Grammar except lower scores:o either that or we are 'Tick' :rotfl:

His "lady friend" in his class got an excellent score of 117, she may be re-thinking her valentines list as we speak:o

Thanks again for all your kind words and encouragement:T

Ex-Spendaholic

Sorry for butting in again but I seen too many kids last year miss out on Grammar Schools as their parents didn't understand the process and they didn't get decent advice from their primary schools.

SteveyMP, I'm really glad to see that you have a supportive Principal and that you have put down the Grammar. Hopefully come May your DS will get the school you wanted. In the meantime it is better to have given it a shot than find out later that kids with lesser scores got in there.

SnowJo, 93 is a perfectly good score. Stop worrying (yes I know its hard).

Last year as far as I know everyone in the first 3 quintiles got a grammar place and a good lot of kids in the 4th quintile also. Its a numbers game, no-one can predict how any of it is going to go so please put down your grammars in order of preference.

Last year my son scored 104. Our first choice school was Grosvenor. Our Principal said it was unlikely he would get a place. He said we should apply to Campbell. I went on my own instincts and put Grosvenor down as first choice. He got in and the lowest score accepted there was 92. Unfortunately many of his friends are now sitting in Inst rather than Grosvenor (which is were they wanted to go), because their parents didn't put it on the form.

I also know of other kids who scored in the early 90s and their parents didn't apply for grammar places - they sent them to secondary. Some of those kids are probably more academic than my child.

Doggies

SnoJo, your son did great. I agree, the late 90's would be a firmer score to get the school, but sure they tried. It took me about 2 hours to encourage my daughter out of bed on Sat, was awful seeing her like that over an exam! But she was fine after we gave her tons of praise and had a nice day out! Oh and we're off to Euro Disney on Wed, which she didn't know about.

JOGYM, wow, 119 is a fantastic score, I'm sure you will have the choice of any grammar now. For my daughter we prefer the single sex girls grammar. She is a very bubbly outgoing girl and I really worry about the distraction of boys. I think a single sex will get her to focus on school work rather than drooling over boys. All kids are different though.

Doggies

Steveymp, thats brilliant. Fingers crossed he gets his place ok. I feel confident for you!

The highest I heard of in my daughters class was 124. I know the highest last year was 126.

Ex-Spendaholic, you're great! Its nice that someone is interested to take the time to post that went through it all last year.

Thanks