Good luck - 11 transfer Northern Ireland

RikM

The irony of all this, is that education in NI is still better than the equivalent in England, in spite of the DENIers...

I have a lot of sympathy for the "sack the worst 10% of teachers" approach. But that opens the teacher assessment can of worms. To judge by results, you have to compare the class before and after they've been with a teacher, otherwise you're maybe just judging the quality of the material, not the teaching.

On the AQE; I suspect the approach to scoring is incorrect. The current normalisation to a 100 average tends to cluster scores around the 100 mark. As this is close to the borderline area, it ends up compressing the scores into a very crowded border. That doesn't make the process of selection easier...
It might have been better to adopt a method which spreads out the scores at the borderline instead, to make things clearer.

snowJo

Today is the day for heading into school to list school preferences for September. Final decision to be made just after lunch and then it's the "wait to May and see what happens" game.

KittyKaity

We were in this morning, forms filled out after the Open Night at the girls grammar last night. Decisions made by ourselves and dd after seeing the school are to put grammar second choice after all, despite scoring 116. Very good school, extremely high academics, just not the right school for her. We only have the one grammar to choose from down here so the decision is an either or rather than a choice like Belfast or Lisburn.

Still glad that we did the whole testing thing though, because this way it's her choice which school to go to, not just a default of 'oh that's where my brothers go'. Also the study habits and work ethic she has learned from this have been amazing. She's a very happy skippy bunny this morning, might just go and buy her a tie (so that her brothers can 'borrow' it tomorrow when they can't find theirs)

36square

Super_Dad wrote: »

Hi 36 square, thanks for that. Is this just recent years or has it always been like that?
My real grievance at the moment is the fact that my daughter's PS did absolutely nothing to teach for the test!!

Take a look at the SELB's transfer booklet. It gives the number of applicants and the number of admissions for each school over the last three years. It's probably a more useful than whatever lowest mark they say they accepted since the school will attempt to fill its desks come what may.
Incidentally, you might find it amusing to compare the figures for Armagh Royal with Markethill High. I hope it's not your child's second choice!

facingthefuture

Martin_Chambers wrote: »

Caitriona Ruane is not a teaching professional she is a retired professional tennis player. Only teachers can be held to account for their professional actions. (another story).

I am glad that you too find it unacceptable that teachers no longer have to provide evidence of their effectiveness. The goal of removing accountability for their unions and members (teachers) - the removal of ALL TESTING - has been behind the shift to an absence of objective measuring in assessment (120 v 118 v 97 or 71% 75% 84% with class median 56% etc). In schools today there is assessment FOR learning, not assessment OF learning. It was principals and teachers that signed up to this change and many drove it enthusiastically on behalf of CCEA.
It will only be the voice of parents that will change the direction of teaching. No principal or teacher has spoken out in public to defend the right of pupils to be taught.
Instead they offer excuses for promoting private tuition in an admission that they have refused or failed to teach instead of battling against harmful changes to the curriculum and assessment arrangements. Parents must know that there is only one private school in N.I. All others are paid out of your taxes. If you were getting lousy health service you would not accept it - why do you do so in education?

LOL, I think I may even agree with you, there should be some standards for teaching. I don't know how exactly this could be achieved (there are issues, eg. special needs children etc) but I know of two alcoholic teachers who teach in two different primaries. It is sad but this does affect their teaching. The schools are stuck with them and just "make do" until they retire. We need a system that is as fair as possible, how can that be achieved? Do the inspectors visit unannounced? Can teachers be breathalysed/drug tested. I can't see what problem there could be with doing this.There are plenty of good teachers in N. Ireland both working and not working.

As for the voice of the parents counting, I thought there was a survey which supported the 11+ and CR ignored/supressed it (as did many of the political parties).

facingthefuture

RikM wrote: »

The irony of all this, is that education in NI is still better than the equivalent in England, in spite of the DENIers...(Yes but CR is doing her best to sink the standards)

I have a lot of sympathy for the "sack the worst 10% of teachers" approach. But that opens the teacher assessment can of worms. To judge by results, you have to compare the class before and after they've been with a teacher, otherwise you're maybe just judging the quality of the material, not the teaching. (Very Fair Point!)

There must be a fair and proper way to assess teaching.To teach must be a privilege as well as a responsibility.

Martin_Chambers

It is encouraging to note that some common ground can be found among parents on the education concerns surrounding their children. The first issue to be adressed is the ability of the teaching profession in Northern Irealnd to police itself. A call to the GTCNI enquiring for information on the number of teachers removed from the register, along with the reason(s), over the past 10 years might provide a baseline.

Most parents receive their information on the quality of teaching from teachers themselves. Not a bad set up this self-assessment. So good in fact that they have now employed it on our children. Assessment for Learning (formative assessment) has been adpoted as the CCEA preferred approach but as usual CCEA manage to adopt other peoples work and make it unrecognisible.

For some inexplicible reason results of both tests are known to the groups organising them, they have passed these results on to schools, primary and post-primary but pupils and parents have to wait 3 months to know what school they will be admitted to. It seems akin to banks that delay access to your deposit funds for up to 10 days when virtually all transactions are electronic and instant.
Our children have a right to learn. Why are they being denied that right?

jogym

We made our choices yesterday and it was a dilemma choosing between 2 girls' schools. I hope we have made the right decision. How much emphasis should be placed on GCSE results. Our 2nd choice seemed to have higher results in them but I don't know if this would make you put it down as 1st choice instead of the other. DD was happy with 1st choice - she has been twice to see it and really liked it. The other we only went to see last week and it would be a bit further away for her and I see that from last year's results it took more girls in the top band. Also we are thinking that a good lot of the girls come from further afield so if (when) dd made friends it might seem difficult outside of school if they are far away. I know a lot of you might think at least you probably have a grammar school place but I only want the best school for her. Am I reading into things a bit too much.

Super_Dad_2

facingthefuture wrote: »

I think it is totally unacceptable that certain teachers fail to do their job unless they have to prove their worth by an exam such as the 11+. It (this lack of a system)is an excuse for laziness on the part of certain teachers but it is a fact of life, if we don't have goals and a way of monitoring achievement then performance is simply weaker.Other teachers are still managing to do their job and teach all their class well...how we deal with weak teaching is a whole debate in itself. The minister is obviously to blame since her role is Minister for education....surely she has to accept responsibility for something she has done in life?

Couldn't agree more. Since the changes, I've noticed standards in teaching in my local PS drop, not just teaching for a transfer test (which teachers don't have to do) but generally...less homework etc...and this was confirmed by classroom assistants at the school

snowJo

Well, that's it. The deed is done. Have listed 4 schools on the transfer form - 3 grammars and 1 secondary. No point in adding any more as it involves too much travelling. The pincipal did suggest another grammar school which accepted a lower entrance mark last year, but it does involve a lot more travelling and I think it's just too much on top of everyting else. So, will now play the waiting game for my son's borderline mark. The local secondary school is just as good as the 3 grammar schools and there's not really that much between all four schools. My son is not in the least concerned about it all as he would know pupils at all 4 schools. Time to sit back and let the "sorting" commence. Pity it has to take another 3 months though!!