Support thread for parents of chilldren sitting the transfer test in 2011

flymetothemoon_2

Ball_Boy wrote: »

We had a note home from DD's primary school which said there would be no information on quintiles in the results letter.

If AQE has decided to make this change, it is good news for everyone because I know how confused several parents were last year because they automatically assumed that if their child's score was in quintile 3 it equated to a grade C and they wouldn't get into a grammar. However it soon became clear that most quintile 3 and 4 scores are, in fact, equivalent to a B. At least 2 principals criticised the issuing of quintiles (together with scores) at open nights I attended last year and one said he had asked AQE to review this and to consider issuing only a score in future due to the widespread confusion it was causing. This may also mean that in future, when schools are publishing figures for their intake the previous year, they will all publish on the same basis ie: highest score accepted and lowest score accepted rather than the different approaches we have seen over the past 2 yrs with some quoting the number of applicants they accepted from each quintile, which is not as helpful for prospective parents.

Ball_Boy

There's a lack of transparency in the whole AQE procedure. Dumping the quintiles will at least clear up some of the differences between the schools' admissions policies.

I'm not sure how it affects Inst, which used quintiles in previous years.

We're still torn between Ballyclare High School and BRA as potential first choice.

Ballyclare's cut-off score didn't appear on the Bel Tel list so, in case anyone's interested, here's what I managed to elicit from the school:


"We use two pools. Entry to the first pool, which accounts for 95% of
the intake, is by rank order. Last year the cut off point for entry to
pool one was 98. Entry to the second pool, which is used to admit the
remaining 5% is also by rank order. However the school's tie breaker
criteria are used to make the selection of pupils to be admitted from
this second pool, so in this pool a pupil with a lower score could be
admitted over a pupil with a higher score if the former meets the
criteria. The criteria are publishe in the school prospectus The lowest
score accepted from this pool last year was 96. The year before the
lowest score admitted from this pool was 95."

I think we can take that as a 96 cut off.

flymetothemoon_2

Hey Ball Boy
Thanks for posting info on Ballyclare High. I'd noticed that Bel Tel didn't quote lowest score and wondered why. Here's my take on it - I went to an evening talk at Ballyclare High last Feb immediately after the results came out. It was 'standing room only' as parents were v anxious to know what their kids scores meant & Ballyclare was the only school we knew of that was holding such an event. It was really useful and if they're doing it again this year I'd recomend it even if the school is not one of your choices. They explained in detail the breakdown of all AQE scores across NI and the Head predicted that he would be able to accept 99 and above and said he hoped to go down to around 95. He explained that the previous year 90% of their intake was rank order (lowest score accepted 95) and the remaining 10% were taken from a pool (designed to help keep families together in the school by admitting kids who already had siblings in the school). Lowest score accepted from this pool was 90. Bel Tel had published the lowest score as 90 and this gave a false impression to prospective parents, so the Head was making it v clear last year that the lowest score in rank order (for Sept 2010 intake) was actually 95 and not 90. He also said that for Sept 2011 intake they had reduced the size of the second pool to 5% of places. So this may be why they didn't give the Bel Tel a lowest score to publish this year because it wouldn't have been entirely accurate or clear to publish 98 or 96 as the lowest score accepted. As you say, there's a lack of transparency and too many differences in the schools admissions policies. Ballyclare (and some other schools) could simplify things by sticking to rank order alone and not having any pool. BRA sticks to rank order alone. As regards ur dilemna about which one to put first - can't help you there - both schools are fab.

cat313

Just 24 hours until results.

Good luck to all!

happymummy24-7

thinking of all you parents and children for tomorrow and wishing you all the best of luck.
We were in your shoes last year with our dd and shes now in her 1st choice grammer and its like someone has flicked a switch in her....she is excelling at everything and bounces home everyday with a huge smile!!
This is the important bit because she struggled with the maths ect and in fact we wernt even going to put her in for the exam because we didnt want her stressed but she wanted to do it,but on results day we felt sure her score of 98 wouldnt be enough for her 1st choice and even if she did get in perhaps she wouldnt cope so well by being not so acedemic as the higher graders....completley unfounded and shes top of the class!
so please remember even if your childs score isnt as high as they think they need its not to say they wont get their first choice!
Good luck everyone

dprovan

good luck to everyone for tomorrow. I am definately more nervous than my dd

travellinglight_2

hope everyone does well...and the postman comes early!!!! Nerves jangling here...that's me!!

flymetothemoon_2

Fingers crossed everyone. This time last year I was beside myself because I knew my DD struggled a bit with maths. Just to make matters worse our usually punctual postman (9.30 every Sat) didn't arrive until 11.30am - a full 2hrs late! My DDs friends had all been texting their results while we were waiting and waiting and waiting...

On a happier note, she got into the school of her choice (although only just) where she's very happy and is leaping ahead of many of her peers whose scores were in quintiles 1 & 2. Just goes to show that the kids don't need a really high score to be fit for academic work, they just need enough to get into their preferred school. So here's hopin you all get enough.

:):):):)

Dazza

Hi Folks,

Could anyone clarify what exactly will be in the results letter, is it.
Dear <child> you have received a grade A etc or is it a number ie 98 etc. Thanks for any response

RikM

Dazza wrote: »

Hi Folks,

Could anyone clarify what exactly will be in the results letter, is it.
Dear <child> you have received a grade A etc or is it a number ie 98 etc. Thanks for any response

for the AQE? It's a number.
100 should be the average. Or more accurately 95 to 105 should be where the bulk of the entrants end up.