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

dprovan

cck I am intrigued as to how you are so confident of getting a place in Slemish. It is one of the most over subscribed schools in the country. As a point of interest the only realistic means for my dd to get a place at slemish was via an A in the gl assessment, so via academic selection.

beccasmum

I do agree that all this get to a grammar school at any cost is getting a bit out of hand. We have to get back to grammar schools being just that. Our local grammars used to only take the top achievers but now take quite a few kids who score well below average in these tests. As a result the other schools in the area are struggling to get numbers and so are slipping. There are so many unfilled places now in non-grammars which are perfectly good schools but perhaps steer pupils on a more vocational path. This country needs these professions too and in fact if things keep going the way they are these professions may be the best chance to get a job in the future as competition for academic positions is getting so fierce. I do have 1 child in a grammar school and my second looks like he will be joining her but that would have been a different story if my ds had gotten a below average score as I see how competitive it is in our local grammar, which has turned away A grades in the past. I would rather he was top of the class in a non-grammar than bottom in a grammar. Everyone knows their own child and if you think they will be fine then go for it but if they are not workers and won't make up the difference then look at other options before running to any grammar. Speech over.:rotfl:

cck_3

beccasmum wrote: »

I do agree that all this get to a grammar school at any cost is getting a bit out of hand. We have to get back to grammar schools being just that. Our local grammars used to only take the top achievers but now take quite a few kids who score well below average in these tests. As a result the other schools in the area are struggling to get numbers and so are slipping. There are so many unfilled places now in non-grammars which are perfectly good schools but perhaps steer pupils on a more vocational path. This country needs these professions too and in fact if things keep going the way they are these professions may be the best chance to get a job in the future as competition for academic positions is getting so fierce. I do have 1 child in a grammar school and my second looks like he will be joining her but that would have been a different story if my ds had gotten a below average score as I see how competitive it is in our local grammar, which has turned away A grades in the past. I would rather he was top of the class in a non-grammar than bottom in a grammar. Everyone knows their own child and if you think they will be fine then go for it but if they are not workers and won't make up the difference then look at other options before running to any grammar. Speech over.:rotfl:

Totally agree,
You put it so much better than me!

cck_3

dprovan wrote: »

cck I am intrigued as to how you are so confident of getting a place in Slemish. It is one of the most over subscribed schools in the country. As a point of interest the only realistic means for my dd to get a place at slemish was via an A in the gl assessment, so via academic selection.

dprovan,
Yes, i apologise, you are correct and i am getting a bit beyond myself. The reason however i am pretty confident is that, historically they have only ever turned away "B1" on one occaisson and if Slemish are oversubscribed with B1's then my daughter is an eldest child and is well up the scrambled alphabet they use for selection.
If she fails on the academic route then she automatically is put into the "all ability" pot. She'll be high up the criteria in this pot also.

But you are right, anything can happen, and if she doesn't get in then we are more than happy with her second choice of Ulidia, which she gets to automatically as she attends one of its feeder primarys..

Mollykins

Think the comments re listing all the grammars have been taken out of context. They were regarding very specific situation in Ballyclare. I'm not grammar at all cost. Thought very seriously about dd not doing aqe. The gulf between selective and non selective schools can seem very wide though. We looked around both and the grammars were a bit OTT re academia and results. But non selectives were a bit too vocational. Not sure I like the idea of doing child care as a gcse to prepare her for motherhood...

dprovan

cck, I hope I didn't sound as though I was trying to dampen expectations. My thinking in posting was to reflect th,at it is not only grammar schools which are in high demand. Slemish is a wonderful example of how you don't need to be a grammar to get a good school. Unfortunately, the scrambled letter thing worked against my dd whose surname is near the end. Despite this I feel that I am one of the lucky ones who has a few good choices to pick from.

flymetothemoon_2

cck wrote: »

I am really saddened by a lot of the posts on here especially the ones suggesting that parents should just list all the Grammars nearby in the hope of getting into one!!!!! What is that about??
What is so good about a Grammar school? the name?
Parents need to pick a school that suits their child NOT their ego. If you child is only scraping into a Grammar then maybe they would be better served at a non- selective school, then they would possibly shine rather than possibly getting left behind at a Grammar.

My daughter done very well in both the GL and the AQE ( 99 and B1 ). However i know my daughter is not a driven child and would possibly get eaten up in a competitive Grammer setting. We have a Grammar school less than half a mile from my house that she could easily get in to, but i'm sending her 20 miles away to Slemish College where i am sure she will be nurtured and encouraged to achieve what she is capable of.

I hope everyones kids get to the school that they feel is best for them.

Rant over!!

CCK
Don't know why you're so sad - just because people have advised Ballyclaremum4 to list all the nearby (excellent) grammars. If some of them were sub standard I would understand but that is not the case. Perhaps you have taken this out of context - it was only about the specific situation in Ballyclare. Even though Ballyclaremum lives close to the very good Ballyclare Secondary (which, unfortunately is highly oversubscribed every yr and hence her dilemna) it is clear that she wanted her son in the grammar school. I disagree with your comment that kids who scrape into grammars may have been served better at a non-selective school. It is a fact that many such kids leap ahead of their peers. Having the interest in studying and learning is what's really important for a grammar -the kids do need to be academically inclined. If a child doesn't really have that drive, a grammar is not the place for them. I also think most parents are painfully aware of doing what's best for their child as this forum clearly shows. There are also some parents (like myself) who have no good secondaries in their area and to put their bright and studious kids into such a school would be a real disservice to them. Finally, I don't think any of us would put ours kids through AQE or GL (let alone both) unless we thought they were grammar school material

That's my rant over :beer:

Kola

My son chose to take the AQE test this year. Although he had already decided to go to our local secondary school in East Belfast he wanted to take the test anyway.

It was still nerve wrecking waiting on the result and I am glad it is all over. Well done to all those who took the test.

Charliedevil

From reading this thread I now realise that even with scores of high 90's and into the 100's a lot of people are in the same position as myself! As my daughter is hard working and well able for grammar school her score of 91 means she will scrape into her 1st preference school. If she goes to the secondary she will be unchallenged, however she could always transfer in year 9 to a grammar. This whole test is a joke and has created a top dog scenario in schools. Scores instead of grades sucks if you ask me! Hope everyone's children get into the school they want!

Flower-power22

My advice to all is list more that 3 schools!!! My dd done the transfer last year. She didn't gain a place at our local grammar. She was turned down for her 2nd choice because you had to have it as 1st choice to get a chance as it is very oversubscribed. Her 3rd choice was refused as well. Her 4th choice was offered only to find out that after it was a disaster of a school. She ended up going to another local secondary that she loves to bits and she wouldn't move if her 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice school offered her a place. Its a massive move for them with lots of chance. A long commute will only tire them over the week and they will end up hating the bus journey. Local is best as most of there friends will be local.