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

confused_mummy_3

Charliedevil wrote: »

My belief is that if your child needs a tutor then why are they entering the test?

That's unfair to say that. Many parents choose to have their children tutored for different reasons.

I had my first son tutored because I had 3 other children and one of which was very ill and I simply didn't have the time to spend with my child. The tutor that I had focused on his weakness he did a transfer test a week, extra reading, looked up any difficult words in the dictionary and wrote out the meaning.

I didn't get my second child tutored because I couldn't afford to and I felt with him that the primary school were tutoring 4 days a week and that was enough for him. All the children that were tutored in his class did much better in the actual test.

Third_Time_Mum

confused_mummy wrote: »

I think this year the boundaries are going to be much higher than in previous years. Parents that I have spoken to from surrounding primary schools all said that scores were all late 100's early teens. Roll on 28th May so we know either way!

But remember there aren't as many scores in the 120s as the highest score this year was 123. Also this year is a record low birth year so the schools may have to take lower scores than in the past 2 years to fill up their places.

Charliedevil

Sorry if I was misunderstood! Tuition in circumstances like you said are different from the cases I have heard of! The pupil in my daughters school who had a tutor would not have been in the top half of the class! The tutoring did not help as the child was overworked and given false hope! When I was at school myself people who had tutors may have got into grammars but failed overall and some had to leave to go to secondary as they couldn't keep up!
This was my main concern with my daughter, as she scored lower than expected I was reluctant to apply for a grammar. Her teacher and head have assured me that she would cope well in a grammar. Had I not been told this I would have put the secondary 1st.
I have resided to the fact that what will be will be and whatever outcome in may we will make the best of it!

Pmum

Tutoring?

Everyone will of course do whatever they can to help their own child and so must make their own decision on the subject. My experience of friends who have used tutors is almost exactly the opposite to that mentioned. ie. pretty much all my friends' kids who went to tutors would have got pretty much the same score if they hadn't. I think tutoring only helps a very few children but makes a lot of parents feel that they have at least done everything they could to help.

None of my kids have had tutors. We have gone over the papers they do in school and spotted any weaknesses and tried to do a very little bit of work on those things. I have found that my kids school have done an excellent job of preparing them without us needing to do much more.

Don't forget, they are only little kids. They need time to chill and play and just be kids. Don't let their (and your) lives be dominated by some tests at this stage of their schooling. And don't give them test after test to do either as they will start to dread the thought of them. I tried to find ways of doing a little bit of focused work in very very small doses to help with anything they were finding tricky.

Find ways to make it fun if you can.

BallyclareMum4

My DS was the only child in his class that didn't have a tutor!

aqeworrier

BallyclareMum4 wrote: »

My DS was the only child in his class that didn't have a tutor!

Did you feel pressurised to get one or did you stand your ground and not give in to the pressure? I don't know whether to feel at an advantage or a disadvantage in not having one. On the one hand I feel that with tutoring my dd myself we are at an advantage as I'll know exactly where her weaknesses and strengths are - also that we can work in small amounts at whatever time suits us and of course the big plus of not having to pay out £20-£30 per week. On the other hand however, the fact that everyone else has one makes me have moments of doubt that she might be missing out on something.

We are covering everything - I have all the materials needed, the patience to go over things time and again and she is happy to do the work so I'm going to stand my ground for now and see how it goes. Here's hoping I'm doing the right thing!

Pmum

aqeworrier,

Don't forget. It's not the kids in her class she is in competition with so it doesn't really matter if they all have tutors or not as they represent a very small percentage of the kids doing the test.

You know your child better than anyone and so you know what will work for her.

ni-mum

My son got 117 which is an excellent score but I thought he had gained a few extra marks as his birtday is in May.

Just got his raw scores:

Best two raw scores = 123
Raw percentage = 123/128 = 96%

ni-mum

beccasmum wrote: »

My DS got average of 96% with November birthday which got him 117

ni-mum wrote: »

My son got 117 which is an excellent score but I thought he had gained a few extra marks as his birtday is in May.

Just got his raw scores:

Best two raw scores = 123
Raw percentage = 123/128 = 96%

November birthday and May birthday got the same raw score and AQE score so age doesn't seem to have made a difference.

Shaz3_2

Just got my DD raw scores 78% which got her a AQE of 96 (Sept birthday).