Support Thread for parents of children sitting the AQE /GL Transfer Test in 2012

BOBS

freefromdebt - if you are not happy with what you are being told by principal you have the right to approach the board of govenors for their help.

Freefromdebt_2

BOBS wrote: »

freefromdebt - if you are not happy with what you are being told by principal you have the right to approach the board of govenors for their help.

I did approach the governors. The very next morning at 8.30am my phone rang. It was the principal asking me what I thought I was doing contacting the governors. So I guess I am up against a brick wall. Maybe this will in some way explain my moment of madness by asking the school for something which I cannot have.

aqeworrier

When my children get their reports at the end of each school year they get their standardised score and also a note of the class average standardised score. From that we can clearly see where they are in comparison with the average class score. I see no reason why your school cannot do the same thing - this does not in any way give details about any other individual pupil so should not be a problem. It sounds to me like your principal is not doing his job properly and has something to hide. I would even go ahead and ask the class teacher - that's what they're all paid for after all!

I'm sure you already know that the Northern Ireland average always falls at 100 so if your child is above this then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about and I wouldn't get too het up on what the rest of the class are doing. (Believe me I've wasted enough time myself doing the same thing in he past). Now I just worry about my own kids.

I'm not sure if you said whether your child has already done the transfer test this year but if they are approaching it I would suggest getting materials from Thetransfertest.com - its a great website and provides all the transfer materials you need, in step by step booklets, to get your child through it. I used the materials, went over the work with my child myself, without a tutor, and she attained great scores in both AQE and the GL. PMP publications also provide great materials. Getting some key stage workbooks from Letts (or another company) and going through them with your child is also a good idea as it gives you an idea of what areas your child might need more help on.

Hope that helps

Third_Time_Mum

Dear Freefromdebt
The information below is in the Guidance for Principals section of the AQE website in relation to claiming Special Circumstances:
"You may have noted that in the Education Minister’s letter of 9 November 2009 ‘Primary Schools’ duties with regard to the Provision of Educational Information on their Pupils to other Parties’ it states:
‘Under the Freedom of Information Act, any person, including a parent, has a right to request information on class performances/achievements, provided the disclosure of the collective data would not lead to the identification of an individual pupil.’
Our understanding is that the request for comparative data would fit within this provision and allow you to supply the information."

We had to claim Special Circumstances for our child last year due to illness during the time of the tests and had no problem obtaining the comparative results of the rest of the class. It doesn't seem from the above as if the right to request information on class performances is limited to claims for Special Circumstances so it is probably worth writing to both the Principal and the Board of Governors and requesting the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

RikM

The data protection act its often misunderstood (sometimes wilfully) by people in authority...
It relates to personally identifiable data.
So if you do not request information which identifies a person, it's not covered by the data protection act.

This is trickier than it sounds... If you requested something, (for example) which included birthdays, and there were some children with unique birthdays in the class, it would be covered by the act, as you could identify the child from that piece of information...

Freefromdebt_2

I havent been on here for a while.........have tried to put the whole sorry thing to the back of my mind. I have resigned myself to the fact that DD's school will not assist me in any way. Does anyone know how the appeal system works ? I know we won't find out until 25th may but I just suspect that she will not be accepted to her first choice school even though she has a sibling there. Do I need to employ a solicitor or do I need to gather information ?
She got a C2 and we submitted a claim for special circumstances within the timeframe.
Thanks.

lalalesley

Hi Freefromdebt

don't mean to be cheeky, but can i ask where you got the C2 score from? My child got her results this year also, but it was a very small sheet with only a 3 digit number on it. I did ring AQE and they said those where the only results they were giving out this year. As there were only 5 in her class who did the exam, i honestly had no idea how to gauge her score. I thought a b c , 1 2 3 was only back in our day?

Freefromdebt_2

Hi lalalesley.
Dd sat the GL assessment. Her results came in the form of an A5 page which gave a grade and a score. I requested a remark and got it........received the remark in the post only for it to read GL Assessment 2011 ! I am really not looking forward to the last weekend in May.......

lalalesley

Sorry Freefrom

maybe i would have realised that if i'd read back enough!

Good look! I wish it were all over with, and i'm sure you do too


Lesley

Freefromdebt_2

And so it gets worse.........have just received a letter from board to list more schools as the schools we listed are all oversubscribed.......apparently most schools in the area are ! I am very stressed and do not know what to do now........