Transfer Test AQE 2014-2015

Mrs_mum

We have been really lucky, my daughters school have been very supportive, even run an after schools club 2 days a week and her teacher is excellent. Can't imagine not having support from the school. Couldn't really ask anymore from her school, they are providing summer packs for the kids and parents who want them. Good luck for over the summer, think we are all going to need it! Lol

Veggie_Northern_Ireland

Well it's now officially the summer holidays and schools have been off for a week or so :shocked: How is everyone finding it starting their summer AQE preparation?

Mr_Bun

Just waiting for the tutor to come for our first session:eek:

Veggie_Northern_Ireland

I hope tutoring goes well for your daughter Mr Bun.

Unfortunately practice paper percentages are starting to worry me a bit

Wabbles76

Hi folks. Just wanted to say hi to you all and I'm so glad that I've found others in the same boat. My DS will be sitting the aqe in Nov :eek

He was doing 1 paper a week in school with scores ranging from 40's to 60's & has been given an envelope with some info to study over the summer. No other support is on offer from his school.

He has been going to a tutor since the start of June & she is not concerned with his scores at the minute as they still have away to go!! She has advised to keep going with them to get him used to them though.

He is the youngest in his class and just turned 10 a fortnight ago...just seems so young for it all

Mrs_mum

Hi Wabbles76, I know what you mean about the scores but as you have read everyone seems to be up and down with their scores. I think we will just have to be patient and not put too much pressure on them and then hopefully we will all see an improvement in their scores as the summer goes on! (That's what I'm hoping for anyway, lol).

mygirls

I agree the scores seem to be up and down, I don't know if you are all the same, but I go through my daughters papers and together we identify her stupid mistakes and find that her score could have been 20% higher as it's all things she knows well. Finding it hard to get daughter to work as she thinks that she shouldn't have to over the summer, but I am gently nudging her along by reminding her that sitting back will cost her a place in a school she wants. Aiming for Wellington and from I have heard the lowest score they accepted went up this year. :-/

Veggie_Northern_Ireland

Hi mygirls, I do the same thing! :j After marking practice papers we go through them to see which ones she doesn't understand... And which ones are silly mistakes. It can often be around 15% of potential marks lost to silly mistakes!

It's so frustrating knowing that she understands how to do it but could miss out on marks and a grammar place because of silly mistakes.

At the minute it's Belfast Royal Academy she wants tho she hasn't seen any other schools yet.

Just over 16 weeks until the first AQE Paper :eek:

Mrs_mum

Oh my goodness hadn't counted the weeks! Yep really frustrating when you go over the mistakes and you haven't even finished reading the question and they have told you the correct answer.

warmhands.coldheart

Hi folks, my eldest if only 7 so not in the same boat as any of you yet but I'm just curious, a lot of the folks on here seem to be using Tutors and from what I can see (maybe wrongly) are quite reliant on them..... My question is, do you sit down with your kids and go through the papers with them? do you sit down and work through the papers with them on a weekly basis and see how they are doing or do you just rely on the tutors ?? .... Only reason I'm asking is if your child requires a lot of tutoring to get into these Grammar Schools, are you in a way putting them in a position where they will require constant tuition in the years to come to keep up ?? Don't get me wrong, I don't see the problem with grammar schools personally, I think they have their place in the education system, I just think they are sometimes a bit overrated and not suitable for all children...