Academic level for entry at 11

Area for current parents, past parents and future parents of Blues or Old Blues.

Moderator: Moderators

lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

Hi,
when we went to the Open Day last March, I spoke to the head of maths and he told me Level 6 was required in maths, if that is any help.
I thought this was quite a high demand, as what primary school teaches to that level?
Does this put the prep schools on a stronger footing?
We are for 2012 entry, so Year 5 now, and doing extra work we think Level 6 is approaching, when DS concentrates!
Didn't get a level estimate for English though.
ANyone know if you achieve say the equivalent of a level 6 in maths, they might allow a lower mark in English?
kittykat
3rd Former
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:09 pm

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by kittykat »

Goodness, level 6? I thought Year 6 NC tests only showed results up to 5a? I have no knowledge of the private sector so I'm afraid I don't know if prep school pupils may be at an advantage. I would hope not though as that seems at odd with the CH ethos.

I, too, have a DS in Year 5 so also have wheels in motion for 2012 entry. Best of luck to you and your DS!
lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

Thanks Kittykat,
but I had it from the horse's mouth.
I kind of glanced around, thinking to myself that all these kids here must be level 6 potentials.
It was a daunting thought.
I didn't know then that the Extension Papers had been done away with for KS2 so no state educated child will have had the opportunity to get that high.
DS is being home educated now and we think we are on level 6, but it is very hard to tell. It just mostly seems to take level 5 a bit further, with only a few additions like radius and circumferences of circles etc.
The exam examples they give you on their website sort of say other things will be examined too.
So not sure if the content they DON'T show us is harder, as the exams themselves don't seem that hard, do they?
Not level 6 anyway.
DS has been trying some KS3 papers, for lack of extension papers, and so far has done well at the level 3 to 5s and the level 4 to 6s.
Concentration is his bugbear though.
He can DO all of it, but only when he concentrates! Not always in other words. And when he doesn't he makes really silly mistakes.
Is that a boy thing do you think?
I can't imagine my daughter ever having done that!
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by pinkhebe »

In the autumn parents evening I was told my son was working beyond 5b and that is all the highest they test for at his junior school. He passed the initial exam, but I can't tell you whether that is enough as we still have another week to wait for the results :roll:
HowardH
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 176
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:38 pm
Real Name: Howard Holdsworth
Location: Horsham

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by HowardH »

A good 5 should be sufficient
lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

Will you post if he gets in please? What was the initial exam like?
wurzel
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:59 pm
Real Name: Ian
Location: Reading

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by wurzel »

Pink,

We are in the same situation with son having done exams this year. he too is good at maths but state primaries will not mark above a 5 (ours even helpfully told us in the autumn that there was nothing more they could teach him)

One thing that both my son, wife and I are agreed on though is that the CH entrance process (as that is what it is - not just an exam) is THE fairest you will ever come across. The autumn assessment is not that bad at all - it is just 1/2 a day and if the primary school think your child is likely to be of lv5 calibre and the schools ethos fits yours then go for it. When / if you get to the residential assessment the whole atmosphere feels like the school is looking for a reason to say "yes" rather than "no" and it is just space restraints that mean they have to select.

You will see other posts on here about people whose children have been unable to take the exam due to illness and CH has made alternative arrangements etc . Compare that with our only other local option a selective grammar - within an hour of leaving a 3 hour battery of exams our son collapsed and was found to have a temp of 39.4 then spent the next week in bed with true flu - the schools response - as he completed the papers and the invigilator had made no note of sickness that is that, the offers are made on the basis of cumulative score of the papers with a line drawn after top 100 (the number of available places) and there is no right of appeal but in a tie break situation they might look at the sickness report although that had never arises in past. At that school it is as if they are looking for a reason to say "no" but know they have to let 100 in.

Hope that helped you
lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

Hi Wurzel,
yes that was fairly helpful.
How taxing is the exam in November? What date roughly in November are the exams?
Did you do them at the school?
I don't suppose your child told you much about them, did he?
How long is each exam?
Is it only english and maths then?
How does it compare in level of hardness with say, a KS2 sats?
And the January one - is it much harder?
I am desperate to know.
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by pinkhebe »

Just spoken to my son, he had no issues with the exams.
Maths apparently is harder than the ks2 sats and the Jan paper in maths was harder than in Nov.
English was fine.

The selection process is really well done imo, but as a parent it's really hard, because I think they're really looking at personality and 'need' rather than test results, when they get to the final selection and you can't help them with that! :cry:
kittykat
3rd Former
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:09 pm

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by kittykat »

Very reassuring Wurzel and Howard H. Thank you.

Lippizaner, my DS is also distractable and lacks concentration. His english also lacks somewhat behind his mathematical ability. I have been told, by teachers, that this is quite usual for boys, especially those who may be amongst the younger of their school year. I can't remember where I read it, but I am sure that what CH is looking for is overall potential to gain from a place at CH. I don't think there are any trick/hidden questions in the exam papers. I understand the initial exams are held at CH in Horsham and Fulham Prep (I think) in London. From what I understand the results of the exams only form part of the admissions process, the whole child and their circumstances are taken into account.

I submitted the forms earlier this academic year and received a postcard by return to say that CH had the forms and would be in touch. Last month I received confirmation that my DS's name was on the list for entry in 2012 and would be kept informed about the exam dates etc. I was told that those eligible for presentations would hear around April time about how to proceed.

Once again, all the very best - we're going to have quite a year ahead, aren't we?
lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

So, do you think the exam is like the one they give as an example?
Is that the level of difficulty of the November one or the January one, did your son say Hebe?
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by pinkhebe »

He thought the examples were harder than the January tests, we were quite worried by the examples as the algebra questions,for example, were quite hard for him. But CH explained that there would be questions which the children hadn't covered at school and not to worry about them.
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by pinkhebe »

BTW I'm glad I didn't speak to the head of Maths at the open day, as I'm not sure we'd have even attempted the exams if we thought he needed a level 6 in Maths!
lippizaner
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 157
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:36 am
Real Name: Fil Reid

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by lippizaner »

We went when Jake was a Year 4, so he could be motivated by having seen it, which he was. He really liked it.
The head of maths and english were both in Big School answering questions so I decided to ask what level they needed, expecting it to be a level 5. It WAS very daunting when he said level 6. I always thought for a Year 6 pupil to be level 6 would be pretty exceptional.
Looking it up on the internet I found they did away with the extension papers to level 6 because so few pupils got it.
I'm glad to hear they are not expected to have covered everything.
And that the tests were not as hard as the examples.
I suppose the cut off will vary, as I guess they just take the 120 or so best, and it could vary from year to year as to what mark they need to get.
We are home educators, so we pretty much do as we want as regards to curriculum, but as we are aiming for CH I do peruse the KS2 and KS3 papers, assuming CH is using the NC as a base for its testing. Hope I am right!
I can only assume perhaps that he meant "capable of a level 6 if taught to that level" - what do you think?
Fil
pinkhebe
Deputy Grecian
Posts: 455
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:57 am
Real Name: Helen
Location: Brighton

Re: Academic level for entry at 11

Post by pinkhebe »

I expect that they should be near a level 6 by the time they FINISH year 6, but considering the first tests are in November and the children have nearly a whole year of maths teaching, it's unlikely many children will be at a level 6 when they do the tests.
A girl from my sons school also got through to the residential assessment, and when they were in the same class (yr 4) she wasn't in any of his groups for maths and literacy (he was in the top group) so I think there is a great variance (or she could have been heavily tutored ! :D )
Post Reply