News RSS Feed Send your news, pictures & videos


11-plus exam may be held two months early

8:30am Saturday 28th January 2012 in News

THE 11-plus exams could be brought forward two months so parents can pick their favourite schools after children have sat the tests.

Currently, parents are made to choose before their children sit the exams at the end of November, but this could be changed to fit in with the Government’s new school admissions code.

Essex County Council says it will abide by the new code, but there are concerns the change could see pupils having to sit the exam before the end of the previous school year.

Eight schools in Southend, two in Chelmsford and two in Colchester hold the exams.

The change could also avoid problems when pupils fail the exam, but have only selected grammar school places, and are left trying to find another school.

Comments(11)

live in westcliff says...
9:08am Sat 28 Jan 12

I believe September is when a lot of other parts of the country sit the exam, however, they all take age into consideration with extra percentage points for those that are younger. My child will have just turned 10 when this exam takes place and she will be sitting alongside other children who are already 11 - where's the fairness in that?

If big changes like this are going to be made then parents should have known earlier or changes should be implemented going forward for the following year. However, I do support the idea of knowing the result before applications to schools.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Nebs says...
10:44am Sat 28 Jan 12

Why can't people just go to the school that covers their catchment area.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

upandaterm says...
11:10am Sat 28 Jan 12

They are "Children" not "KIDS" who started using this term to identify them with it.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Say It As It Is OK? says...
12:43pm Sat 28 Jan 12

upandaterm wrote:
They are "Children" not "KIDS" who started using this term to identify them with it.
Good to see the PC brigade are keeping a watchful eye! Those who call Children Kids should consider themselves suitably chastised!

Anyway my "Kids" never objected to being called that. Suppose it's the "mad" world of political correctness nowadays that prompt people to make an issue of something so trivial.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Say It As It Is OK? says...
12:43pm Sat 28 Jan 12

upandaterm wrote:
They are "Children" not "KIDS" who started using this term to identify them with it.
Good to see the PC brigade are keeping a watchful eye! Those who call Children Kids should consider themselves suitably chastised!

Anyway my "Kids" never objected to being called that. Suppose it's the "mad" world of political correctness nowadays that prompt people to make an issue of something so trivial.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

The Gentleman says...
1:41pm Sat 28 Jan 12

Say It As It Is OK? wrote:
upandaterm wrote:
They are "Children" not "KIDS" who started using this term to identify them with it.
Good to see the PC brigade are keeping a watchful eye! Those who call Children Kids should consider themselves suitably chastised!

Anyway my "Kids" never objected to being called that. Suppose it's the "mad" world of political correctness nowadays that prompt people to make an issue of something so trivial.
It is not a matter of political correctness, merely one of semantics. A kid is a baby goat. A child is a young human being.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Jane D says...
4:27pm Sat 28 Jan 12

Nebs:
The reason parents don't want to send their children to the nearest school is because some of those schools are absolutely appalling. You only have to look at the recent article in the Echo online about the Basilon Upper Academy and De La Salle School where only about a third of pupils gain half-decent GCSE grades. Sure, exams aren't everything but to compete in the workplace or to go to further education youngsters need to have achieved a certain level of education and GCSE's are an indication of that.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Jane D says...
4:42pm Sat 28 Jan 12

Sitting the 11-plus before having to choose a secondary school is an excellent idea, although it would be good if there is a loading for age as described by "live in westcliff."
Surely it must be easier for administration at the LEA and the schools? At the moment you can choose up to 4 schools. If your child takes the 11-plus, you have to include grammar schools on your list, so if the child doesn't pass you've wasted those choices. If you know before choosing that you are eligible for a grammar school then you only put them down; if you know you are not eligible then you can put up to 4 suitable comprehensive schools. There is an increasing worry among local parents about schools and some are opting for home tuition - by law, education is compulsory, school is not!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

stonybrig says...
6:10pm Sat 28 Jan 12

Dustbin Lids'''',they should be seen and not heard well thats what they said in Victoria,s day,,but kids have to much to say today in my humble opinion!!!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Say It As It Is OK? says...
8:09am Sun 29 Jan 12

The Gentleman wrote:
Say It As It Is OK? wrote:
upandaterm wrote:
They are "Children" not "KIDS" who started using this term to identify them with it.
Good to see the PC brigade are keeping a watchful eye! Those who call Children Kids should consider themselves suitably chastised!

Anyway my "Kids" never objected to being called that. Suppose it's the "mad" world of political correctness nowadays that prompt people to make an issue of something so trivial.
It is not a matter of political correctness, merely one of semantics. A kid is a baby goat. A child is a young human being.
The Gentleman wrote: It is not a matter of political correctness, merely one of semantics. A kid is a baby goat. A child is a young human being.

Of course you are right. (Most probably you always are!)

You obviously went on the same course as upandaterm did.

As I said its trivial to pick up on it. Children are not only commonly, but affectionately known as, "Kids" or in rhyming slang Dustbin Lids.

Hens are female Chickens.
So no more Hen Nights!
Stags are adult male Deer.
So no more Stag nights!
Pigs are Farmyard animals.
So no more misaligning the Police!
Gay is a girls name!
So no more misuse of that word.

So I sit back and wait for the wroth of outrage from the PC brigade.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Nebs says...
4:30pm Sun 29 Jan 12

Jane D wrote:
Nebs:
The reason parents don't want to send their children to the nearest school is because some of those schools are absolutely appalling. You only have to look at the recent article in the Echo online about the Basilon Upper Academy and De La Salle School where only about a third of pupils gain half-decent GCSE grades. Sure, exams aren't everything but to compete in the workplace or to go to further education youngsters need to have achieved a certain level of education and GCSE's are an indication of that.
If these parents had to send their children to the local school then they could divert their energies to improving their local school. If all the clever well behaved kids go to other schools then what hope do these two have of ever improving.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

More News stories

Local Businesses

Most popular