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4+ assessments at North London Schools

7 replies

Frogusha · 07/01/2016 13:37

Hello, has anyone gone for NLCS 4+ this year? I could not get much out of my daughter and I'm wondering what they actually did. According to her it's just colouring, naming colours and shapes, observed play and stringing beads. I'm surprised to hear they did no reading or counting but she insists they didn't. Just trying to make the time until next week when we find out more bearable.

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Frogusha · 07/01/2016 13:59

Wondering if it's possible that she did something work in the beginning (e.g. didn't answer to a question correctly) and then was left to just play until the end of the assessment. Is that possible?

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horsemadmom · 07/01/2016 19:39

No, your DD gave you a pretty accurate report from her point of view. They will have had staff engaging with them during the 'play' but if she was unaware of it, that's good. It means she didn't find it stressful. They are looking for girls who are engaged, ready to learn and enjoy the activities and it is all scored. The 2nd round is much more 1 on 1 but doesn't involve anything that will seem to her like work.
Very few will be reading at this stage but the expectation for those they accept is that they will be pretty fluent readers by the end of the first term. The assessment is to find the little rockets who are ready for blast off.
-NLCS mum

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Frogusha · 07/01/2016 22:40

Thank you so much for the insight horsemadmom! Very useful indeed!

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cuttey · 08/01/2016 12:20

Frogusha, my dd said the same - number recogonition, cutting, puzzle, shape, building. no stories nor writing. she firstly said there was drawing but then denied so i have no idea what actually happened.
Have you heard from nlcs yet?

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Frogusha · 08/01/2016 12:38

Not yet cuttey. I don't think we'll hear anything before Monday as they probably have assessments today still (judging by numbers) and will be agreeing final numbers today or maybe even Monday. My DD also denied drawing anything but then said she drew a fairy and a dragon - unlikely, I think. It is interesting that the assessment is totally different from other schools: no reading, adding, patterns, dancing / signing, drawing, re-telling a story, i.e. nothing we tried to work on beforehand.

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strawberryfields973 · 08/01/2016 13:57

I got a similar response. She cut some shapes and drew a princess.
Last year, the parents heard back on Friday of the same week. I have been checking my emails every 2 min.