Can anyone help me with some accurate information about the Dunraven banding test (which is I believe the same test used throughout Lambeth for schools which do banding).
How long does the test last? I have been told that they do 3 x 50 minute tests in the day, which seems very intensive.
What exactly are these tests? We have been told 'oh, just practice some Bond's tests', which we have done, but some people say they use the 11+ age, others say it is the 10-11 level of tests, others say it is something called CAT tests which are a bit different.
And, in banding tests do they make any adjustment for age? DS is late summer born.
Thank you - I realise we don't have long, I have no intention of cramming or hot housing DS, just doing a little preparation so he won't be unfamiliar with the form of the questions.
Thank you!
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Dunraven / Lambeth banding test: form of test, and age adjustment?
DunRovin · 01/11/2011 12:09
I know there are Dunraven and Dunraven applicants on MN - I've seen them when searching to see if the answer to my questions were in the archives 
. Calling all Dunraven / Lambeth MN-ers!
TheWomanOnTheBus - I suppose I am quite keen that DS performs as well as possible because as I understand it the higher bands have a wider catchment than the middle. But may have that wrong. We're applying to other Lambeth schools too.
I'd like to help you - I've had two DSs do the banding test, but we didn't do any tutoring or practise tests so have no idea what to advise
They didn't find them any more stressful than SATs papers, and I think they were pretty similar in layout. Actually thinking back DS1 said he cried during the break, but that wasn't because over the test itself, just that the whole experience (strange people, strange place) was a bit overwhelming. DS2 was more familiar with the set up as DS1 was in Yr 8 when he took it and actually enjoyed himself.
It was the case a couple of years ago that the top bands had a wider catchment (0.7 miles compared to 0.5 iirc) but these things change. I'm sure if you ring the school they'll have more up-to-date figures, they're usually very helpful with things like that
Sorry - meant to say 'Hello Jan' - and Hello MrsDTK .
OP - I gather that the tightest band is band 3 (i.e the top two bands are level 1, accelarated and accelarating, then two bands in level 2, then band 3 ) because it includes a significant proportion of statemented and other high criteria children. Anyway, I hope the letter you got was helpful - I can't quite gather how much of the time is breaks and practice and how much is test, but MrsDTK and BalhamMum have set my mind at rest.
I have no idea whether they make any adjustments for age - I think some 11+ tests do, don't they? But presumably they need to know they can learn at the same level of everyone in the class, whatever band they are in, so age would be a bit of a red herring?
Jan - LOL at the tutoring down rumour - I can just imagine some competitive parents suggesting this as a tactic to OTHER parents to get them out of the same band 
Hello Blu
DS2 has a summer birthday (June) and I've never been told or heard anything about the school adjusting for age. It would be counter-productive surely? They use the results from the banding tests and the Yr 6 SATs to determine which tutor group they go into, and it would be daft to bolster a child's results and maybe put them in a class working at a level they would normally struggle with (that's my same argument against short term tutoring and cramming for Yr 6 SATs, I like to be consistant 
)
I think they have about 10-15 minutes practice of each paper btw. My advice would be to tell your DCs to concentrate on answering the questions properly rather than trying to answer all of them - DS2 was worried that he didn't finish the papers, he answered all the questions he could do easily and then went back through the harder ones but ran out of time, but did really well (okay, bugger that, he did bloody brilliantly - was banded 1:1, and I cried all over him and his fantastic Yr 6 teacher when I got the letter. Five years ago he was under the SENCO for speech therapy and was being assessed for Dyslexia, two years ago when we were looking at schools for DS1 we were taking in account how behind DS2 was so we could pick a school that worked for both of them. For him to have pulled himself up to this level is just I am amazingly proud of him so :P )
We can't remember when we got the letter 
I'm pretty sure it was before, and separate to, the letter offering him a place but DH thinks it was the same thing. I'll try and find it! FWIW we weren't told what DS1 was banded to, and when I asked I was quite gently rebuked and told it wasn't important... 
Anyway. They use the exam result to band you so they can work out who to offer places to (20% from each band) then in the summer they also look at the SATs results and use that to decide what level/band/tutor group to put them in at the start of term (I keep wanting to write 'sort' damn you Harry Potter...)
BalahMum, do tutors tutor from tests like the Bonds test? Or something very similiar? I saw you recommending a tutor on another thread, was that for the state school entrance exams? It is so hard to get an idea of what exactly is expected of them, I wish the primary schools would help.
Oh, well, at least they get a practice on the day. I think I feel less anxious. Maybe.
Good luck to everyone's DC tomorrow!
Jan - intercept me with a bottle of Lidl's finest on my way back from dropping DS off and lets knock on the door of 'er down the road
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