toomuchicecream Thu 11-Sep-14 16:18:29
Er - what have Reading and Kendrick got to do with Slough?!?
Add message | Report | Message poster
spanieleyes Thu 11-Sep-14 17:08:36
How much do you think 10 year olds will recall of an exam, most of them can hardly remember what day it is, let alone the contents of an hour long exam!
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:00:21
As of this year, for the purposes of this exam, they are now a consortium and all lumped together. Kids can sit in Reading and go to school in Slough and vice versa. This is brand new to this year. 3000 kids sitting the same exam on the same day but all at different times. Questions on the paper will be viral within minutes meaning the afternoon kids can see and have a huge advantage as the morning kids are allowed out before the afternoon kids go in. It's an oversight and it's being fudged.
Add message | Report | Message poster
MirandaWest Thu 11-Sep-14 18:03:40
How much do you think the children who take it in the morning will actually remember about the exam such that they could give accurate information to children sitting it in the afternoon.
Presumably if someone's child is sitting it in the morning they won't want other children to get an advantage over them and so won't let them tell others?
Add message | Report | Message poster
Feenie Thu 11-Sep-14 18:04:10
Surely no one would have even considered the logistics of doing that - until you posted it all over the net just now.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:04:38
@spanieleyes...it's not right but some of those kids will have been cramming for hours at night and during the summer holidays, I'm talking hours per day...as I say it's not right but it is what it is...a lot of those kids will remember most of the paper and could repeat it to you afterwards...believe me I know...mine couldn't but some could. some people people would sell a kidney to get into these schools so the possibility of sharing info due to an oversight is pretty tempting.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Kimaroo Thu 11-Sep-14 18:04:46
I would've thought that the children wouldn't divulge any content, after all they could do themselves out of a place! The twin scenario you talk about would be a drop in the ocean
Add message | Report | Message poster
isitsnowingyet Thu 11-Sep-14 18:06:24
Thanks for the heads up
Add message | Report | Message poster
Pooka Thu 11-Sep-14 18:11:10
What format does the test take?
Is it NVR/VR or a more SATS-like test.
Dd sat tests last year and having seen the format I am absolutely certain that she could not have passed on information on the NVR/VR/maths papers that would have meant anything at all to others sitting the test. The tests were fast paced with short sections of 30 or so questions. Lots of sections. It really wouldn't have been possible to pass on info.
If the tests are more SATS like in format, traditional exam papers with written responses rather than a lottery-style checkbox multiple choice, then it may be possible to say "the writing paper asked you to write a letter about your happiest time" or " make sure you know know about the nth term" or whatever. But the likelihood of any parent of a child taking the test actually wanting to pass advantage to an afternoon tested child would be very slim.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:12:18
The point here is that they are NOT sitting for the same school places. A boy sitting for Reading Boys will finish at 11.00AM at Reading boys. His parents could then send a text of crucial vocabulary content to his female friend or cousin who is sitting the test for the girls school two hours later......or any of the other schools in Slough in the consortium. Of course they won't share with rivals at the same school but this is NOT the same school but the same exam. It's almost impossible to believe isn't it? I couldn't believe it but it's true. The press are now involved so check out local papers tomorrow. Please see my other post about kids remembering the content..they only have to remember for as long as it takes to send a text.
If I had a boy who was sitting the exam in the morning for Reading and his twin was sitting the exam in the afternoon for Kendrick, there would actually be enough time to sit and have lunch whilst we discussed the content of the morning’s paper. Then the twin sister could sit the afternoon paper with a competitive advantage. Absurd isn't it?
The school are fudging as it would be logistical nightmare at this late stage. The issue was only raised this week when a few parents realised. This is why we have gone to the press who are running with the story.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:16:11
@Feenie, what triggered my concern was somebody approached me and suggested that I text over info for their child.....I hadn't thought of it until then but they had. Then I realised that if they had then others had and would actually do it, so I raised the concern. I hadn't given it a thought until Monday until somebody suggest I do it. I suspect that like me most people assumed that the children would be held back until they'd finished but no. At least now all of us may know rather than the unsuspecting few.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Kimaroo Thu 11-Sep-14 18:17:51
Well it wouldn't take much to keep the morning contingent in isolation until the afternoon lot had all registered I suppose.
Add message | Report | Message poster
RafaIsTheKingOfClay Thu 11-Sep-14 18:18:26
The press are now involved so check out local papers tomorrow.
Well, at least it's fairer now that everyone's going to know how to cheat.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:20:44
@Kimaroo....that's the point, they are NOT competing for the same place but different schools....as I say it's so absurd I couldn't believe it at first but it's true. Of course no one would share info that's going to put them out of a place. There are 6 different schools all doing the same exam with a gap in between. They can share across schools. The twins scenario is simply to clarify the point but it could be a cousin or your best mate's kid. After all they are NOT competing for the same place. Could be Reading Boys, could be Kendrick, could be one of the 4 slough schools. I know it's so daft it's unbelievable.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:27:13
@kimaroo, you would not believe the correspondence I have had with Kendrick school. I have been told it's too late now but they'll look at it next year. I have been told that the content of the paper is not transferable? There is a verbal reasoning paper where the knowledge of vocab is crucial. How difficult is it to text that to a friend. A list of five words. 2000 kids sit for 200 places. 1% point will separate these kids. Tempting to cheat if you can don't you think? There should be zero margin for error and at the moment there's nearly two hours.
This is serious stuff. I wouldn't post this without having given it a lot of thought and there are more than one of us.
I have asked a thousand time to segregate. Truth is, that would mean admitting a monumental cock up and they're not going to do that easily. Hence the press.
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:42:05
@pooka brand new format. All changed this year to make it harder apparently, unless you can cheat of course. You cannot pass over the old stuff but new papers are Maths, English (verbal reasoning) and the none transferable NVR. Very transferable information now unless the verbal reasoning paper is in Russian!
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:48:39
Ladies, I posted this in the primary talk too and I'm going to add all of the conversations going on here. I think you should read the entire thread before you judge. Apologies for not being able to pick up the thread here earlier. Once you've read all of the posts it may be a bit clearer. You can read it all at this link and I'll post here too.
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2182000-Urgent-please-share-children-sitting-the-11-exam-Slough-Consortium-Kendrick-on-Saturday-can-cheat
Add message | Report | Message poster
Lindy123 Thu 11-Sep-14 18:50:24
There is another thread discussing this ladies please take a look
//www.mumsnet.com/Talk/secondary/2182000-Urgent-please-share-children-sitting-the-11-exam-Slough-Consortium-Kendrick-on-Saturday-can-cheat?msgid=49437445#49437445