Essex 11+ 2012 - Anyone else doing it?

[piggywigwig]

I was wondering if there's any other MN'ers on the countdown to the 22nd September?
How's everyone feeling? How's everyone's DC's feeling? Does anyone want a hand-holding session, support and even a rant?
I'd love to hear from fellow Essex parents

[CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz]

Breward - in catchment or out? Makes a difference. If in catchment, 340 may well get in KEGS this year with that score, due to the 80/20 split.

My DS is borderline for CRGS rather than KEGS. KEGS is second choice, though we are OOC, If he doesn't get CRGS, I will appeal for both. By public transport from my house, the journeys are an equal length!

(Bus to CRGS is veeeeeeery slow in morning rush hour, short bus then train to KEGS takes the same time!!)

So if you have any reasons to appeal, put it on there anyway.

I agree 340 is unlikely for KEGS if OOC. Why Southend rather than CRGS? Journey time? 340 seems a pretty safe bet for CRGS this year...

[CouthyMowEatingBraiiiiinz]

Tbh, I haven't heard of any remarks changing scores this year on English or Maths. It's only the machine read VR that seems to have had ONE mark added in ONE case I have heard of this year, due to sloppy erasing.

[breward]

I have just read my post on page 1 on my 'optimistic' predictions for this year's 11 plus...

"I have mixed thoughts about the catchment changes. The Southend extension includes many areas such as Wakering that have very few houses and the change came in quite late (March, I think) so many children may not have had the time to get up to speed if they decided late on to take it. Still there are 50 places to o/c children guaranteed. Most years only 60 i/c children get places and 90 o/c places are awarded. I think this will change to 80 i/c and 70 o/c.

The Kegs changes will mean the last child entry mark will be slightly lower. This year 348, last year 342 so I think next years (or October's mark) I predict will be about 336. Also the children between 348 and 336 would have probably applied and got into the Southend schools in previous years, they will now get into KEGS, so the last entry o/c mark for the Southend schools will probably not change a great deal.

This is all guesswork and me 'thinking aloud'... and being an optimist!! What are other's thoughts?"

I don't think I'm far off. It looks like 85 i/c and 65 occ for Southend.

Went round SHSB today, what a fab school. I personally will be delighted if son goes there. DS still wants Kegs as its walking distance from home. we'll see what happens on 1/3/13... no leap year at least next year!

[piggywigwig]

Well...63 sleeps to go until we find out....
How's everyone feeling about it all now?

[laluna]

Hi all

Having moments of sleeplessness and anxiety attacks. Still trying to analyse the marks, read things into them and guess rankings etc! Generally feeling very despondent and not very hopeful but finding it really hard to accept that she prob won't get in when, like so many of our DCs, she worked hard and did really well. I strongly think she won't be offered on 1st March and we will have the whole waiting list stress. Never ever again (sorry DS aged 6 - mum just can't take it!)

[breward]

Good to hear from you both again.

Still thinking daily about 1st March. Like Laluna we are in the yellow/orange zone for our first choice school (KEGS), but would be very happy with 2nd choice (SHSB). That's the best thing about this new system, you half know where your child is likely to go next Sept. We went through it last year with DD and it was a long old wait (nearly 4 months with no information apart from "I missed out 10 questions on the VR!") and a very long night on 1st March (esp being a leap year). This year I will not be stopping up til midnight, especially after the CSSE fiasco back in October when we checked emails for over 24 hours before getting the results. Just hope we get a definite place on 1st March and not '12th on the waiting list' which will leave us in limbo for many months (50th on the wl would be preferable!)

2 months and counting!

[piggywigwig]

Hello laluna and breward

I don't like the waiting game either. The fiasco last October has definitely put me off waiting up until midnight, too. My "glass-half-full" approach says CSSE will have improved their system for sending out the results and my cynical head tells me not to waste my beauty sleep

It's true that you can sort of know where they're going in September but until I get that go-ahead I can't relax. At least in that respect, I suppose we're a little better off than many others in Essex, or England, for that matter.

I'm glad this is the last child I'll be doing this for.

[laluna]

Hi Piggy!

I think if I were you, in the green zone, I would be really optimistic. Obviously my DD is in the yellow (fairly comfortably) which should make me mildly optimistic but I am gearing up for her not to get a place :-( I think the Chelmsford catchment situation makes it very unknown.

Piggy, am I right in thinking you are hoping for ColCHS? You never know, there is a slim chance that our girls will get to know each other!!

[piggywigwig]

Hello Laluna

Thanks for the kind words and yes, we're hoping for ColCHS too.

I agree that the Chelmsford situation could throw lots of things into the mix this year - I'm trying so hard to stop myself from thinking about all the possible permutations.

I've looked back at last year's results on National Offers Day, on the Eleven Plus Exams website and I think you should definitely be optimistic with a score in the yellow zone. Girls with your DD's score got an offer last year on 1st March and I hope both our girls get to know each other You never know, they may already know each other.....lol only kidding!

BTW for anyone hoping for rankings, there won't be any this year, according to CSSE. You may well be able to find some information regarding your child's position if you're on a waiting list, or the marks of the last person to be offered a place, to give you some idea of viability.

[breward]

I am so pleased there will be no rankings this year. After all a place is a place and rankings only give children an opportunity to brag in the playground and parents at the school gate. It tends to leave a sour taste and friendships suffer.

Once a child starts at the school, the child who came 188th is just as likely to do as well as the child who came 8th.

[laluna]

Here, here! Excellent point.

[piggywigwig]

breward
I know one parent who is likely to be very peeved that she won't be able to get a ranking for her DC She was bad enough on the morning of the 16th, with her DC's results and was more than a tad insensitive to others' feelings.

[laluna]

Mmmmm Piggy I know someone like that too......

[breward]

Just heard that KEGS is upping its admission numbers from 112 to 120 this September. Really pleased as this helps the borderline children.

Couthymow, it means more places might become available at CRGS if some of these 8 children were destined to go there but now get places at KEGS. Fingers crossed for your son.

[breward]

20 days to go...

In bed with a horrible virus. Feeling story for myself and still wondering how 1st march will pan out.

Just ordered 2012 papers from Csse as i'm now working with some children who will be sitting tests in September. It will be interesting to see just how hard the English was compared to previous years. My son came out saying it was easy only to get his lowest ever mark. That's why you take what they say after the exam with a pinch of salt.

Has anyone seen last year's papers yet?
How are you all coping on this final leg?

[piggywigwig]

breward
So sorry to hear you've got one of the yucky lurgies that seem to be doing the rounds at the moment. Hope you're soon feeling better

I haven't seen the papers that DD2 sat - probably won't as it's too tempting to ask her to look at them and I don't want to get into the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" brain-mode for either of us as that way, lies the path to extreme anxiety and confidence-knocking....for both of us

The last leg is an odd thing. So much has happened in real life, to change our focus, and our energies have had to be placed elsewhere. As a consequence, none of us (DD2 included) have really had too much spare time and emotional energy to think about 1st March. It's kind of gone off the radar.

[piggywigwig]

How's everyone feeling?

[breward]

A half term was well and truly needed to recharge the batteries after the virus I had lingered for three weeks. This meant I had to slow down and had plenty of time to think about 1st march!!

However, i've been having car problems so have had that to sort out and take my mind off next week.

Looking forward to child of our time tv programme coming back on Wednesday and Thursday evening. They are all now at secondary school... It will be interesting to see how many of them went through the dreaded 11 plus system.

I've now been through the system two years in a row with my own children and that's me done! However, I've tutored children for the exam for about 12 years. I'm currently working with two children for the September exams so I will be taking an interest in the system for a while yet, but without the major personal emotion of it all that putting your own children in for the exam brings.

Good luck to everyone this week, especially piggy, La Luna, cow thy.. I think we are the last four standing on here!

[piggywigwig]

Lovely to see you breward and I'm so pleased to hear the virus is on its way out of your system

Hope you get the car problems sorted out quickly - they're fab when they're going okay but a total pain when they're giving you headaches, especially when they're headaches in the wallet-department

I don't have any more of my own to put through, either. If someone asked me for some help, then I'd probably consider doing it.

I echo the "good luck" to everyone reading and lurking. I think we are indeed the last four standing, although I'll lay odds on a significantly higher lurker-to-poster conversion rate, after midnight on 28th February

[letseatgrandma]

We're waiting for March 1st as well-will it be an email at midnight, does anyone know? We're Southend rather than Essex.

I've bought the CSSE papers as well as I'm doing it all again with dd. I seem to have now got every paper since about 1998-poor girl!!

[piggywigwig]

Hello letseatgrandma - I believe it's midnight - you can log in to your account at Essex County Council. Nothing to do with CSSE this time
I feel for you, having to do it again. Not quite sure if it's better, or harder, second-time around.

[letseatgrandma]

Hello letseatgrandma - I believe it's midnight - you can log in to your account at Essex County Council. Nothing to do with CSSE this time wink
I feel for you, having to do it again. Not quite sure if it's better, or harder, second-time around.

I've got two more DD-I'm really not sure my nerves can do it once more, let alone twice!!

We are Essex rather than Southend so don't have anything to do with ECC really though? I wonder if there's a different system for us? We probably have to ring the CSSE on the stroke of midnight and have to wait in a queue to speak to someone ;)

[piggywigwig]

Oh dear letseatgrandma, I'm not sure how you find out, then, if you didn't submit your CAF form to Essex Whoever you submitted to, should have the answer as to when you can expect to get your allocation notification.

I do feel for you having to do it more times, I lost so much weight and sleep with both DD's With all the changes in the last 18 months, I'm not sure my nerves could stand the uncertainty.

[letseatgrandma]

Grrr-maybe I'll email Southend and see what they say!!

Are you waiting for a result this week as well, Piggywigwig? I'm sure we've spoken about the 11+ before?

[piggywigwig]

Yes, letseatgrandma, we spoke wayyyyyyy up the thread I'm waiting for a result for CoCHS