Harrow School Literacy Test

[Judy1234]

Just what the state sector should be doing with all 16 year olds, showing how important it is that people know how to spell words like accommodation and know the difference between discreet and discrete (my regular bug bear) and that we should never say "for free".

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article4743182.ece

Thanks for that link.

I've just completed the test to my satisfaction (preen!).

I've printed it off for ds to do, although 'pusillanimous' and 'vicissitude' are rather a challenge. By the way he's just ten and he's at a state school.

The school is very hot on grammar. I am even hotter - I'm often to be heard barking "FEWER THAN" if I hear the offensive "less than" preceding a plural.

I'm glad they've got 'lay and 'lie' - it is one of my bugbears !

Ah yes, I hate seeing less instead of fewer.

Actually I think most children by year 6 in a state school would be capable of passing this test, give or take a few questions. They are pretty hot on grammar and literacy these days in the state sector, contrary to popular belief amongst the fee paying sector. Perhaps the children applying to Harrow in the sixth form need to pull their socks up a bit if this is only the level required!

Let's hope there aren't that many budding High Court Judges or Archbishops of Canterbury in the making who aren't able to master that test before they get into the Sixth Form

DOesn't it very nicely sum upp the differences between aspiration in state and private schools, never mind I bet most state schools at sixth form level don't have an aim of getting all pupils to have good English?

I just glanced at it and it looked rather easy. I was very surprised.

I did like Harrow 13+ scholarships when I worked in prep school - just how scholarships should be.

Lots of adults spell accommodation incorrectly.

so pleased to see that it included loose/lose, lead/led and loath/loathe - the first of which is the one that drives me most to distraction whenever I see it (it appears quite a lot on MN )

I don't see that everyone should be reduced to the lowest common denominator just because some people are too lazy* to learn how to do something properly. I find it very disconcerting when professionals (doctors, solicitors etc.) are unable to spell or use grammar correctly, as it leads me to make assumptions about their overall attention to detail and capapbilities.

• I am not including dyslexics in this category, of course! There are many people who ARE just too lazy to be bothered to learn/ teach it properly.

I'm not sure - but I am prepared to bet that my 12 year old state educated dd could make a fair stab at most of this. I'll try tomorrow and let you know.
Not sure what your post of 18.37 means, Xenia!

Why do you think most state schools don't have good English in the Sixth form, Xenia? They certainly do in the Sixth form at the school my DCs go to and, by the way, ALL the sixth formers gain a place at Russell Group universities with about 40 gaining places at Oxford or Cambridge. Nothing wrong with their English, I think. They don't need to do that kind of test before they are admitted to the Sixth form because they have all been taught correct grammar and spelling earlier down the school or at the other schools they have attended.

Nothing makes my blood boil as much as pronouncing H as haitch.

There is no reason why a grammar school educated child should not aspire to doing well on this kind of test. I would be seriously worried otherwise.