SATS and 11+ why such a difference in expectation?

[gorionine]

I grew up abroad so learn about the UK school system as I go along with DD1.

As DD1 is now in year 6, we had in the last few month to get through the ordeal of choosing a high school. As DD's teachers have always been very happy with her work, we also got interested in grammar schools (the council next to ours has grammar school system so they are state ones)

She sat 2 11+ tests failed one and passed the other ,no tutoring (as I was completely oblivious of the fact 11+ was not the same as SATS) but did a few practice papers with her in the two weeks before the tests.

During this school holiday, her homework was to do a practice paper of sats , in condition (timed). I was surprised to see the difference in expectations between the two tests. I was expecting a bit of difference but there is a really big one.

Can someone explain to me why two different systems and when did it "split"?

Relax, gorionine! Didn't you say that she had passed the 11+ to one school? The SATS are a bit irrelevant now.

gorionine - I'm quite that you already know the results of your DD's 11+tests - does that mean you already have the secondary school allocated for her?

We don't get to know whether DD1 made it into the (highly selective) local grammar school until next Monday. Very nervous about it, particularly as the school standardises the scores as previously explained on this thread, and DD1 is a Sept-born!

Y6 SATS are no comparison to the 11+ test, I find. I did a few practice papers for the 11+ with DD, but nowhere near the tutoring done by some, especially in the private sector. I don't intend to tutor her for the SATS and she doesn't appear to need it.

She got the results 2 weeks after passing the test but we still have to wait until the 1st of march because it is a state grammar and even successfull in the test she is not guaranted a place there as we are from a different council and not in the catchment. I live in hope that she might still get a place though!

All the best for your DD, releasethehounds!

Thanks Gorionine - best of luck to you too! Our grammar school is in a neighbouring authority too but it's actually quite close by mileage. Our grammar school goes purely on ability and doesn't care whereabouts you live (so obsessed are they by 'getting the best' in the league table results, as they always do).

It's been a stressful school year hasn't it? DD2 is in Y1 and I dread doing all this again in 5 years' time!

I am kind of hoping it is only going to be so hard for the first child as I have another 3 who will have to go through that[worried emoticon]

We def need a worried emoticon on this site though I think I'd wear it out!