Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

Original poster

Report for DS Year 5 - Do we stand a chance with the grammars/private?

24 replies

Mandzi34 · 04/07/2015 11:38

DS report came home yesterday (state school). They are still using the old curriculum levels it seems, although they give links to the new curriculum.

His levels are as follows:

English 5B - (spelling accurate, writing neat, although big, use of vocab has increased)
Science 5C - (enjoys science and shows keen interest)
Maths 5B - ( excels at, can solve a variety of difficult words problems)
Reading 5C - (reading more complex books and takes care to note the number of marks for questions).

Thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PecanThief · 04/07/2015 14:47

Super selective grammars are usually a level six at the end of year six so he has a good chance.

He's doing very well.

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 04/07/2015 14:52

Thanks for the feedback. He's an end of August baby and hasn't always been consistent so I'm cautious.

OP posts:

CamelHump · 04/07/2015 15:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 04/07/2015 22:10

Thanks CamelHump, that is really helpful. I will encourage him to do as you mention.

OP posts:

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 10:10

If he's just finished Y5 it might be too late to register for a grammar school.

The 11+ is sat in Sep of Y6. And I think we had to register for it in May/June.

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 10:12

Just looked. You Have to register for bucks tests by 11th July.

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 10:14

But you've missed the deadline for the Slough grammars.

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 05/07/2015 13:12

We're in London.

OP posts:

spickles · 05/07/2015 14:36

Hi, my daughter was 5b/5c at end of year 5 too and she did a little bit of tutoring and still had a bad day on the grammar day and missed out by 1 mark.
If you really want your child to go for it, spend a lot of time over the summer on practise papers esp NVR.
We were aiming for a local catholic girls school, so grammar wasn't our focus, just a back up (keeping options open) hence lack of drive from us to really crack the whip on the practise.
Practice practice practice! It's about the exam skill more than the wider picture sadly.
Good luck!

LilyTucker · 05/07/2015 17:26

One of mine was 4s and passed very well.

Don't think you can put much stock into levels.

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 17:54

The few London grammars are very competitive.

It's not about levels. The 11+ is normally vr and nvr which aren't related to levels anyway.

It's about finding out which schools you're interested in. Then finding out if you can still register. Then registering. The finding out which format the 11+ is. Then practice.

Quite a mission for state grammars which have the 11+ in Sep. but privates don't have it till January

Hottoday · 05/07/2015 18:15

Which London independents are you interested in trying for?

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 05/07/2015 19:03

I'm sure your DS "stands a chance" for grammar/private with those levels since they are definitely good. However, as others have said, it does depend on which grammars and which private schools. And, again as others have said, for some schools it is more about exam technique and Verbal reasoning than levels at primary. For example, if you are talking grammar schools where I live then that is Tiffin boys and girls. Last year, about 9children received offers from my DD's primary (state), according to their parents (those that I knew) then they were achieving level 5s very early in y5 if not end y4. But that is the fairly mad stats to get into Tiffins where very very clever children miss out by a single point. Again, for private in west London, it depends which schools you are considering because they really do have different levels of academic selectivity. And obviously some also assess sports or music ability.

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 05/07/2015 20:22

He sat for the Colet Court 10+ and got through to interview. The feedback was that his maths/writing/VR are strong but vocab/comprehension although good wasn't good enough for them to take the chance and offer him a place. They needed it to be higher They are aware he's young (end of August born) We've been encouraged to try again. Will look at Latymer, Emmanuel and Graveney (not in the Borough but will sit the exam and see). Still looking at other options. He's been doing the VR/Non VR's for a while now and uses mathletics/ has group tutoring once a week.

OP posts:

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 20:38

If he has group tutoring, then you should be asking his tutor, not us!

Hottoday · 05/07/2015 21:50

If he got through to interview at Colet Court then surely you must know he stands a chance for other schools? Colet Court is one of the toughest.

Nowfeeltheneedtopost · 05/07/2015 22:05

I don't really understand why you are not asking his tutor? Based on my knowledge of other children in SW London (which must, by its very nature, be limited!), the levels you've suggested are unlikely to say he would get into colet court or tiffins. I think children who get into these are typically top 1-5% per year so maybe 3 from a 2 class intake primary? But obviously children develop and he still has some time before the exams. As for other private schools, I'm sure he would have a strong chance but as there has said it depends what each school is looking for,. And you are obviously doing a lot of work with him outside of school so I'm sure he'll do fine,

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 05/07/2015 22:05

He has only seen the tutor a handful of times. She says he is ahead but then again most of the children she has are there for additional support. Yes he say for Colet Court and did well but my worry is the comprehension, hence me asking about his current situation. He's August born, quite immature and not that consistent in the area of comprehension. He got a 2b at the end of year 2 and was one of the lowest in that class, yet was a 4C by the end of year 3. He really dives and dips

OP posts:

Original poster

Mandzi34 · 05/07/2015 22:12

In response to your point about them only taking a couple from a two class intake at primary, I agree. 5 sat the exam from his primary. Only he and another got through to interview. The other boy got offered the place. He was a September born and exceptionally bright. Well deserved. The other candidates are also bright. Top 10 in the class but not as high as the other boy.

OP posts:

BrilliantDayForTheRace · 05/07/2015 22:16

No one here can tell you if he will or won't pass.

All you can do is sit the exams and see how he does.

Those school levels don't measure his vocab.

proudmama2772 · 06/07/2015 19:09

I really don't understand the grammar school system. My daughter was a 4b at the end of year 6. She has gotten 4 marks off an A on a mock GCSE in Year 9. We moved to the UK while she was in Year 5 and fortunately don't live in a grammar school area.

She's set to get A/A* on her GCSEs. What happens if some students in the modern start doing better than the grammar school - do they take their place.

Sounds like class-oriented society bonkers!!!!

RashDecision · 11/07/2015 08:37

Don't know about London but DS had those levels at end Y5 and passed for a SS in Kent.

gazzalw · 11/07/2015 09:06

I don't think levels are the whole story though. I have known DCs who have only ever been on the middle table in primary school and yet have got into super-selectives, and others who've always been on the 'top table' (in the same school) and not got in....

Equally I know a girl who went to another primary school who was essentially hothoused - she was the type of girl who seemed to be way ahead of her peers and came across as very precocious academically. Well there was shock and incredulity that she didn't pass the 11+. If ever there would have been a 'dead cert' it would have been that she would pass with flying colours!

So academic ability is one strand of 'what it takes' but other things factor in. Our DS was always one of the clever ones (but not the brightest) but is very quick off the mark and not easily stressed - you cannot underestimate how important those two things are too. He succeeded where some of his equally clever classmates didn't because he finished all the exam papers and wasn't over-awed by the whole thing.

peanutcookie · 11/07/2015 09:19

I would put my child in with those levels. I don't know when the latymer exam is but around here u have to apply now and the grammar exams are in September/October (first stage). Also each school sets its own exam so some might include vr and nvr but not maths and English whilst others are a combination of all or some of those subjects so you need to check what to study for for the schools you are interested in. Also at this point of the year, it's all about practice practice practice! A child might be exceptionally bright but if they've never seen an exam paper or can't do it accurately in the time allocated then they have little chance of being offered a place.

Flip