11 plus and covid

[covidfatigued]

So does anyway know what will happen if before the 11 plus tour child has covid, covid symptoms or needs to isolate because of their bubble?

Will the state grammar regions allow a resit?

I am thinking of Kent and Bexley.

I have emailed the councils but have not had a response.

Thank you

A very good question (and which is why I wish they hadn't delayed it). I doubt they know the answer themselves yet. If it's only a few missing it I suspect they might rely on the appeals process. If it's lots, it'll be a shitstorm.

There's normally a 'back up' date for this but I don't know how that will work this year.

In Bucks if your child is ill or needs to self isolate then an alternative date will be offered so long as you provide proof. No proof, no alternative date.

You have no choice over the alternative date but I guess they will have a couple, 14 days after the date of the original test dateZ

But there's always got to be a question mark over the security of tests taken at a later date (due to the potential for leaked papers). Not such a big deal when you're only talking about a small number of tests. But if cases keep rising as they are, then it's likely there'll be loads of kids isolating by then (and potentially whole bubbles/schools closed). Test security is surely then much more of an issue (quite apart from the fact that, with long isolation periods, some children might miss both the original and the revised test date). Don't want to be pessimistic, but I can easily see a tipping point reached where we have a rerun of the whole A Level estimated grade nightmare.

It’s going to be a nightmare this year!

It’s already more unfair than normal as schools have had such differing standards of online school provisions. Plus parents who have been working won’t have been able to spend as much time home schooling their kids (or focusing on the 11+). I know it’s not supposed to be a test you can tutor for but let’s face it most do. And they will have missed out on lots of maths concepts which they are supposed to know by now.

Agree with the test security. But then the children won’t be able to remember much of the test to talk about it? It’s just a shit show this year really. Wish I’d opted out!

It totally is a test you tutor for. Let's be honest the people who say they don't tutor go to schools that prep their students for it.

It is already an uneven playing field and the lack of provision for many state school primary students will just wides already existing gaps between those who can pay and those who can't.

@zoras, yes totally unfair!

In my county we only have selective secondary education (it isn't mandatory, but if you don't take the exam you go to a secondary school, there are no comprehensives).

When my son did the 11+ I was a single mother, and due to health problems, spent long periods on benefits. He was disadvantaged (I didn't claim FSM, as I didn't know it offered an advantage, and the internet was still fairly new).

There was no way I could afford to pay for tutors for him. I did buy some books from WH Smith, but I wasn't great at knowing how to do them, so I couldn't help him as such. It was verbal reasoning in those days and to be fair, I think it was fairer. It was mainly common sense and you didn't need to be taught it as such. He passed and went to the boy's grammar, where his peers did mainly come from preps, but still he wasn't disadvantaged academically. His primary was also a good school.

Now we're facing it again in the next couple of months. It is different. The maths questions are NOT something that a child will be able to do, if they've never encountered them before. It is specifically geared now, towards those who have had extensive tutoring and experience in the kind of maths problems involved.

My DD's school went into special measures just over a year ago. The standard of teaching/curriculum, means that no child there will have a clue how to do the tests.

I totally agree with all you have said wish.

My now year 5 child has shocking teachers - he had five different ones and then was left with 2 before lockdown and did they set any work? No no and no.

I struggled along and now he is back at school but completely bored because there is no stretch in the curriculum and lots of class have fallen behind. There is no way this school is ready for any mixed or online provision.

Yes I agree you need either an excellent school preferably private or money.

My son's school could not recall whether they had taught any Long multiplication or division .. when asked. They could not tell me much to be honest!