I Think 4+ Assessments Are Absolutely Bonkers!

[MissDaisy1982]

I’ve only recently discovered (via Mumsnet) that some schools have 7+ assessments. I thought that was unbelievable when I first heard about.

Even more recently I’ve learnt there are 4+ assessments

I was reading a thread where a lady’s 3 or 4 year old was assessed and rejected from an school where her two other elder DC attend

Am I alone in thinking assessing 3 and 4 year olds is just bonkers? And some parents are needing to prepare them for that assessment 12 months or more in advance.

Some countries like Finland don’t even send kids to school until they are 7

And I know kids that were breastfed until 3 years old. And others that were still potty training.

zero shade on parents doing this btw, absolutely no criticism whatsoever

I’m just shocked this is it seems a well established process

I presume the motivation behind it is based on the thinking: is good Uni, so good senior school, so good prep school, so happy to have a 4+ assessment.

of anyone could shed light on why this is a thing I’d be fascinated to hear it

also, am I alone in thinking this is bonkers?

Understood, this help explain it a lot, thank you

When i was 6 years old in Singapore, I was sitting 4 exams per year in english, mandarin and mathematics. My mum would buy me packs of mock exam papers from the 'top 10 schools' in Singapore (i also attended a top 10 school and my parents sold their home for a 200k loss to get me into that school which was an all through girls Catholic school). I would have to complete them for each subject. 3 subjects 4 times a year, 10 mock exam papers - 120 exam papers. My mum took annual leave to sit with me and teach me. I was lucky, I wasnt caned, I had classmates who were hit on the hand every single time they got a question wrong. This is on top of daily homework and weekly chinese dictation tests.

We technically start school at age 6/7 but I was born in October (school year starts in January) so I was 6 for basically the whole school year (holidays are in November and december).

I decided to raise my child in London and it is a big factor why a lot of parents move. However I think the london prep schools are v international so perhaps many parents come from countries where education is more intense. Idk.

The schools are selecting their pupils to ensure good results, but will sell the good results as being down to their exceptional teaching (rather than the fact they simply cherry picked the cream of the crop who displayed academic promise before they even started with them). In reality, those children would achieve highly wherever they go, because they have supportive parents and good learning behaviours (curiousity, keenness to learn, high levels of concentration, good communication etc). That's the scam.

Yes, if people are foolish enough to pay it they'll pay it. More fool them. They are being scammed out of their money though, as they're paying for what they believe to be the impact of the school. All schools would achieve great results if they picked who they let in. It's not rocket science.

But all schools do not. So you if want the calm, focused learning environment with minimal disruption, private school still seems worth the cost for some parents.

I don’t know any private school parent who believes that the difference is due to superior teaching. It’s a mix of focused children and parents, the environment and for most of us, the lack of disruption. I don’t know independent schools who sell themselves as achieving results due to their exceptional teaching. What they do have is a relatively stable teaching staff who are happy.

They are absolutely not just left to play. The do play based learning, much like the UK does in reception and year 1.

I'm not calling private education in general a scam. Of course there's a reason some people choose to pay for their child's education. Whether we personally agree with private education or not, there's no disputing there are reasons some people choose to pay. You've listed a lot of them yourself, and I can't argue with that. If people want to pay for that particular service and can afford to do so, that's their prerogative.

I'm talking about selective private schools. It's a competitive business. Schools who wish to get the highest possible results, select their clientele. Parents fight to get into them because they believe them to be the best, due to their data. In reality, their child would achieve well in any school (private or state).

Selective schools are somewhat of a status symbol for parents. Their child getting into one doesn't necessarily offer them a better education than if they'd chosen a non-selective school, but it does bring bragging rights.

So the school isn't over subscribed, which is great. If they had 10 applicants per place, how do you think they should selwct? I agree it's bonkers but otherwise you're back to put name down at birth or queue on a given morning to put name down and first come first served

Ah ok, you just don’t like private schools full stop.

Again, this is about selective schools. I'm not sure how clearer I can make that. I am not disputing at all that there are obvious benefits to private education for those who can afford it and want to choose that route. It's not about 'liking' private schools or not.

As someone else pointed out, at 4 it’s just a filter for SEN and picking out the children who have hit various milestones ahead of other children. My dd didn’t go through that but I am sure she would have been rejected at that stage!! She ended up excelling academically at a highly selective secondary school. It just shows how you really can’t judge a 4 year old’s abilities.

I entirely agree, OP - it is deranged, and I say this as someone who ought to be a prime candidate for this nonsense, being a middle class parent from north London. These children are coached and hothoused practically from toddler age, and it doesn’t get any better as you go further up the system - see this article for a taste of how bonkers and damaging it is. https://archive.ph/JIqk2

The really weird thing is that the areas where this behaviour is most common are full of outstanding state primaries and secondaries, so it’s hard to understand why parents put their kids through it.

As others have said, really they exist to screen out kids with obvious SEN or behavioural problems. Really they’re looking for kids who will be easy to teach - ie cooperative - more than they’re looking for academic ability, which I agree you can’t measure at that age.

The kids won’t have any idea they’re being assessed btw, they just do some activities with a new adult, or play in a group with other kids. It’s not a high priority pressure environment for the kids.

I am jewish and live 0.3 miles from archer academy and we are doing it. Just one 4 plus assessment.

Its because state schools dont do much 11 plus prep and there are fewer places at 7 plus. If you live in Hampstead though the catchment for the excellent state schools are tiny and in golders green it is mainly orthodox jewish primary schools. So i can see why people just go for private and only consider that so need to apply for more schools..Better if you live in the right parts of finchley or muswell hill.