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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Common Entrance

5 replies

JaneyPal · 08/02/2011 12:21

I never went through this system but DS1 will be - where do I find the best information as I keep hearing various stories about being able to take more or less papers, and at different 'tiers'???

Also, what about if DS is doing a Scholarship - is this another set of papers all toigether?

Many thanks to all!!

JPx

OP posts:
willali · 08/02/2011 12:35

Assume you are referring to 13+CE?

Latin is not compulsory so if your school offers LAtin not all will take it usually.

Yes there are various levels - again the school will decide in conjunction with you which level is appropriate. Levels have nothing to do with whether you pass or fail but will indicate apropriate streaming at the Senior school.

Scholarship papers are separate and are taken earlier in the year so that if you don't pass the scholarship you go on to take the CE papers with eveyone else in June. Scholarship students are usually taught separately. You can be excused CE on the strength of scholarship papers but this means the child has essentially nothing to do for many months until the end of the school year (certainly this is the case at my DS school!)

Look at GAlore PArk website for excellent revision guide books which are a life saver

In any event your school should take parents through what the CE syllabus / exams etc are all about??

Original poster
JaneyPal · 08/02/2011 12:38

Great start - thanks.

I think the school will, in due course, but you know what us parents are like.....Wink.

With the levels - is there a rationale in doing better in a lower level than vice versa?

Sorry, yes I am referring to 13+.....

OP posts:
willali · 08/02/2011 12:59

As I understand it from DS school the levels thing is just to push them but as far as I know you don't get marked down for doing a "lower" level ie 60% for level 1 isnot "less" than 60% at level 2 for a subject, but will guide the senior school as to appropriate streaming

Bear in mond that in many subjects 13+CE is nearly the same as GCSE (they use GCSE textbooks at my DS school which is not terribly academic!) - it is tough and a lot of revision required etc but as long as the work ethic is there it is do-able!

onimolap · 08/02/2011 13:05

Some destination schools do insist on Latin - check now if the ones you have in mind do so. The headmaster of your current school is likely to know how much weight they attach to it.

A scholarship candidate would normally be top tier.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 08/02/2011 13:14

Some schools specify certain levels of papers to be taken e.g. Westminster requires Level 3 Maths and Latin (if you are studying Latin)

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