Common entrance

[shootingstarz]

I think the common entrance curriculum is fantastic so much better and more in depth than the NC. What do you think?

No idea as only have real experience of CE but found it a bit repetitve

I think it it better but its becoming more prescriptive particularly as many senior schools are pushing up their individual pass marks the prep schools will more and more teach to pass it rather than teach the subject. I've read somewhere that some schools are thinking about writing their own exams.

Luckily our school teaches the subject and not to any particular test. I can?t see how they could possibly make it any harder than it already is.

It's never crossed my mind as to whether I think it's good or not as that's not the reason my kids are in independent school. Glad you're happy though. :)

I think the level at which it is taught will vary depending on the particular cohort of kids. It certainly set ds up well to join a senior school at Year 9 but he has found that some of the work has been repeated. I felt it ws a lot of pressure for no real end as most of the local secondaries set their own 13+ entrance tests and allocate places earlier in the year.

Not all schools use CE, to prep schools have to cover a curriculum which covers both CE and known requirements of the entrance exams of the destination schools their pupils are down for.

The CE curriculum is being reformed anyhow: here's the TES from a few years ago which remains a good scene setter on the issues, and here's a piece from an ed consultant in 2011