Can someone explain ISEB to me?

[Stircrazyschoolmum]

Just that really.. a number of the indies are using ISEB this year due to Covid. I understand it’s online, multiple choice and covers English /maths/VR/NVR. But how in practice does this actually work? Is there paper to work out the maths on? Is it intuitive how to click on answers? What does adaptive mean in this context?!

We are at a state primary so it’s all gibberish.. it seems a good way to keep kids safe and reduce stress from multiple exams but if your DC has a bad day then all eggs in one basket?!?

I just received an email confirming the Sutton schools SET is going ahead as planned, next week.

@GrammarHopeful very similar situation here. DS is autistic too and has very high cognitive ability but slow processing speed. One comment that has made me think a lot is that the tests will be reflective of the pace at which schools teach and that it may actually be counterproductive to overprepare for tests if it means DS then ends up in a school that goes too fast. A different person made the related point that just because a school's pace is slightly slower it does not mean that it is less intellectually challenging than a faster-paced one and that it is important to consider the mental health implications and the anxiety that too fast a pace could cause.

End result, I am certainly easing off the prep a little, in that I want the schools to have a realistic impression of DS...

Which part of Atom do I use please?

Is it the general Maths etc section or is it the ISEB course.

Maths is broken down into sections (place value etc) but course is specified time
Gngng

We have our ISEB results. DD didn't progress and we were told they could provide scores if we contacted the school.

DD scores were around 10 points less than she was getting on the ATOM mocks. They said she was an able child but she just missed the cut off. She had to sit the exam at the senior school rather than her primary school (primary didn't have the resources to invigilate for one child) so I'm aware lack of familiarity could unsettle her plus nerves from doing her first formal test! NVR was her best score but maths her lowest with English and VR just a few points different.

Yes I felt disappointed, but I wouldn't want her to be struggling and always bottom of the class. She was disheartened but felt her score was a reflection of how she did and didn't think she could have done anything different. Don't regret doing it and all the extra support we tried to do over lockdown I'm sure has still been of benefit.

It does mean that we'll be able to afford a tutor in the future for any help with school work and perhaps 'big fish in a small pond' can bring benefits too. Oh well!

(((BIG HUG)))) summer I’m sorry to hear she just missed it but you and DD sound like you are taking a very sensible perspective. Interesting they could give you the results.. you are right, to be bumping along the bottom is no fun.

My DS is at a good state school, he was not in the slightest bit motivated studying for the indies and would have found our local ones far too competitive. He has never regretted being at his school and has a great group of friends. He doesn’t begrudge his sister trying but rather thinks she’s bonkers for wanting the extra homework!! I guess what I’m trying to say is that whilst it’s a disappointment, the right school will find DD and there’s much to say for being a big fish!

Thank you for coming back to let us know. xxx

@Happysummer sorry to hear this. Goes to show. An off day or what have you. I’m so disillusioned by this whole process. Is is brutal. Same goes for the son of @GrammarHopeful who is clearly such a bright lad, but has timing issues. Well, who knows what the schooling future brings re Covid. Spending ££ on a private school may be a pointless exercise if disrupted learning, difficult travel etc for, potentially, the next five years. Suddenly the local, slightly rough, state school is beginning to sound just fine...

Thank you. Yes we have a good state secondary as our catchment but the more focused environment, smaller class sizes plus the beautiful grounds and facilities was a big draw. Headmistress seemed quirky and awesome (a strong feminist which I loved to inspire the girls) but it does relieve us of the financial pressure and it does make us appreciate our plan B, so we are very lucky to have this school on our doorstep for free. Certainly not a consolation prize at all.

Wishing everyone else lots of luck and I don't think one particular school can make anyone. That comes from within.

Sorry to hear that @Happysummer Well done for being so calm and positive despite the disappointment, it sounds like your DD did work hard and she deserves to be encouraged! I wish her all the best, the “plan B” looks like a great option (what a luxury to have a good school on your doorstep!) so I’m sure things will work out very well for her. Thank you for coming back to us with feedback despite the difficult news, it serves to highlight how brutal the process is and nothing is ever granted.

@MarshaBradyo, @Doobiedooo thank you.

@SuiGeneris I know exactly what you mean. It's very difficult to decide what's right and what's wrong in these circumstances, and there is no manual. Obviously, we all consult with other people irl, and the helpful boards, such as here, but the choice is only ours to make and we have to accept it may turn to be the wrong one in retrospect.

I know for a fact he will need to put more effort in to progress than some of his peers. However, I also know his efforts usually pay off and the ability is there, it just needs accessing in a different way. To me, that's a prime candidate for "reasonable adjustments", and I do now that there are schools out there willing to make them, once we clear the selective hurdle. Most won't, but we only need one :)

Big hugs @Happysummer. Your DD is in good hands with you. This year is just not going to be the same. The whole process, feels me with dread... But as a parent, I’ve got to stay calm and Guide DC through this all. I have a DC applying to university as well this year, I’ll be glad when the processes are all over.
I’m honestly glad for online support ATM, even if it’s just to acknowledge we are all in the same boat.

Aww warm. Sending you a ((BIGHUG)) too. It must be really tricky trying to complete uni applications right now. When I think of how tough it’s been on the exam year groups it kind of puts the 11+ stuff in perspective for me.

I agree with you, the online support is really helpful - the nice side of mumsnet!

Hello everyone - hope everyone is doing ok despite the new restrictions.

We are deep in prep for the ISEB pre-test as so many are at the moment. We're at a state primary who won't host the test so will be sitting it at a one of the indies that we've applied to.

So far we've have mainly been using ATOM, and as we near the test date trying to hone in on areas that need more work.

The question I have is about maths and ATOM mock tests. The ISEB website is really clear that what will be covered is only up to end of Y5 national curriculum maths. However in the ATOM maths mock test there are lots of questions that are Y6 topics eg area of triangles.

So I am finding it hard to be sure about what to focus on. There's not much time so don't want to be worrying about things that won't actually come up!

Can anyone shed some light on this discrepancy?

Thank you in advance! x

Hi littleblackbear, my understanding is that if the child is doing well in the test, the content moves past what they would have been expected to have done in school at this point. Sorry, I know that’s not very helpful.

Welcome @LittleBlackBear I have been wondering the same. There is quite a lot of algebra on the Atom ISEB mocks but I’m pretty sure algebra is not part of the Y5 curriculum

Atom also market themselves as a tool to get ready for entry into year 7 so it’s probably fair to assume that their content will cover year 6 and things ISEB tests will not.

I concur, they have been in touch a several occasions now recommending we continue all the way to year 6 to be on top of the game when DC gets to year 7
when pushed they have said some of the questions also include some 13+ questions !!! don't despair it has sense with the logic of the questions getting harder and harder.
To be fair, there are lots of papers that include a couple of scholarship question at the end to discrimate the high achieving few
Also if it was too easy, who would need to pay the subscription ?

I agree. They want people hooked with fear and worry. Also,for eg I helped my child on a few questions—I was standing over this shoulder. But then I realised they say not to. Crap like that skews results, which are relative to the apparent cohort. And spot on, the Iseb is supposed to test year 5, esp given the lockdown. I’ve been told that school reports etc will now play a greater role than usual. Anyhow, as wiser parents of older kids have told me: there’s the right school for everyone! looking forward to this all being over SOON!

Many thanks for all the replies. Really helpful. It makes sense that ATOM covers a more extensive curriculum, but it’s frustrating that their mocks aren’t a true representative of the actual ISEB pre test!

That's why they document that their scores are lower than the 'actual' scores.

We’re coming to end of Atom trial. It’s better than I expected although I much prefer it if we had paper tests.

My issue is he stops for a while on a hard question. Do you encourage your dc to move on or sit there until they can do it?

We didn’t have timing issues with paper as he was good at coming back to it. Annoying

@MarshaBradyo Definitely move on after about 3 minutes if getting nowhere. Then when we go over the test again and check right/wrong answers, she will have another go at the question, taking the time she needs to find the answer. If she can’t find it, I step in to explain, sometimes checking Atom’s explanation but not always.

Whilst I agree it’s annoying that they can’t go back to check/re-do past questions if they have any time left, I wouldn’t worry too much about it as the test is adaptive. If it takes too long for DC to answer a question, it usually means the question is above their level, and if they skip it, the next one should be more suited.

Thanks Oceane his personality is such that in maths he won’t just skip it, atm anyway.

Not sure how much to push him to in actual test. If he really can’t do it he will have to guess and move on otherwise he’ll be stuck. It’s against his nature though. Will see if he gets a bit easier re this.

Will probably pay for a month of Atom in the end to keep going.

@Stircrazyschoolmum thank you. We just keep going.

About the Atom and how much it reflects the actual exam, I also asked the same of Pretest plus. Does anyone have experience of this. DD in last week scoring a bit less on Atom, than she was a few weeks ago, but I’m taking a no stress approach. We will just keep practicing the papers as well and do 1 set mocks a week.