Atom users

[noughtmare]

My son has been using atom for 5 months and has answered 5000 questions and gained 20,000 alp points.

Is this a lot of work?

I think he has done over 80 hours work on the platform?

He is in the top quartile of students but only just.

Weaknesses is in nvr abs English.

Tends to get 120 standardised.

But today he got 100 percent on a 15 question at olaves maths test.

Do you think he has done enough work for the grammar tests coming up in a couple of weeks time?

Lol we're sitting the Latymer on Monday and we just signed up today.
He got 111-115 on the mock test but we hadn't done any work before this. We're just going to use it everyday till Friday as that's when the trial runs out.
You've done tons.

Sorry Saturday!

Sorry I was try to be goady at all!

My son goes to a state primary which does not do any work on 11 plus.

Next to nothing for the six months off school in terms of work set by the school.

He has been back a month and there is no spelling and maths doesn't happen every day.

Actually his results did used to be around 109, now I would say they are 120 and sometimes beyond that.

Best of luck for the upcoming exam.

@noughtmare you didn't come across as that at all. We are in the same position, barely anything from the state school and finding VR really challenging. He's scored better than I thought he would so we will give it a go, we have a good comp option tho so that's the main reason I'm not stressing out too much.

My only suggestion would be to maybe print off a GL familiarisation assessment (the free one) and get him to do it like that. It can be very different doing it on paper than clicking a mouse, especially if he's been doing it mainly on the computer.

Excellent point and I will print off the familiarisation paper.

It does seem so daunting doesn't it?

It certainly shows you how much further ahead the average private pupil is? I have friend who goes to private school and she is not having to do any of this as apparently they cover it at school. She can't understand why I am concerned.

We do not have great comp options, I wish we did.

Good luck for Saturday then!

I would love to hear from other atom users.

They were a life saver over lock down for us.

Yeap, they have an incentive to I guess. Their equivalent of sats results is senior school destinations so they have to. Although a lot of private kids around me have tutors anyway.

OP, you sound very anxious. Relax, your son is doing great. Anything over 115 is top independent level. Anything over 100 is good independent. The cohort is already a strong one. And not all private pupils are ahead of state: many will go to non academic secondary private schools. Almost none go to state grammars, which tend to be where state primary kids go.

Don’t you think there is way too much anxiety around the 11+ ? which (while understandable) is jumped upon by tutors and sites like atom. remember that both are in it to make money, so it is in their interest to get the user hooked to them—and to do so, they cause this sort of anxiety.

I saw this with those tutor groups too. I don’t have the answer, but seriously, don’t worry. Also, it’s important that your child goes to a school he will enjoy. Fits in easily, academically. Having been to grammar, the kids at the bottom of the class were miserable.

Wise words there Doobiedoo.

Thank you.

We've used ATOM for four months. She's done 3907 questions and covered 88% of the course.

She is state primary and throughout lockdown we had tons of paper exercises from school but zero teaching. We are not going for a competitive independent. She scores 102 - 110 on ATOM mocks (usually stanine 6). We have good state options too so aren't overly worried about where she ends up. We have told her she may or may not pass, it's not the result which matters - we are proud she isn't afraid to try. It's also really great experience. She said she was nervous this morning but still at breakfast OK.

The ISEB pre-test was this morning and I bought some flowers in her favourite colour and some large gooey cookies as a well done for when she got home. She seems positive about it, said she tried every question (didn't panic and make a random selection!) and had about 10 mins spare for each test. Just a wait until 30 October to hear if she is offered a place.

FYI Atom says "The Standard Age Score in the ISEB Common Pre-test will typically be about 10 points lower than the same pupils CAT test result".

If I add +10 points to my daughters average her CAT4 score would be 116 and as a guide puts her at above average ability with a possible GCSE grade 6/7 (B or A to you or I!).

There is no way most children are scoring 135+ as suggested on other treads. Those are exceptional, not the norm. There is nothing wrong with being part of the 'norm'.

We are looking at virtual open evenings for state secondary and I looked up my old school. Turns out one of the boys from my class went on to set up a very successful business, is now a millionaire and paid for a lab to be built at the school! He often required help, was in no way an academic and I remember helping him with work. Being academic does not guarantee success. Having determination and being able to try, fail and try again are also important.

Happysummer Well done to your DD! You are a great parent! Hope things are going well!

OP, best luck for Saturday!

Hello!

Newbie atom user here. State school DD and still in shock about imminent unprepared for ISEB!

This might be a stupid question, but if Atom mimics ISEB and is age standardised then surely the score would be adjusted some way? Thus, (thinking aloud) a child getting X% right in May would score lower on identical questions in Sept because they had gotten older.

Therefore nought if your child has continued to improve their score despite aging(!) then my sense is they are doing well?

Not sure about that l stir crazy but you just have to keep going with it.

Without going over the top!

The work really is a shock if you are from the state sector ! Well I think so anyhow

Best of luck!

Now atom has a mock test section so I don't think they are all adaptive for example if you chose a specific school from the mock test section.

Happy summer I do have a friend who told me she knows lots of people getting full marks on atom mocks - she assured me you can get 140 .. but then she always makes me think I am not doing enough too so I take what she says with pinch of salt.

But actually my friend hangs around with really exceptional children or what I now think as over worked and over schedules children so possibly they are getting 140!

@noughtmare Don't stress about it. A lot depends on how they do on the day and the less stressed they are the less likely they are to make silly mistakes.

Is 140 the maximum score? (Like I say, we only just got the trial version!)

happy it sounds like you took a really balanced approach and thanks to that your daughter had a positive and stress free experience. The cookies and flowers were a really sweet touch!

30 Oct feels really early to find out.. I’m guessing you’ll get a straight yes/no rather than her score? Is there an interview or creative writing piece to do after or is it all on the exam? (Sorry.. being nosey!)

@noughtmare they certainly are high achievers but please don't compare. I am destitute compared to Jeff Bezos. Billionaires do exist but it doesn't mean that's normal. If your child does the best for them than that is a good result.

@Stircrazyschoolmum thank you. I know my child is never going to be top of the class and I've been honest about her scores (which I'm sure some may gasp at being very low), but that is her and I wouldn't want her to be in a highly selective school where she would struggle. That wouldn't be fun for anyone.

To answer your question about the nest step the school have confirmed "We will write to you on 30 October with the outcome for xxxx. Success in the test will enable us to offer xxxx a place
subject to her achieving 60% or more in the January 2021 Common Entrance examinations and a satisfactory academic
reference from her current head teacher. We will advise you if we need to put your daughter on a waiting list or if we
feel that she would not thrive with us and that another choice of school would be wiser at this stage. Please note that
we do not give out individual results (scores etc) from the tests".

There are no interviews and the school have stressed exam result alone will not determine an offer. It's about the whole child, their potential, character and fit with the school. If it's not an option, then we shall move on with heads held high that we tried.

happusummer sound like you have it covered.

Well done.

And yes I can't compare, as I am sure the stress will be visible to my child.

Got to keep it positive

hiya, I've only just started preparing my DS for the 11 plus for entry to grammar schools - I didn't know about Atom until a few days ago - we've just been doing the Bond books so far. The monthly price tag for Atom is quite a lot (50GBP a month) : is it really worth the money? I've already spent so much on bond books and other recommended vocab books and whatnot (it seems 11plus is a real moneymaker). Would you recommend getting it?

When will your child sit the test?

User: atom is just online. So if your child is doing paper-based tests then what you are doing is far better.

What you can do is trial it and see how it compares.

My son got sick of the bond books - we also started late compared to many others.