Post Eleven Plus Work Thursday 30th

Some of our Eleven Plus children have stayed on for lessons after the Eleven Plus examinations. In some Eleven Plus areas children do not need to be able to write good English to be able to pass an Eleven Plus examination. The children and parents have thus opted to keep having lessons. Work on reasoning skills has been abandoned for enriched English, science and mathematics.

The act of passing the examination seems to bring peace of mind to the children and, to some, a great sense of humility. The children have proved themselves against the odds. They have made their parents, teachers, and schools happy.

These successful children are often highly receptive to taking on challenging work. A few clamour to use Key Stage 3 text books – because they will meet Key Stage 3 work in Year 7. In a sense the children want to personalise their learning. An individualised learning plan can help.

Examinations at KS3 are abandoned. New ways of looking at assessment are being explored. `Assessment for Learning’ has taken place in good schools over the years. There will still need to be a place for assessments within subjects.

QCA has suggested that new assessment methods will include:

Demonstrating ways of collecting evidence of pupil’s knowledge, skill and understanding.

Providing examples of collecting evidence

Exemplification of subject standards.

While our bright and able Eleven Plus children are waiting to start in their new grammar schools they could be stimulated and challenged if they were involved in the trials of new methods of assessments.