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Thousands of schoolchildren will know the score at weekend

Friday, 5 February 2010

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Tomorrow 13,700 pupils will receive the results of new transfer tests. Education Correspondent Kathryn Torney reports on the details parents need to guide them through the transfer maze

What the scores/grades mean and how Ulster’s schools will determine their intake:

AQE schools:

Thirty-four schools are using results from the AQE exams as their first criterion.

Over 7,000 pupils sat these exams at a cost of £35 and their scores will be measured against the performance of other children who sat the Common Entrance Assessment tests.

Three tests were offered but only the best two scores will count. The scores will range from 55 to 145 with the average score set at 100.

Scores will be adjusted to take account of age. The scores will be split into five bands. The top band are marks greater than or equal to 113, this is followed by 106-112, 98-105, 88-97 and, finally, less than or equal to 87.

The results will be accompanied by other information sheets on the marking process, special circumstances and the process of applying for re-marks.

The schools signed up to the AQE tests — which are mainly grammars — are using one of three different methods to determine their intake.

Some schools will simply list the pupils in rank order of their scores and take, for example, the top 100.

The second method is similar to the old 11-plus — for example, take all pupils in first score range and then use other non-academic criteria if oversubscribed within second band of scores.

The third method involves schools taking say first 100 of 150 places based on scores alone. Then they will create a pool of pupils (the size of which has been decided in advance) and will apply other non-academic criteria to all of this group to select for their final places.

GL assessment schools:

The 6,700 pupils who sat the GL answered multiple choice questions in two papers on one day mainly at Catholic grammars. Their English and maths papers were marked by computer.

Pupils will be awarded a grade similar to the 11-plus format — A, B1, B2, C1, C2 or a D. They will also be given their raw score for English and maths, their Standardised Age Score (SAS) which takes account of children's ages when they sat the exam and national percentile rank (how they performed compared with the other candidates) for both papers.

Some schools will select pupils based on their score, others will use the grade — check each school's admissions criteria.

The SAS for each paper is given as a number between 69 and 141 and the average score is 100. The grade boundaries, based on minimum combined SAS, are a minimum score of 235 for an A grade, B1 (230), B2 (225), C1 (220), C2 (213) and D (138). Some integrated and controlled schools have also opted to run with the GL tests.

Victoria College:

Victoria is the only school in Northern Ireland admitting pupils using the outcome of both AQE and GL tests. Dr Darrin Barr, the school's deputy head, said pupils will be admitted by considering the percentile ranking in the particular assessment sat.

In the case of an applicant who sat both assessments, the higher percentile rank will be used. The first pupils to be accepted will be those with a percentile rank of 60 or above.

If there are more within a band than places available, other non-academic criteria will be used.

Secondary schools:

Secondary schools are using non-academic criteria to select pupils if they are over-subscribed.

Only 15 schools are following the Education Minister's guidance calling for free meals entitlement to be used as their first criterion.

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22 Comments

I guess people in Northern Ireland have to choose: do you support the common good or do you seek individual advantage? - posted by exasperated 08.02.10

Perhaps this question should be directed to Ms Ruane - shows no support of the common good and any advantage is for her with her MLA salary for doing nothing to help ease the confusion that she created!

Posted by P7 concerned | 13.02.10, 22:06 GMT

As someone who has witnessed first hand the differences in the quality of education between Ni and mainland I feel I can speak from experience when I say that NI education is superior to UK. I have also witnessed many friends who,after having had their children go through the education system here, then excel when they return to UK due to the fantastic quality of education they had here. I am truly shocked at the views of 'exasperated' - I agree with Ms Skates, the system here is the envy of many in UK and if he/she bothered to research a little he/she would learn that politicians in the mainland want to return to the grammar school system. It seems that those opposing our system seem to stick their heads in the sand when it comes to what is best for our children and only care about scoring political points!

Posted by MD | 13.02.10, 21:58 GMT

Unhappy p7 mum, a score of 97 is the same as an old B1 according to a news report on newsline just before the results came out so your daughter has a good chance of getting a place. Put down your original choices and see what happens. Hope she gets her choice.

Posted by rm | 13.02.10, 18:45 GMT

"Unhappy P7 Mum please don't forget to thank the grammar schools who prize their institutions over your child and caused your daughters stress in the first place."

Posted by Exasperated

And there we have it, social understanding and compassion at its best!. I'm sure this lady will be delighted at your opportunistic comment at her and her childs expense.

By the way I'm sure the working class people (me being one of them) will also be delighted to hear that you consider we live in an abundance of slums. I would beg to differ!

I would agree with "Susan Skates" in that our education system is envied by many in mainland UK. This being based on my own personal experience.

An embarrassing situation in which a council carried out surveillence on a couple because they believed that they had lied about their postcode in order to secure a place in a "better" school for their child illustrates the level to which that system has sunk.

Posted by P7 Parent | 13.02.10, 04:31 GMT

Simple formula:
P+A+C+E= social apartheid

Posted by Fermi | 11.02.10, 21:28 GMT

I notice that 3,000 got A grades across northern ireland. hmmmm no surprise there, plenty for schools to get a grip of.
heres an example of how insidious the system is, imagine a primary principal saying to a parent that they could pull strings to get their child into a grammar even if they hadnt taken the test?
This is not a well performing grammar.
Dear God stop this insanity, grammars are not accepting just academic children - stop it now!

Posted by dave | 11.02.10, 16:27 GMT

PACE 11.02.10 "Exasperated So our politicians and the Minister are blameless"

You know PACE I am perfectly able to speak for myself, I don't need you to attempt to put words into my mouth. Please direct readers to where I said the above?

It is becoming tedious to remind you again and again that you have not answered any questions I put to you; you have not been able to refute any of the evidence put before you and the BT readers and you have no intellectual basis for your position, no references no research nothing but bias!

And you have wondered why I am Exasperated!

Posted by Exasperated | 11.02.10, 15:14 GMT

Exasperated
So our politicians and the Minister are blameless. If rank order is applied to admissions the system is an improvement - all other arrangements would give unfair advantage. Parental complaints of a "bad day" are nonsense when most took all 3 tests.
Who funded the GL Assessment tests? How do GL Assessment remark a computer scanned test paper? Is an A in the GL Assessment test the same as an A in the CCEA 11-plus? What mark did they get since the tests don't equate? Why do primary schools have access to the private AQE test results? So many questions for anxious parents perhaps the Minister should just make class sizes smaller.

Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 11.02.10, 07:33 GMT

Susan Skates states ,
"The education system in NI has long been hailed as the model for the mainland to aspire and return to after they systematically destroyed their own"

Really Susan, hailed by who exactly?

This is another fable pro selectionists peddle; that "our education system is the envy of the world". However no one is replicating this supposed 'world class education system'.

INdeed our system has been studied by international teams of educational researchers, their conclusions it actively contributes to social exclusion and underachievement.

Posted by Exasperated | 10.02.10, 13:41 GMT

The education system in NI has long been hailed as the model for the mainland to aspire and return to after they systematically destroyed their own! Now, thanks to Ms Ruane, she wants to follow in the UK's footsteps and do the same here while Stormont looks on! My daughter sat the test this year and while we have endured many months of speculation, rumour and confusion, I believe this is the best system that we can have since the 11+ rug has been whipped from under our feet by the Education Minister.

Posted by Susan Skates | 09.02.10, 20:59 GMT

Unhappy P7 Mum please don't forget to thank the grammar schools who prize their institutions over your child and caused your daughters stress in the first place.

Posted by Exasperated | 09.02.10, 16:11 GMT

The system is a joke, but people seem to be missing the point. We are only in this mess because the Department couldn't put something better in place first. Politics took the place of our children in the politicians' eyes. Yes the system needs changed - but what has happened has created a monster. Children should have been able to celebrate achievement instead of further stress and uncertainy. However - transfer is not the problem. It doesn't create underachievement. Underfunding in Primary schools does. Sort that out and underachievement really can be resolved for all of our children.Immediate action please!!

Posted by reality check | 09.02.10, 15:17 GMT

My daughter received a score of 97 and was devastated!! She hoped for a "old" B2 or C1, no great A aspiration, we believed when we opened our envelope that she achieved a "old" D - now I dont know what to think!!! My daughter has worked so hard and we have no idea what she has got in real terms! Thank you AQE and Dept of Education for this shambles!!!!!!

Posted by Unhappy P7 Mum | 08.02.10, 18:29 GMT

My child got her score on saturday,she got 111-116 could anyone tell me is this an A orB1

Posted by maeve p7 parent | 08.02.10, 13:36 GMT

P7 Parent states that removing grammar schools in England created "working class slums devoid of decent education and future hope"

Yep well in good old NI we have these in abundance already, that’s the point of demanding educational reform!

I know of no one advocating a replication of the English model, this is a slur thrown about by pro grammar lobbyists.

A system that should cater for all and demand excellence for all and equality of opportunity for all has been perverted by money, influence and middle class ‘nouse’, this is not a projection of what may happen, rather a description of current reality.

I guess people in Northern Ireland have to choose: do you support the common good or do you seek individual advantage?

Depressingly, grammar schools appear to care little for the common good.

Posted by Exasperated | 08.02.10, 13:23 GMT

In the AQE - the max.score available was 145 and according to Radio Ulster on Sat. morning the highest achieved was 130. You receive a score

These are equivalences I think:
Top 20% is 113 upwards - A grade
106-112 - A grade and B1
98-105 - B1 and B2
88-97 - B2 and C grade
less than or equal to 87 - is C and Ds

Posted by P7 Mum | 08.02.10, 12:11 GMT

So is the aqe scores listed in the same way as A B C ete. Is the boundry of score 82 the same as a 11+ D above that a C1 etc??

Posted by wendy | 08.02.10, 11:17 GMT

"Creation of middle class socially homogeneous "ghettos" that contribute little to raising standards for all has poisoned Northern Ireland society; time for a change!"

Perhaps a little extreme!

Having lived in both England and Northern Ireland, I can say that the removal of the Grammar school system and the abolition of academic selection was an unmitigated disaster on the mainland. It produced exactly the quote above, where midlleclass communities ousted working class ones nearest the best performing schools (because they had the money to do so). Thus not only creating "middle class ghettos" but also working class slums devoid of decent education and future hope.

If you think that education by post code is socially fair then you are clearly deluded!

Posted by P7 Parent | 07.02.10, 04:30 GMT

Exasperated yet again has little grasp of facts. The clear statement "using non test methods" conveniently escaped his one size -fits-all reply. Those grammar-schools who have chosen entrance criteria that do not rely on the AQE test score (forget grades they remove information) undermine the purpose of the CEA test. The intent of the test was to allow strict rank order on merit to determine admission to a grammar school, the opposite of what Exasperated and some BOGs decided. Parents should have been careful in selecting their preferences. No doubt Harry Greer told you so.

Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 06.02.10, 08:46 GMT