moving up to secondary school - Buckinghamshire County Council

MAKING AN APPLICATION
11+ testing process
The outcome of the 11+ process decides which type of school will best
meet your child’s needs; an upper school or a grammar school. As all the
grammar schools in Buckinghamshire are their own Admission Authority,
Buckinghamshire LA acts as the 11+ testing process administrator on behalf of
these schools.
Yes
If your child goes to a
Buckinghamshire LA Primary
school they will automatically be
registered to take the 11+ tests.
If not, register your child for 11+
testing at www.buckscc.gov.uk
by 7 September 2012.
Children prepare for the tests by
completing a Familiarisation and
Practice pack.
Testing takes place in October.
Results are released in November.
If your child does not qualify
you will be able to ask the
Local Authority for a Selection
Review.
Would you like your child to
take the 11+ tests
No
If your child goes to a
Buckinghamshire LA primary
school then you will need to let
their headteacher know in writing
that you do not want your child to
take the 11+ tests.
The 11+ tests
If your child goes to a Buckinghamshire
LA primary school they will
automatically be registered for
the 11+ tests. As the 11+ tests are
not compulsory, it is sensible to
think -before your child sits the
tests- about whether they would be
suitably placed in a grammar school.
Just let your child’s headteacher
know, in writing, if you would like to
withdraw them from the 11+ tests.
Parents of children going to all other
schools must register their child
for the 11+ tests by completing the
online registration form available
on our website:
www.buckscc.gov.uk/schooladmission
The deadline for registering your
child for the 11+ tests, if they go to a
Partner school or a school in another
LA area, is 7 September 2012.
However, you can register up until
21 September but we cannot
guarantee testing will happen at
the usual times.
Background information
The 11+ tests are usually taken
during the autumn term of Year 6.
They are independently produced
by GL Assessment. The tests are
not directly linked to National
Curriculum subjects, but have been
specially designed to work out a
child’s potential and whether he or
she can think a problem through.
The skills measured in the tests
should make sure that all children go
to a school that can best meet their
educational needs.
The 11+ tests are two Verbal
Reasoning tests of about the
same level of difficulty. Each test is
50 minutes long and is made up of
80 multiple-choice questions. Verbal
Reasoning is used because research
has shown that it is reliable and,
therefore, a good way to predict
future academic performance.
Verbal Reasoning is about the ability
to solve problems using words and
letters. Some Verbal Reasoning
question types also use numbers.
Verbal Reasoning is not taught as
part of the curriculum so, to make
sure all children have had a chance to
try the types of question and style of
the tests, they get a ‘Familiarisation
and Practice pack’. Children going
to Buckinghamshire LA primary and
Partner schools work through this
at their school. For children at other
schools, parents should work through
the pack at home with their child.
Your child’s highest score in the
11+ tests is called their Verbal
Reasoning Test Score (VRTS).
Children must sit both tests for a
VRTS to be recorded. If a child’s
making an application
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