Secondary transfer test

Introduction:

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer test is sat by students in year 6.  Here is some advice about navigating that as a parent. There is a good deal of factual information about the process on the Buckinghamshire Council Moving up to Secondary School and Secondary Transfer Testing pages. The Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools website contains data from previous years and a very helpful FAQ page.

Managing expectations through the process

• Visit all the schools for open events to get a feel for how well each would suit your child.
• If you have doubts, speak to your child’s primary school headteacher about how well they think your child will thrive in the different schools we have locally.
• Look carefully at your child’s end of year scores from Year 3 – and compare with the recommendation grid that Buckinghamshire primary headteachers use to make their recommendations.
• Our pupils put immense pressure on themselves regarding this process with Y3 children stating that their KS2 goal is to ‘pass’ the 11+. For some children this level of pressure and anxiety can be detrimental to their day to day enjoyment of learning.
• Consider what you value in this secondary phase of education and then make sure you have a true account of the current situation e.g. class sizes, GCSE results from each school.
• Do not allow your child’s focus to wain after the results in October. The 11+ or Secondary Transfer Test may have determined which school your child is attending but their future GCSE predictions are based on the results of the SATs tests they take in May of Year 6.

How can you support your child during STT week in September?

• Keep living life as you would any other week – keep routines going with before and after school clubs continuing as normal.
• If you feel your child needs a day off school between the practice and ‘real’ test day, they are unlikely to be suited to a grammar school setting in the longer term.
• Take your child out or ‘treat’ the family immediately after the test NOT after the results are shared. 
• Please do not promise ‘passing’ gifts! Consider the message that sends to your child and the unintentional pressure that has now been placed on their shoulders with that promise.

Attitude to Learning

How children approach learning at school and at home can usefully be aligned. Primary Headteachers give an attitude to learning rating for all students as part of the selection review process. This comparison chart might help you understand how what we see in school could correlate with what you see at home. 

Enjoys challenge and is a highly motivated independent learner

School characteristics:

• Pupils who show enthusiasm to learn more about given subjects or areas of study
• Home learning showing deep understanding
• Work always completed to a high standard regardless of lesson
• Learning is presented in a variety of ways that provokes further thinking and extension of ideas
• Pupils who choose the greater challenges in lessons across all subjects 
• Pupils who actively complete their own challenge plans with relish
• Acting as a role model to other peers in class and those in younger year groups.
• Participate fully in group learning tasks ensuring success.

Home characteristics:

• Children who routinely investigate learning beyond what we have covered in school
• Those who have an embedded home learning routine
• Children who take pride in the recording of their home learning and reading in their organiser
• Children who engage you in tales about what they have learnt in school
• Engage in a wide variety of clubs for sports and social integration and balance these alongside all other home and school commitments.

Consistently hard working and reliable

School characteristics:

• Pupils who fully focus on their learning in lessons
• Pupils who present learning to a high standard consistently
• Pupils who always have the correct equipment and resources; remember their homework and organiser and take pride in the completion of these.

Home characteristics:

• Children who sometimes engage you in tales about what they have learnt in school
• They have a home learning routine which supports their homework timetable.  
• Can balance various demands of school and home activities alongside family life.

Output varies

School characteristics:

• Pupils whose engagement is limited to subjects they enjoy or have an affinity towards
• Learning reflecting a bare minimum considered acceptable by their teacher
• Regular late attendance
• Frequent occasions when homework is not handed in on time
• Organisers showing little use; reading not recorded by child, or parent.  
• Teacher assessments may be lower than test results
• Your child may have a number of behaviour points – indicating their conduct is distracting them and their classmates from learning.

Home characteristics:

• Reluctance to complete homework without a struggle or numerous reminders
• Children who do not take pride in their homework tasks 
• Children who do not readily engage with you about their school day.

Lacks self-organisation, requires support to achieve age related expectations

School characteristics:

• Frequent strikes for lack of homework 
• Pupils not prepared with the correct equipment and resources – organisers never brought into school or completed as intended

Home characteristics:

• Homework is routinely a battle for you and your child
• Your child forgets items needed for school regularly and you often have to drop off items for them.