Qualifying Marks and PAN

2017 entry Aston increased PAN by 20 and unlawfully offered 5 extra Pupil Premium places instead of the highest scores. If your child scored between 221 and 208 and was not offered a place, appeal or initiate action.

2015 entry  (101 pupils displaced by lower scoring Pupil Premium Children).
 

PAN = The published admission number.
* Handsworth Grammar School for boys have just joined the Birmingham Consortium and in previous years held a different test.

The figures are the scores on offer day.

Qualifying score shown is the lowest offer made. Some children with this score may not have been offered as multiple children had the same score.

Up to 25% of places for King Edward foundation schools will be reserved for pupil premium children who obtain a lower score than the automatic qualifying score. This is effectively a two tier 11+ scoring system. One for pupil premium and looked after children and one for everyone else and constitutes discrimination against innocent children who have no control on how much their parents earn.


What happens in Birmingham on 11+ Testing day?

On the test day parents can take their children inside school grounds. The children are taken in and settled in by staff and pupils. Parents collect children within school grounds.

Results

Parents are provided with two standardised scores, one for Verbal Reasoning, and one for Non-verbal Reasoning and Maths, which are added together to provide a final age standardised score. The past minimum scores initially required for entry in to each school for the previous two years are provided. In 2012 the age-standardised scores achieved by candidates ranged between 122 and 285. The average age-standardised score of all the test candidates was 200. For 2014 entry, the age standardised scores achieved by candidates ranged between 124-291 and the average age standardised score for all candidates was 200.

Comments:

The Birmingham 11+ is a highly selective exam, there are no catchment areas and the highest scores win places. Competition is intense, but it pays to qualify for pupil premium as qualified children are provided priority even though their scores can be much lower. They are also effectively tutored free of charge under the guise of an out reach programme, which can include people who have seen past tests (which are not released).

There is a huge tuition culture within the area with parents using private tutors charging between £25 an £50 an hour, as well as group tuition centres, and many use online tuition solutions. Many of these organisations have recreated past 11+ questions by questioning past candidates directly after the tests. These questions are used to prepare children.

Many children start preparation in year 4. Primary school standards vary and many children receive no homework. It is not uncommon for some children to be preparing for up to 2 hours a night during year 5. Preparation is key to success and in maths many questions are far beyond what many children in year 5 have covered and more difficult than Sats level 3-5 papers.

Past papers are not released, but sample questions are available.

2013 issues

Unlawful action by Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby had a knock on effect to children in Birmingham grammar schools.

Due to the unlawful withdrawal of  a place at Lawrence Sheriff School and and refusal to offer an appeal to an Asian child, the child moved straight to the top of most grammar schools in Birmingham and was offered a place at Bishop Vessey, denying a place to another child. The place was released 3 days after the first term when the child was offered a place at K.E.S. in Stratford-Upon-Avon.