Transfer 2010

1. Transfer 2010

2. Saint Andrews Agreement • For a ban on academic selection to come into force there would have to be cross-party agreement at the Assembly. • There has been no cross-party agreement and therefore it remains lawful to include academic selection within admissions criteria.

3. Unregulated System • Since the Minister of Education has not put forward proposals on which the Executive can agree we now have an unregulated system.

4. DENI Guidance • The Minister of Education has issued Draft Guidance to schools on Transfer in 2010. • Boards of Governors are required to give due regard to the Guidance but they can decide not to follow the Guidance.

5. Guidance in Draft • At present we have only seen the draft version of the Guidance which has been issued for a consultation to which we have responded. • The final version of the Guidance may not be issued until the summer or later. • Final decisions about admission criteria can only be made after Board of Governors have considered the final version of Guidance.

6. Down High School • Having given due regard to the draft Guidance the Board of Governors have decided to: • operate academic selection; • use the Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) produced by the AQE.

7. CEA • based on the NI (revised) curriculum • English & Maths only (no Science) • three 1 hour papers • best 2 scores to count • pupils may sit 2 or 3 papers • available in English or Irish language

8. Dates • November 14th • November 28th • December 5th • October 17th (Familiarisation Morning)

9. Location • The CEA may be sat in any one of the schools listed on the registration form. • CEA does not need to be sat at a school to which the pupil will apply for admission. • 3 locations can be nominated in order of preference.

10. Cost • £35 (regardless of number of tests sat) • waived if child receives Free School Meals

11. AQE • The Association for Quality Education is responsible for setting and marking the tests as well as the registration process. • For more information about the AQE and the tests please visit the website. • www.aqe.org.uk

12. Registration • May 18th to September 18th • guidance notes provided with forms • forms can be downloaded from AQE website and from our website • forms available as you leave this morning

13. Registration Form • to be returned to AQE • submit with 3 passport photographs and a copy of birth certificate • payment by cheque, postal order or bankers’ draft or ELB letter confirming receipt of free school meals

14. Access Arrangements • indicate on the registration form if child will need access arrangements to sit the CEA • AQE will send out Access Application Form • AQE Access Panel will indicate to parents and the grammar school the arrangements to be made • school will make these arrangements

15. Arrangements at • Down High School

16. Special Circumstances • Boards of Governors will continue to consider evidence of how special circumstances affected performance.

17. Special Provision • in some exceptional cases pupils may not be able to sit the test • in past Board of Governors have considered reports produced by ELB psychologists • no indication that this will change

18. Statemented Children • at present statemented children are outside the transfer process and are not included in admissions numbers • placed in an appropriate school by the ELB • no indication that this will change

19. You will be sent • name of assessment centre • child’s assessment number • information about the tests • details of familiarisation day

20. Marking • marked by a panel of AQE markers • overseen by a chief examiner • scores are adjusted to take age into account

21. Results • sent to parents and to schools • Saturday 6th February • score out of 100 to 2 decimal places • parents may apply for a re-mark

22. Admissions Criteria • final decisions after consideration of final version of DENI Guidance • published by ELBs as normal • Open Evening will also take place as normal

23. Down High School • Down High School Board of Governors have considered the Draft Guidance • not possible to make a final decision at present • currently it is their intention to use rank order in the CEA as the first criterion for all 128 places

24. Transfer Form • completed by parents • meetings with Primary School Principals held in February • forms sent to ELB / ESA • centralised admission procedure as at present

25. Completion of Process • schools apply their admissions criteria • parents informed by ESA of allocated school • normal appeals procedure operates

26. Useful Websites www.downhighschool.org.uk www.aqe.org.uk www.deni.gov.uk