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Forge Integrated Primary School. Dept of Education Guidance. There is no Official Transfer Test it was discontinued in 2010 Grammar and Secondary Schools are recommended not to admit pupils on the basis of a test
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Dept of Education Guidance • There is no Official Transfer Test it was discontinued in 2010 • Grammar and Secondary Schools are recommended not to admit pupils on the basis of a test • Primary Schools are recommended not to prepare children for unofficial tests and reminded of their legal obligation to teach the curriculum
The Reality at the Moment • Nearly all Grammar Schools are still admitting pupils on the basis of test scores. • Most Catholic Grammars use the GL Assessment system, Non-Catholic Grammars mostly use AQE • Lagan College continue to admit 35% of pupils on the basis of a test and 65% on an all ability basis • Lagan College, Wellington College and Victoria College admit pupils on the basis of scores from either test.
Where does that Leave us? • We want to help you and your child be in a position to make what you feel are the right choices about Second level education • We want to help your child achieve their potential whether they are doing a transfer test or not!
Types of Post Primary School by Entrance Requirement: • All ability entry schools • No selection tests • Admissions Criteria similar • to Primary Schools • Newtownbreda High School • Knockbreda High School • St Joseph’s College • Malone College • Methodist College • Grosvenor Grammar School • Wellington College • Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School • Grammar Schools • Admit on basis of test scores Dual entry schools Admit some on test scores & some on admissions criteria similar to Primary Schools • Lagan College (35% on test scores • 65% All ability entry)
Tests Used by Local Schools Schools that Accept Scores from AQE (CEA) and PPTC (GL) Tests. • Wellington College • Lagan College • Newtownbreda High School • Knockbreda High School • St Joseph’s College • Malone College • All ability entry schools • No selection tests • Catholic Grammar Schools linked • to Post Primary Transfer Consortium • Admit on basis of GL Assessment • Scores only • Our Lady & St Patrick’s College • Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School • Controlled/Voluntary Grammar • Admit on basis of AQE Common • Entrance Assessment only • Methodist College • Grosvenor Grammar School
Parents are required to complete forms stating their preferences for post Primary schools and submit them to us in February of each year. The deadline dates are published along with Parents Info Booklets in December. • We usually run the second Parent Teacher Meeting of the year for P7 pupils with the aim of helping parents to discuss issues related to the transfer process with us.
Transfer Test Dates and Website Details www.aqe.org.uk 6th May 2014: Registration Opens12th Sep 2014: Registration ClosesSat 8th Nov 2014: 1st AssessmentSat 22nd Nov 2014: 2nd AssessmentSat 29th Nov 2014: 3rd AssessmentSat 31st Jan 2015: Results www.pptcni.com NB 2014/15 Dates Not Yet Available 20th May 2013: Registration Opens27th Sep 2013: Registration Closes16th Nov 2013: The Assessment7th Dec 2013: Supplementary Assessment1st Feb 2014: Results
Where Children from Forge IPS Transfer to: • 6. Transfer to Secondary Education 2012 -2013 • Lagan College 10 • Malone College 1 • Wellington College 3 • Grosvenor Grammar School 1 • Methodist College Belfast 8 • Ashfield Boys High School 2 6. Transfer to Secondary Education 2009 -2010 • Lagan College 19 • Wellington College 3 • Malone College 2 • Our Lady & St Patrick’s College 1 • Blackwater Integrated College 1 • Methodist College 2 • St Joseph’s College 1 • Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1 6. Transfer to Secondary Education 2011 -2012 • Lagan College 13 • Wellington College 5 • Our Lady & St Patrick’s College 1 • St Joseph’s College 1 • Victoria College Belfast 1 • Newtownbreda High School 1 • Priory College 2 • Grosvenor Grammar School 1 • Aquinas Grammar School 1
To Test or Not to Test • You do not have to put your child through a test unless you are aiming towards a selective school. • Not everyone will get the grade that selective schools require. • The selective system is mostly about whether a child is right for a particular school. It is worth turning that around and asking yourself what kind of school is right for your child and you. Is a doing a test a requirement?
Useful Websites • BELB Responsible for admissions in most inner city schools http://www.belb.org.uk/Parents/school_enrolment_transfer.asp?m=9 • SEELB Responsible for admissions in the southern and eastern suburbs including Lagan College http://www.seelb.org.uk/schools/Procedures_12_13/PDFs/Transfer/2013/transfer14.pdf • The Transfer Test - A private company whose business is to sell test preparation materials which we have not used and cannot comment on the quality of. What we can say is that this website is a good source of info on both tests including a section on past intake info for NI schools. The Belfast Telegraph also publish similar information most years in the autumn http://www.thetransfertest.com/schools-intake-information • General Info and Support http://www.education-support.org.uk/