New 11+ system for Warwickshire
After consultation with secondary, primary, junior and infant schools, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet has approved a new admissions system for the county’s selective secondary schools.
The move, which involves the introduction of test centres and new examination papers, follows an ongoing review of the 11+ process.
Two National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) verbal reasoning papers will be introduced in Autumn 2007 for entry in 2008. The papers, which are only available to Warwickshire County Council, will be taken at test centres that will be mainly based in the county’s grammar schools. An additional Written English Paper (an essay chosen from three set options) will be set in test conditions, mainly at a child’s primary school.
Mark Gore, Head of Education, Partnerships and School Development for Warwickshire County Council, said: “We constantly review our admission arrangements and maintaining the confidence of parents and schools in the integrity of the selection process is a key priority. We are satisfied that the new system will achieve this.”
The previous arrangements, which involved pupils taking two verbal reasoning tests set by Moray House, has operated for some time and the system has been under review. The County Council wanted to look at the location of examinations, the style of questions and elements of the tests which needed updating. All of Warwickshire’s selective schools, which are based in the East and South of the county, have supported the new arrangements.
The County Council has also agreed that assistance with transport to test centres should be offered to children from low-income families.