Teachers get it handy!

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Not a Protestant thing. It's number 1 thing on most people's minds here in Derry City. Lessening a bit especially for girls who have all good standard schools grammar and non. For boys The College has gone to the dogs.

[Jim Bob]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

It dominates east Tyrone primary schools..... Dungannon  Academy & Donaghmore Convent both insisted on entrance tests to ensure they don't get the academically weaker pupil into their school, Sure let the secondary schools deal with them....

[TwoUpTwoDown]

Are there many schools in the North that have an amalgamation of all and does it work? St Ronan's must have a grammar stream? Any others that come to mind? Testing a child at 10/11 is absolutely shambolic.

[marty34]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?
[/quote]Some parents will want their children to attend the top grammars for kudos but for most people I'd say it is related related to how good or shit the schools are in your area.

[/b]

This is the bit parents don't understand.

Do they think if their kids go to a certain school, then they'll 'do well', for want of a better phrase?

Parents seem to think that their kids will become Einsteins if they go to a certain school.

Personally, I think it's all about keeping up with the Joneses and sipping their lattès in Starbucks saying wee Johnny's ski trip is costing £1000.

Plus how do parents know how 'good' a school is? By reading a generic one page inspection report from the ETI saying the school is good, ok or crap?

[Milltown Row2]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Did you do the 11+?

No, it wasn't ever a thing in the schools around our area. We had the Dixon Plan. St. Paul's for 3 years then we did a transfer test at the end of 3rd year into St. Michael's Grammar. They've all been merged into the new St. Ronan's college.

So you did a transfer test, just older, right. There's me thinking you didn't 

[ONeill]

No one should ever quote.

[gallsman]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

When 90% of the schools involved, if not more, are Catholic maintained?

[Milltown Row2]

There are plenty reasons as to why parents would like their child at the local 'better' school...

These are not my views:

Afraid their child will be bullied in the rough secondary school (totally unfounded)

Better chance of getting better results (totally unfounded)

Good chance of university (totally unfounded)

Sports

They went to it

Prestige

Of course all of this bollox, a child will thrive in education at their level, unfortunately some kids will mature at different ages, and if they need to be pushed more as they get older but find themselves in a school that hasn't got that extra level, they could lose out.

All my kids did it and I didn't see pressure put on them nor were they tutored, they would have been disappointed had they not passed, one went to a secondary school as his first choice the girls went to local school grammar school.

I left school at 16, doing the transfer test was normal, I can't remember the period when it became an issue..

[JimStynes]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Did you do the 11+?

No, it wasn't ever a thing in the schools around our area. We had the Dixon Plan. St. Paul's for 3 years then we did a transfer test at the end of 3rd year into St. Michael's Grammar. They've all been merged into the new St. Ronan's college.

So you did a transfer test, just older, right. There's me thinking you didn't 

Yes this is 100% the point. Instead of doing a transfer test at 10/11 years of age then do it when children are a little older around 14.

[gallsman]

I'm about to turn 34. Youngest of 5 kids who went to Rathmore from St. Anne's, a primary school in Finaghy/Dunmurry. To be honest, doing the 11+, getting an A and going to Rathmore was never in doubt, so I'm not sure if was ever even thought about from an ethical or moral perspective. It's a great school with great teachers that we had a family tradition at. Unless I fucked up the 11+, which was pretty unlikely, I wasn't going anywhere else. I went to the La Salle open day but realistically I wasn't going anywhere but Rathmore. Of my class of 30 odd in St. Anne's, 3 didn't do the 11+. Two went to La Salle, one to St. Genevieve's. I did a few practise tests in my own time but was never tutored.

A lot of family friends had kids in St. Bride's which is BT9 based and primarily feeds Rathmore and Knock, with a few to Aquinas and Methody. A lot more from there would have been tutored within an inch of their life. At least 3 people in my year in Rathmore from St. Bride's got their place as a result of legal action after they didn't get the right grades in the 11+, some of whom had prominent parents in the legal profession.

If I was at home and living in the catchment area, I would probably, selfishly, want my kids to go to Rathmore or Knock. Good schools academically, I had a good experience there, exposure to Gaelic sports etc. Probably not the most rational way to think about things or the most idealistically egalitarian view of it all but that's the way I feel. The flip side is if I felt my child wasn't up to the academic demands of a grammar school, there's no way in hell I'd be pushing to get them there.

[JimStynes]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Did you do the 11+?

No, it wasn't ever a thing in the schools around our area. We had the Dixon Plan. St. Paul's for 3 years then we did a transfer test at the end of 3rd year into St. Michael's Grammar. They've all been merged into the new St. Ronan's college.

And in the absence of the Dickson Plan the 11+ would have been in use in Lurgan and you'd no doubt have had plenty of Catholic pupils sitting the transfer.

There is no Dixon Plan in Lurgan now and the transfer doesn't dominate primary school.  Still have a small percentage going to Newry schools but it's not the thing that it is in other areas. The fuss over transfer in Belfast is ridiculous.

[ONeill]

There are plenty reasons as to why parents would like their child at the local 'better' school...

These are not my views:

Afraid their child will be bullied in the rough secondary school (totally unfounded)

Better chance of getting better results (totally unfounded)

Good chance of university (totally unfounded)

Sports

They went to it

Prestige

Of course all of this bollox, a child will thrive in education at their level, unfortunately some kids will mature at different ages, and if they need to be pushed more as they get older but find themselves in a school that hasn't got that extra level, they could lose out.

All my kids did it and I didn't see pressure put on them nor were they tutored, they would have been disappointed had they not passed, one went to a secondary school as his first choice the girls went to local school grammar school.

I left school at 16, doing the transfer test was normal, I can't remember the period when it became an issue..

Why did you send your girls to the grammar school?

[Milltown Row2]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Did you do the 11+?

No, it wasn't ever a thing in the schools around our area. We had the Dixon Plan. St. Paul's for 3 years then we did a transfer test at the end of 3rd year into St. Michael's Grammar. They've all been merged into the new St. Ronan's college.

So you did a transfer test, just older, right. There's me thinking you didn't 

Yes this is 100% the point. Instead of doing a transfer test at 10/11 years of age then do it when children are a little older around 14.

I agree with the age thing btw, I put it on my last post. But you still did a test to transfer to a better school, you didn't have to.

Whether the test is a good thing or not, and being 11 or 13 to me, it's still a test. We are judged through exams all through school, I'm not for or against comprehensive schools, good streaming would be my priority

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Im torn on it. The test can fail good students who flop on the day but i do think there is place for academic grading of schools at secondary level or at very least classes

[JimStynes]

Are there any areas in the North that aren't 'transfer' areas? I teach near Lurgan and not one child will be doing the transfer in our school. One child has done it in the past 6 years. It is never mentioned. The children are so much happier here than other schools I've taught in. When I taught in an area that feeds into Rathmore and the likes, I couldn't believe how much of a big deal it was. Serious pressure put on children. The Monday after results day was always a very tough day when a lot of children didn't get the result they wanted. 10/11 years of age and devastated over an exam. The exam is in November as well. Half the P7 curriculum isn't even taught at that stage so they're all tutored within an inch of their life. A bloody joke of a system. Is it more of a Protestant thing or what?

Did you do the 11+?

No, it wasn't ever a thing in the schools around our area. We had the Dixon Plan. St. Paul's for 3 years then we did a transfer test at the end of 3rd year into St. Michael's Grammar. They've all been merged into the new St. Ronan's college.

So you did a transfer test, just older, right. There's me thinking you didn't 

Yes this is 100% the point. Instead of doing a transfer test at 10/11 years of age then do it when children are a little older around 14.

I agree with the age thing btw, I put it on my last post. But you still did a test to transfer to a better school, you didn't have to.

Whether the test is a good thing or not, and being 11 or 13 to me, it's still a test. We are judged through exams all through school, I'm not for or against comprehensive schools, good streaming would be my priority

Of course children are judged with testing right up until they finish university and beyond. But doing it when they are 10/11 and with the emphasis and pressure attached to the transfer is ridiculous. It's the same every year. Children having meltdowns and panic attacks walking into the exam hall. I am never going to agree with that.