Hopeful pupils to sit only two school tests

12:44pm Tuesday 19th February 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

CHANGES are to be made to the tests taken by Bexley children when competing for places at the borough's selective schools.

From this year, children will sit only two tests, for verbal reasoning and maths, instead of the previous four.

Sample questions will be provided to children and their parents to work through together and there will be practice questions at the beginning of each test, so children will know what is required of them.

But formal familiarisation sessions will be dropped.

Bexley Council considers the children should be able to do the tests using the knowledge and skills they have already picked up in their normal lessons.

Other changes will see the results of the tests published a week before the closing date for applications for secondary school places.

And the tests will be held in September, during the third week of the autumn term, instead of in November.

The changes will be brought in from September.

Information leaflets will be available at the start of the summer term.

Cabinet member for schools Councillor Simon Windle says Bexley had consulted widely before making the changes and had taken into account the views of headteachers who said tests of traditional subjects should not be abandoned.