School children planning to sit their 11+ tests for selective schools this September will now have to wait until November 2020. New guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) advised that no ...
School children planning to sit their 11+ tests for selective schools this September will now have to wait until November 2020. New guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) advised that no selection testing should take place before the end of October/early November this year.
This guidance affects the 11+ testing and the admissions process for the six selective schools in Warwickshire (x 5 grammar schools and x 1 bilateral school, which uses selection testing to allocate a percentage of its Year 7 entry cohort).
Once the revised dates for testing have been confirmed, the local authority – who operate the 11+ testing process on behalf of the selective schools within the county - will send further information to all families who registered their child(ren) as on time candidates for the 2021 entry 11+ selection test.
This information will advise how 11+ testing sessions will be adapted and what kind of protective measures will be put in place, in order to operate in line with health protection measures. Such measures will be in accordance with Government guidelines relating to coronavirus and this new guidance published by the DfE.
It is acknowledged that postponing the 11+ testing sessions will mean that parents will need to make an application for secondary school places before the results of the 11+ test are known. Warwickshire residents are already provided with the opportunity to name up to six schools on their secondary school application. However, for the secondary 2021 entry year only, this will be increased to a maximum of seven preferences per applicant.
Other local authorities may also increase their existing number of preferences to accommodate current circumstances, for this year of entry only. If you are not a Warwickshire resident, please contact your home authority for further information about their process for applying for secondary school places.
It is advised that, when parents complete and submit their child’s secondary school application, they utilise as many of the maximum preferences available to them as possible and include any grammar schools, as well as non-selective schools, that they would like their child to be considered for.
Parents are advised to read through Warwickshire’s 2021 entry admission arrangements, as well as the 2021 entry admission arrangements for any of the secondary schools that they wish to apply for, to understand how these school places will be allocated: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/applying-secondary-school-place
Cllr Colin Hayfield, Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Learning, said: “Children preparing to take the 11+ tests in Warwickshire can be reassured that these tests will still go ahead this year, but slightly later in November, to meet DfE guidelines.
"We have also increased the number of school preferences for applicants to choose when applying for secondary school places. This will ensure all children in Warwickshire have access to high quality education and can achieve their full potential.”