Eleven plus shake-up planned for Wirral

Dec 14 2011 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

A MASSIVE shake-up of eleven plus exams in Wirral will allow parents to know the results of their child’s test before they apply for secondary schools.

Up to now parents have had to make applications for schools by October 31 despite the exams not being held until November or December.

This has meant many of those unsuccessful in the exams have been unable to go to their first or second choice of secondary school.

The move follows work carried out by the Eleven Plus Working Group set up by the council, including local headteachers.

Adrian Martin, head of Greasby Junior, said the changes would help both parents and pupils “who end up extremely stressed” by the current arrangements.

Mr Martin, who was part of the working group, said: “At the oment it is very stressful for the children and extremely stressful for parents because they do not have the information they need when applying for secondary schools.”

Under long-awaited proposals to be considered by Wirral Council’s ruling cabinet the exams will be brought forward.

Under the new proposals children will be put forward for the test in the summer term of Year Five, with practice exams taking place as soon as they start Year Six in September, followed a week later by the actual examination.

Results will be available by mid October, allowing parents around two weeks to then submit their preferences for secondary schools.

However, the changes will have a “knock on effect” as on average 40% of the total Year Six pupils in Wirral take the Eleven Plus test for entry to the borough’s non-Catholic grammar schools each year.

This means approximately 1,500 applications would be compressed into the final two weeks before deadline.

Mr Martin added: “Primary schools and secondary schools will have to get their act together, for example, this will mean changes to open evenings for secondary schools.”

Cllr Ann McLachlan, Wirral’s cabinet member for children’s services, said if approved the changes “will impact on admissions to schools from September 2013 onwards”.

She said: “The proposed change to the timing of the tests has been discussed by a working group made up of primary and grammar school headteachers, and the consensus view is that Wirral’s selection tests should be brought forward to early September.

“This will ensure that test results are provided to parents before the preference deadline of October 31 to comply with the Department for Education's revised Admissions Code.

“Should cabinet give its permission, parents, schools and the wider community will be asked for their views on the proposed changes to the coordinated admission scheme for Wirral during spring 2012.”