Arrangements for Transfer 2017

2 Transfer 2017 The Board of Governors have decided to continue with academic selection for Admission to Antrim Grammar School for pupils transferring from Primary School in September 2017, and wish to provide access to the School for all children from across the community who would benefit from the academic ethos of Antrim Grammar School; In the absence of our preferred option, a Department of Education commissioned test which is regulated for everyone, the School will consider applications from pupils who have taken either the AQE Common Entrance Assessment or the GL Assessment.

Antrim Grammar School will host both the AQE and the GL assessment tests during November and first week of December

AQE LTD: Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC): Two important website addresses: 4

Transfer 2017 Parents should choose the test, or tests, which best accommodate their child’s choices of schools; Applicants are NOT required to sit BOTH tests to gain admission to the School;

Familiarisation Day Antrim Grammar School will hold a familiarisation afternoon for those pupils who have registered to sit the AQE/GL test at AGS Pupils will have the opportunity to go through the registration process and see the location where they will sit the test Details will follow in due course

7 Which Assessment Instrument? GL Assessment is a leading provider of independent tests and assessments; GL Assessment is now the brand name for the assessment products previously produced by nfer Nelson, experts in assessment for over 25 years; Closed test from GL Assessment in English and Mathematics; referenced against the Key Stage 2 Northern Ireland Curriculum; The two tests will be undertaken in one day; No cost to applicants; Will be used by 35 schools.

Which Assessment Instrument? The Common Entrance Assessment (AQE) has been designed by an experienced chief examiner with a team of revisers; Three one hour tests based on English and Mathematics components of NI Curriculum KS2; Pupils need only sit two tests but may choose to do a third; Only marks in best two tests will count; The test will be used by 34 Grammar Schools (list of names available on AQE website); Fee of £48 payable at time of registration; No cost if applicant is entitled to Free School Meals.

9 Registration Once registration opens, forms may be obtained from Antrim Grammar School or from the AQE office or by downloading from the AQE site Birth Certificate required 3 Colour passport size photographs required for AQE; 1 Colour passport size photograph required for GL Assessment Indicate 4 convenient Assessment Centres. It is NOT necessary to sit the test in a school to which you intend to apply for admission Include any Special Access arrangements or Special Educational Needs of candidate

Closing Date for Registration AQE registration closes on: Friday 9th September 2016 (return to the AQE office) GL registration closes on: Friday 23 rd September 2016 (return to the post-primary school)

11 Administration Children arrive at school Centre from 9.15am to be seated at 9.45am Parents will drop pupils off in the Canteen Senior pupils and Senior staff will meet, greet and take pupils to the registration point and from there to the test location; Pupils should bring pencils and erasers but we will provide spares of each; Answer sheets are pre-printed with pupils’ personal details; For GL tests refreshments will be provided at break.

12 Details of GL Assessment One English Assessment of 50 minutes One Maths Assessment of 45 minutes Topics to be assessed are available on the PPTC website ( Multiple choice answers GL Assessment supervises the setting, marking and standardising of tests and will provide remark service if required Results will be issued to parents on Saturday 28 January 2017

13 English GL Assessment English paper Practice session: 1 Reading passage, 3 familiarisation and 7 practice questions which takes 15 – 20 minutes Assessment paper: 3 reading passages; 60 questions which takes 50 minutes Further details are on the PPTC website Maximum time required is 70 minutes

14 Mathematics GL Assessment Mathematics paper Practice: 3 familiarisation and 6 practice questions (10-15 minutes) Assessment paper: 45 questions which takes 45 minutes Maximum time needed 60 minutes

15 Assessment Day 19th November English Practice and Assessment paper Break at 11.10am to 11.30am Maths Practice and Assessment paper Completion at 12.30pm.

16 Supplementary Test If a child is unable to sit the GL assessment on the 19 th November for medical reasons or for other extenuating family circumstances, a supplementary test will be available on the first Saturday in December. Please note, this test may not be available in the centre originally assigned to your child.

Details of Common Entrance Assessment (AQE) Three one hour assessments on three separate days each including English and Mathematics Held in Antrim Grammar School in either the Stinson Hall or Sixth Form Centre or Conference Room Tests will be marked in two marking centres Each paper will be marked by three markers and scores will be cross checked Age related adjustments will be made The best two scores will be taken and a standardised score for each candidate will be calculated.

Format of Assessment (AQE) 8 mathematics items Poem 1 followed by 7 comprehension items 8 mathematics items Basic skills passage (lines numbered on the right) followed by 5 basic skills items 8 mathematics items Poem 2 followed by 7 comprehension items 8 mathematics items Prose passage followed by 7 comprehension items EXEMPLAR MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE FROM THE AQE WEBSITE

19 Documents to Assist in Process Timetable: outlines key dates in the process Registration Forms will be available from School website or AQE website or from the School Office A guide for parents accompanies the Registration Form for each test Special Consideration Policy and Access Arrangements will be available on the School website or from the School Office

20 Documents to Assist in Process Assessment Specification will be available on the school website GL Assessment Familiarisation paper can be provided ‘Progress in English and Progress in Maths’ assessments are used in many Primary Schools Exemplar materials available on AQE website Click on CEA: Sample Test Items Paper copies of all these documents are available on request, as are copies in large print if required

Special Provision and Special Circumstances Special Provision exists for a relatively small number of pupils who fall into the categories outlined in our admissions criteria. Special Circumstances may apply to some pupils where events at the time of the assessment may have impacted adversely on the pupil’s performance. Always refer to the Admissions Criteria of the schools to which you are applying.

Special Circumstances (i) For the GL test: You must inform the Assessment Centre before 11 th December 2016 by registering a claim for Special Circumstances. Later in the application process, you will be required to provide documentary evidence from medical and other professional sources to substantiate your claim for Special Circumstances for the Board of Governors of the school to which the child has applied.

Special Circumstances (ii) For the AQE test: Obtain Form SC15 Gather the evidence required to validate the claim and support any increase in the CEA score (e.g. doctor’s notes etc). It is essential that all evidence is provided at the time. Complete Form SC14 and then attach it along with the supporting evidence to the Transfer Form Take everything TO YOUR PRIMARY SCHOOL at the stage of your Transfer Interview after you receive your child’s results. At this stage you will make your school choices for the following year.

24 Transfer Application Form Administered by the Education Authority (North Eastern Region); Usual Transfer Forms to be completed after consultation with Primary School Principal; Nominate preference of Post-Primary Schools; Schools select against published criteria; ELB/ESA sends letter to parents in late May 2016 stating the school to which the pupil has been admitted.

25 Admissions Criteria Admissions Criteria for September 2017 will be provided following the Board of Governors’ meeting held in September 2016 Academic selection is likely to be based on a banding process, similar to the current Transfer procedure.

26 Key Dates Tuesday 3 rd May 2016: Registration opens for AQE Monday 16 th May 2016: Registration opens for GL Friday 9th September 2016: Registration closes for AQE Friday 23 rd September 2016: Registration closes for GL Sat 12 th, 26 th November and Sat 3 rd December: AQE Assessments held in post-primary centres Saturday 19 th November: GL Assessments held in post- primary school centres; Saturday 10 th December 2016: Supplementary GL Assessments; Saturday 28 th January 2017: Results issued to homes.

27 Key Facts GL-Assessment will mark the assessments; AQE will mark the Common Entrance Assessments; The local regions of the Education Authority will continue to process the Transfer forms; Antrim Grammar School will retain its Admissions Number of 105 pupils into Year 8; Open Morning will be held in January 2017.

28 For Further Information Visit If you have any questions either write to: Hilary Woods (Principal), Antrim Grammar School Steeple Road, Antrim, BT41 1AF OR Telephone:

Arrangements for Transfer 2017