Changes to the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test 2020

In response to a range of Covid-19 related issues which make early autumn admissions testing undesirable and impractical, many schools which test for a child’s ability or aptitude have decided to postpone admission tests until later in the autumn term. The schools affected in this Local Authority are:

• Nonsuch High School for Girls*

• Sutton Grammar School*

• Wallington County Grammar School*

• Wallington High School for Girls

• Wilson’s School*

• Greenshaw High School (selective places only)

The revised first stage test date is the 11th November 2020. If you child is successful in the first stage test the schools marked with a * above will also have a second stage test, this will be held on Saturday the 28th November 2020.

Despite these changes, parents should still register for the test by the 14th August 2020 and make their common application by the national closing date, 31st October 2020.

If you are a Sutton resident parent/carer:

• Once you receive the results of the eligibility test, you may make changes to your application preferences (such as to add or remove a selective school) providing you notify suttonadmissions@cognus.org.uk before 10th December 2020. Changes to preference after this date will only be considered after 1st March 2021

• We will similarly accommodate changes to preference relating to late test results for selective schools in other Local Authority areas.

If you are not a Sutton resident parent/carer:

• Please contact your home local authority for their policy on making changes to a school admission application.

If you have questions about test arrangements, please check relevant school websites, or contact the school(s) directly. 

Tiffin School 11 Plus (11+) Exam | Complete Guide 2020

Tiffin School 11 Plus Exam Information

• Address: Tiffin School, Queen Elizabeth Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey KT2 6RL.

• Tiffins Website: www.tiffinschool.co.uk

• Admissions Contact:

  • Telephone: 020 8546 4638

  • Email: office@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk

• School Type: Boys

• Total Number of Students in School: 1058

• Number of Places Available for Year 7 Entry: 180

• Open Days: Virtual Open Evening – Tuesday 7 July 2020 (5:00 pm – 7:30 pm)

• Registrations Open Date: Monday 8 June 2020

• Closing Date for Online Registration: September 2020 (TBC)

• Deadline to complete your local authority: Deadline to complete your local authority Application Form (the CAF Deadline): Monday 1 March 2021

• Deadline For receiving the hard copy of the SIF: Deadline for Tiffin School receiving the hard copy of the SIF: Tuesday 1 September 2020

• Ofsted Report: Ofsted Report | Tiffin School, London

Tiffin School 11+ Entrance Exam Dates

• The date for the Year 7 entrance test Stage One Test: Tuesday 29 September 2020.

• Tiffin School will determine the number of boys to be invited to the Stage Two Test, being a number that is at least sufficient to meet the PAN of Tiffin School after completion of the coordinated admissions process.

• Candidates who are not being invited to sit the Stage Two Test will be notified of this by Tiffin School by Friday 16 October 2020. Candidates who are not invited to sit the Stage Two Test will not be eligible for a place at Tiffin School and therefore should not name Tiffin School on their local authority application form.

• The date for Stage Two Test for those invited: Tuesday 3 November 2020

• If you have not achieved a place at Tiffin School will you be sent your results on 2 March 2021, after National Offer Day.

Tiffin School 11+ Exam Styles

• The Stage One Test will consist of English and Maths questions that are marked by computer.

• The Stage Two Test will be written tests in English and Maths.

Exclusive: 69% of teachers see Covid behaviour slump

by TES, October 9, 2020

The majority of school staff in England say pupils' behaviour has worsened since the Covid-19 lockdown, a Tes survey reveals.

More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of teachers, school leaders and classroom assistants in the survey said that pupils' behaviour has dipped since the coronavirus lockdown closed schools to the majority of pupils.

Some 6 per cent of respondents have seen behaviour worsen hugely, another 25 per cent reported that it had worsened noticeably and 38 per cent said that it had worsened a little.

Less than a third of school staff (31 per cent) said that behaviour had not worsened at all.

The views were collected as part of a wider Tes survey of 10,000 heads, teachers and other school staff on the impact of Covid-19 on education.

Last week Tes revealed that a third of teachers said they were routinely having to discipline pupils for coughing at people, refusing to their wash hands or crossing "bubble groups".

School staff responding to our survey have suggested that pupils can struggle to get back into routines after six months away and that some are unsettled by new ways of working during Covid-19.

Coronavirus: The impact on pupil behaviour

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders' union, said: “With pupils returning to school after many weeks away, it may be that their anxieties about coronavirus manifest themselves as behaviour challenges.

"Schools will be working overtime at the moment to understand how pupils are feeling and to support them if their behaviour is affected by the disruption they’ve endured since lockdown.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said: "These are very difficult circumstances, with students having to follow safety processes and timetabling arrangements which are very different from school life in normal times, and in many cases having spent a long time out of school during the national lockdown.

"It is therefore not surprising if this is manifesting itself in some challenging behaviour.

It is to the immense credit of schools and their staff that they are handling this situation in addition to everything else which is on their plates at the moment.  We hope that as students become increasingly accustomed to the safety processes, then challenging behaviour will diminish.”

One survey respondent from a secondary school said that it was mainly Year 7 students who were most affected.

They added: “They are struggling as they have to sit in one room all day, can't make friends easily and can't run around at lunch time. Most are miserable and not enjoying being in a new school.”

Another highlighted how the change in the school environment had impacted on pupils.

“They seem quieter, more nervous in class. Some, with special needs or circumstances, are argumentative and in flight, fright, freeze mode. It’s upsetting to see.”

Survey respondents also highlighted masks as having an impact on behaviour.

One said: “My son’s primary school seems better. The masks in secondary school, I have to say, seem to give a feeling of impending danger, which is unrealistic for the majority of people, and I find it upsetting for our students. “

Another added: “Many pupils have lost their ability to listen to their peers and negotiate solutions to social disputes. Some seem to struggle to self-regulate when things are not going their way.”

Returning after six months is 'terribly difficult'

And one teacher said that returning to full-time education after so long away was proving difficult.

They said: “[Students] are exhausted, [they have had] nearly six months 'off' and then suddenly back full-time?

As a teacher, this is taxing – as a student, this is terribly difficult.”

Another respondent highlighted how difficult schools are finding managing new rules to ensure that they are mitigating the risk of spreading Covid-19.

They said: “Some students struggling to adapt to school routines again. More rules this term, which some are resisting. Difficult to enforce new rules, especially at break and lunchtimes.

"As students aren't allowed to line up in corridors to avoid mixing, they are sometimes unsupervised in classrooms. Wet weather is causing a huge problem due to lack of places where they can go when they can't mix with other year groups.”

Responding to the survey, the Department for Education behaviour adviser Tom Bennett said: "Surveys are interesting but unreliable data sets unless they're weighted across the population they attempt to sample.  So it's hard to know if this is representative or simply reflects the available respondents who felt most strongly about contributing.

"The challenge for schools after lockdown is the same as it has always been: how to help children learn the behaviour that helps them to flourish as learners and human beings, and to hold them accountable to those standards in a way that is both supportive and compelling. 

"This part of their mission has been lent greater urgency by the need to include respiratory and tactile etiquette as part of the behaviour curriculum. 

"Schools should use this moment as an opportunity to reflect on: a) what behaviour do they really need?; b) how do we teach this behaviour?; and c) how do we maintain our standards?"