Buckinghamshire schools

Today children in Buckinghamshire schools take an exam, the 11 plus exam, results of which are taken as an indicator of whether they should go to a Buckinghamshire grammar school, or an upper school. It's a bit nerve wracking for the parents, especially if you know your child should go to a grammar, that they'd love it there, that they're really academic, but you also know that your child will be marginal, might not quite get the required score.

There are two tests, taken a week apart, but they are only verbal reasoning (VR) tests, not non-verbal reasoning, and not numerical. That means that if you've got a child who's brilliant at maths, or is dyslexic, or even bilingual, then a VR test might not show up their best academic ability. The child might have a vocabulary of 4000 words in English and 4000 words in Pushti, but if the VR expects 5000 words in English, and tests to that, then the child won't get the 121 that is the score for a grammar school.

However, Buckinghamshire allows other evidence through an appeal system. If the best of the two VR tests, doesn't come high enough, and a parent disagrees with the LEA assessment that the child would be most suited to an upper, then the parent(s) can appeal. Parents can bring in other evidence, whatever they think fit, that demonstrates a grammar school would be the more appropriate school for their child. That might be tae kwondo or ballet dancing certificates, school work, computer work, or a report from a suitable professional. Parents can also provide evidence to explain why the child didn't do well enough on the day of the tests, like had a cold, or asthma, or the school fire alarm went off.

A tribunal of three volunteers, independent of the LEA, assesses the evidence, consider the arguments, and make a decision that is binding on the LEA. I like that because there's the opportunity to use the measured evidence from the tests, plus the qualitative evidence that can take into account other unmeasurable evidence.

Today a relative takes the 11 + and another relative is taking the GRE. This site tells you that the GRE is for the graduate record examinations that also assess verbal reasoning skills, along with other skills that an undergraduate might have achieved.

Good luck to both relatives.

Buckinghamshire vines

When we were away in St Emilion, we found that the founders of Laithwaites were also being intronised - probably about time too being as they've been importing from that part of France for decades. So I looked up Laithwaites on the web when we got back. I notice Tony Laithwaite is now eying up the Chilterns for potential vineyards, - he says here that he's looking for sites for sparkling wine vineyards.

Being as our grapes are doing so well in our back garden this year, I tend to agree with him.

Grapes in Buckinghamshire

We've got a vine and it's grown grapes - lots of them, enough to make a bottle of wine, though enough to make only one bottle.

Fire brigade visit

Three firemen have just visited our home with a fourth fireman sitting outside in a huge fire engine, waiting for them (or for an emergency call-out).

They gave our house a check, and advised us about:

• having working smoke alarms
• keeping doors closed at night and noted how well some of our old doors fit.
• discussing escape plans from the various rooms. I've thought about that - my mother always used to think about it as soon as we went away somewhere new or for a holiday. Now I worry about where my children are living: do they have an escape route from their college room, second floor flat, or rented house? I hope so.

Buckinghamshire Fire Service provided this check and an hour of advice free of charge, and
they gave us some super-duper smoke alarms, even fitted three of them and left the fourth for us to put up when we've fixed the plaster on the hall ceiling that fell down - see here. Although we already were well covered for smoke alarms, most have batteries that last only a year. The new ones are ten year alarms. Apparently you can get alarms that link together too, so if a fire started in the cellar when you're asleep in the attic, so you'd not hear the cellar alarm, it would link to the attic alarm, and set it off. Has anyone else heard of such alarms?

If you live in Buckinghamshire, get the check done. It's free and simple, they even come round on Sunday afternoons, not when you're out at work.

• By telephone – contact the Community Safety Team Administrator on 01296 744 477...
• By e-mail – cs@bucksfire.gov.uk

Details are at http://www.bucksfire.gov.uk/BucksFire/Community+Safety/Home+Fire+Risk+Checks/.

If you live somewhere else, ask the county fire services what they offer.

I'm an accoustic illiterate

It's the end of an era because I'm finally getting rid of late-husband's electrostatic quad speakers. Am I letting him down? Do I say goodbye? Am I just acoustically illiterate? Yes. Thirty years I've tried to appreciate these space hoggers.

When I was trying to sell my old house, one viewer thought they were massive radiators.



I asked one of his university friends if he wanted them, but he never emailed me back. So I went down to the local audio place, that university friend had recommended, Northwood Audio, and asked them. The chap there said they were an acquired taste because of the space they need in front and behind them. I've never been able to give them that space. So I'll put them in the car soon and take them to Northwood.

So if you want them, you'd better tell me quick.

New Year resolution

New Year resolution has to be not to give up.

1. I have to support husband and our two families. I start by refraining from offering my three beautiful step daughters juicy apples and spinning wheels. I have already refrained from hanging a notice in the window:
"Three lovely step daughters
living here with wicked step mother,
need handsome princes to rescue them."


Fortunately two of them have already found their handsome princes, who are really nice young men, even to me, their step-mother-in-law. And step daughter number 3 has turned quite happy over the last year or two.


2. I'm going to carry on avoiding other people kicking me at tae kwondo, while not thumping them too hard. I like the exercise and the laughter, not the thumps. I might move up a kup if I grade and get another belt. That's one of the tenets of tae kwondo - perseverance.
   


3. Then there's the research work, which has its good moments and its bad moments. Never ever give up until the dissertation is handed in, in September 2010.
   


4. And I'll keep writing this. Thank you those people who tell me they read it and even mention it on Christmas cards to us. You are so encouraging. I really appreciate it.