Background
to the Research
- The
Transfer Test results are used by grammar schools (and secondary schools
that have grammar school streams approved by the Department of Education)
to help them decide which pupils to admit. The Transfer Test is not
compulsory and only those pupils whose parents wish them to be considered
for a grammar school place need to be entered. Pupils with a statement
of special educational need are not entered for the test.
- Since
1993/94, the Transfer Test has been administered through two papers
with questions on english, maths and science asked in each. The questions
are based on the statutory programmes of study for Key Stage 2. Since
1997/98, technology questions have been included along with science.
Research
Approach
- This
briefing presents findings from an analysis of the 2001/02 Transfer
Test results, in relation to sex, school management type and free
school meals band.
- The
statistics on Transfer Procedure grades are taken from a dataset supplied
by the NICCEA, which is responsible for developing, setting and marking
the test papers.
- The
Transfer Procedure data used relate to primary schools and to preparatory
departments of grammar schools.
- Data
on free school meal entitlement and Year 7 pupil numbers are taken
from the annual School Census for that academic year.
Main
Findings
- Of
those who sat the Transfer Test, a slightly higher proportion of boys
(39.2%) than girls (38.6%) achieved grade A. Each year from 1995/96,
apart from 1999/2000, the proportion of boys achieving grade A has
been higher than the proportions of girls, although the differences
have been small. However, a markedly higher proportion of boys (38%)
than girls (31%) did not sit the tests.
- There
is a marked relationship between social disadvantage and achievement
in the Transfer Test. As the proportion of pupils entitled to free
school meals increases, the proportion of pupils achieving grade A
decreases. Of those who sat the test, pupils at schools in the lowest
free school meals band were more than two and a half times as likely
to achieve a grade A as those at schools in the highest free schools
meal band. Moreover, in general, as the proportion of pupils entitled
to free school meals rose, so too did the proportion of pupils not
sitting the test.
- Of
those who sat the test, a lower proportion of pupils at schools under
Catholic management achieved a grade A (38%) than at schools under
Other management (40%). This pattern has been evident since 1995/96
and reflects the higher proportion of pupils entitled to free school
meals in Catholic schools. Around a third of pupils in each sector
did not sit the tests.
- In
contrast to the overall position, within each free school meals band
a greater proportion of pupils at schools under Catholic management
achieved a grade A than at schools under Other management.
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