Transfer 2018
Regent House School
Information Evening
for parents of P6 children
Agenda
The AQE Common Entrance Assessment
Results
Applying to sit the Common Entrance Assessment
Application process for schools
Timeline
Questions
What is AQE and CEA?
 The Association for Quality Education
 AQE is the name of the organisation which
administers the Common Entrance Assessment
 It began as a lobby group of Parents’ Groups, Former
Pupils Associations and Grammar schools
 CEA is the Common Entrance Assessment which is
being set by AQE Ltd
What is the CEA?
 Three one-hour assessments which take account of the English
and Mathematics in the present primary school curriculum. The
assessment should therefore be accessible to all pupils studying
the Revised KS2 Curriculum in Northern Ireland.
 The specification is on the AQE website.
 If they wish, parents may choose to enter their child for only two
of the three papers. But to give pupils the best opportunity and to
reduce the chances of them not doing themselves justice by
having “an off day” when one of the assessments is held, it is
advisable to sit all three.
What is the CEA?
The CEA has been designed using
procedures similar to those for other
examinations, having a chief examiner with
extensive knowledge of test design, together
with a team of revisers who are teaching
professionals at primary level with long
experience of preparing pupils for transfer to
post primary selective schools.
Where can I get practice
papers?
 Past papers are on the AQE website www.aqe.org.uk
Click on “The Assessments.”
Where is the CEA sat?
 Pupils will sit the assessments in a
participating grammar schools. (NOT their
Primary School)
 Nominate your preferred test centre on the
Registration Form and AQE will inform within
a few weeks
 Sitting the CEA in a particular school does not
imply a decision to apply to that school nor
bring any advantage in the application
process.
When are the tests?
The assessments will take place on
 Sat 11th November at 10.00 a.m.
 Sat 25th November at 10.00 a.m.
 Sat 2nd December at 10.00 a.m.
 Regent House Open Events are likely to be
mid December
The Tests in Regent House
 Accommodation in halls, pupils sitting with
others from their Primary Schools.
 There will be a ‘Familiarisation’ morning in
October
 Invigilators will be our own staff following
common, agreed instructions, (similar to GCSE
and A level exams)
Marking
 Marking will take place after each of the three
assessments. Each paper will be marked by three
markers, the third of whom will also cross-check the
score. A Quality Control Process will also be carried
out, ensuring that 20% of the papers are marked
again and another 20% are added up again. Marking
will be completed by the end of December.
 Marking will take place in two centres in the presence
of chief examiners.
 Opportunity to apply for a remark – you will be
advised with this on the results slip
2. Results
 Total of best 2 results converted to a whole
figure
 Age adjusted
 100 is the average mark OF ALL THOSE
WHO SAT THE CEA
 Results issued to parents and Primary
Schools on Saturday 27th January 2018
3. Applying to sit the CEA
 Registration Forms to take the test are now
available on the AQE website and from
participating schools.
 Completed forms must be returned to AQE no
later than Friday 8th September 2017
 Fee is £48
 Free to those entitled to Free Schools Meals
Applying to sit the CEA
 Identify any access requirements (if
applicable) on the form.
 Supply 2 passport photographs
 Supply copy of birth certificate.
Children with Special
Educational Needs
 Those with a statement do not need to sit the
CEA. This decision will be made in
conjunction with parents, the Education
Authority and the receiving school.
 If they are admitted, they are reckoned as
over and above the school’s enrolment
number and do not take a place that might
have been given to someone else.
Special Circumstances
 Medical or other problems which may have
affected performance in the test
 Each school’s Board of Governors, will deal
with them and, if accepted as valid, will adjust
marks
 A form and information sheet may be obtained
from the AQE Office, from the AQE website or
from any AQE school after the assessment;
and this, along with the supporting evidence,
is submitted with Transfer Application form.
Special Provision
 Children whose parents/guardians wish them
to transfer to a Grammar School from outside
Northern Ireland.
 Children who have received more than half
their Primary education outside Northern
Ireland.
 Children, who because of unforeseen and
serious medical problems, which are
supported by medical evidence, were unable
to participate in the Transfer Test.
Similar to procedures for Special
Circumstances
4. School Application Process
 Interview with Primary Principal in February
2018
 Complete usual Transfer Form for preferred
schools
 Submit to the Transfer section of the EA
 Forms are distributed to first choice schools
Entry to Regent House School
 Result of the AQE test is the first criterion.
 To gain entry to Regent House School in
September 2018 she/he must sit the AQE
test.
How Regent House will deal with
applications for Year 8
 Applicants will be placed, first, in rank order of
AQE scores
 Accepted Special Circumstances and Special
Provisions cases are placed in the list
 Cut-off at 210th place
 If there is a tie at any point then other secondary
selection or non-academic criteria will apply, as
before
Secondary (non-academic) Criteria
 This will be published in the Transfer Booklet
which is distributed to all parents before
Christmas
Example
NB the figures shown are for illustration purposes
only
 Say there are 300 applications for 210 places
 Applications, with priority given to AQE candidates,
placed in rank order
 If places 1 to 204 are filled with pupils scoring, say,
95 or better and
 10 pupils with 94 tie for the remaining 6 places
Example (contd.)
 Secondary or sub-criteria applied
 6 pupils selected
 Forms of remaining 90 pupils are then forwarded
through Education Authority to second choice
schools
 This process repeats until May 2018
Example (contd.)
 Regent House will not take account of the order in
which schools are placed on the form
 If Regent House is your preferred choice of school
then put us down first and the EA will then send us
your application first. Then we will select your child if
eligible;
 If we have filled our places, the form will be passed
to the school which is your 2nd preference.
 If your 1st choice is another school, and it has filled
its places, it will send your application to us if we are
your 2nd choice.
6. Timeline
 AQE application forms processed
2 May- 8 September 2017
 Familiarisation tour of Test Centres
To be announced
 Test Dates
11 Nov, 25 Nov, 2 Dec 2017
 Publication of results
27 January 2018
Timeline (contd.)
 Deadline for application for a re-mark
indicated on results slip
o Application to preferred schools, in
consultation with primary principal and
applications sent to EA (Feb - March 2018)
o Schools receive forms from EA and select
pupils (March - end of May 2018)
o EA notifies parents of post primary school
(End of May/early June)
Sources of Information
www.aqe.org.uk (FAQ section)
www.regenthouse.org.uk
The Transfer Procedure Booklet
issued to parents before
Christmas