1. TRANSFER 2019 Wednesday 12th June 2019
Information For Parents About Transfer To Second Level Education in 2019

2. NI Curriculum
Primary Schools have a statutory duty to deliver the NI curriculum in all primary schools since 2009.
The NI curriculum places a high emphasis on raisin standards in English and Maths and we will continue to give these high priority in our teaching.
All children, whether they are doing the Transfer test or not will follow the NI curriculum

3. THE CURRENT SITUATION Old 11+ has ended
Agreement for proposed transfer arrangements not reached
Proposed one test but this will not be in place for November 2019
Grammar schools providing alternative tests for entrance

4. Decisions Secondary School
You do not need to do anything until the Open Nights in January.
2. Grammar School
You will need to enrol your child for the entrance exam

5. Post Primary
Non grammar schools at post primary will continue to admit pupils based on non academic criteria
All Grammar schools have retained as their first criterion academic ability.
Post primary schools will publish their admission criteria in December/January on the EA website.
Where a school is oversubscribed they will use the sub criteria in order

6. Tests There are two different tests.
Catholic Grammar schools use the GL Assessment
Non Catholic Grammar schools use the AQE test
The grammar schools deal with all of the administration for the tests
You must register your child for the test/s

7. WHAT TO DO NOW?
To be considered for a place in a Catholic Voluntary Grammar school you will need to
Select the Grammar School your child will sit the exam and look in the website under GL Assessment
Enrol your child for the entrance exam before 2.00 on the 20th September.
Attend the Information and Registration evenings in the Grammar school or download a Registration Pack.
Return the Registration Pack with the original Birth Certificate and passport sized photograph.
Late submissions for Registration will not be accepted.

8. WHAT WILL THE ASSESSMENTS BE LIKE?
1 assessment will be English and 1 will be Maths with a 30 minute break in between
The assessments are standardised and provided and marked by GL Assessment using the OMR shading system
Each assessment will last about 50 minutes. There are sample papers on the grammar school websites

9. PROPOSED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS FOR TRANSFER TO VOLUNTARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
September 20th
(2.00pm deadline)
Registration in a voluntary Grammar school
November 16th
Completion of 2 assessments in the Grammar school to which your child has been assigned. Staff from the Grammar school will supervise the exam. The papers are marked by GL assessment

10. Supplementary Entrance Assessment 13th December (2.00)
PROPOSED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS FOR TRANSFER TO VOLUNTARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS ( continued)
25th November (2.00pm)
Final date for receipt of requests to take the Supplementary Entrance Assessment
7th December
Supplementary Entrance Assessment
13th December (2.00)
Final date for registering Special Circumstances
January 2020
Parents informed of results by Grammar Schools

11. AQE Most Non Catholic Grammar schools will have the
Common Entrance Assessment with 3 English and Maths assessments
Registration for it costs £50.00 and will close on 6th September
AQE assessments will take place as follows:- Assessment   1        9th  November  2019 Assessment 2        23rd November  2019 Assessment 3        30th November  2019
They will choose the highest two of the three scores
Information about their schools and procedures can be accessed at
Some non catholic schools accept both results.

12. Access Arrangements and Special Circumstances
For both of these you apply directly to the school.
Access Arrangements- provided at the time of the test
Special Circumstances- applied for after the test and before results are issued
There are deadlines for receipt of both these forms

13. Tests Your child will be sitting several tests per week
As the content of the tests are closely aligned to the NI curriculum even if your child is not sitting the Transfer Test they may be taking part in the school based tests
Tests sent home to be signed and corrections

14. TRANSFERRING TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Children who are transferring to secondary schools such as All Saints College, La Salle, St. Louise’s or St. Genevieve’s do not have to register with those schools
Children transferring to secondary schools do not have to do the GL assessments in the first term of their Primary 7 year
They will transfer in the same way as children transferring to secondary schools have always done.

15. POSSIBLE DATES January- Open Nights February
Parents complete transfer forms naming their post primary school preferences and those transfer forms are given to the Principal who sends them to EA
March
Post-primary schools receive first preferences
End of May
Parents informed of the school to which their child has been accepted

16. Any Questions?

17. OUR POSITION
We are rightly proud of our reputation and plan to maintain it
We have hard working, dedicated and talented teachers who care about the children they teach
We will continue to try to meet the needs of all of our pupils
We will carry out revision assessments in line with the Revised Curriculum
We will do our best to provide the opportunities to help our pupils to receive the second level education of their choice regardless of where they live and their social status