Which exam board was responsible for the 11+exam in Sheffield in 1960?

Thank you trastrick, although I did not seek any recognition but simply to throw some light on the 11+ having been involved all those years ago. It seems that you are deserving of a pat on the back too! i have quickly read the thread about grammar schools and it is interesting to note different viewpoints depending on one's own circumstances. Although there are some misconceptions on there about some things that is only to be expected in an exchange of views within a discussion forum and not being an avid contributor I don't intend to add anything further.

It is a fact that we all come to be socialised and politicised by our own circumstances and experiences and thus our view on societal norms are arrived at, judged and reaffirmed or otherwise.

Personally, I do not see myself as having had a particularly successful life having been an unfortunate late developer. Some people do not value education having been denied it themselves or because they do not recognise it's worth compared to , say the second-hand Volvo parked on their drive.

The fact is that we all have something to contribute and the educational system should concentrate on how all individuals can be enabled to flourish. The old 11+ and idea of tripartate education was idealistic at the time but was flawed and, all these years later, it seems the quandry remains.

I was very interested in the comment about some children taking the 11+ exam at age 10. I thought I was unusual but perhaps not. I do remember I was the only one in my year to pass it.

I think most people took it in their final year at primary school i.e. which most started aged 10yrs and finished aged 11yrs. Given the 11+ exams were all sat at the same time (I think it might have been Spring time but I can't be sure), then some wouldn't have had their 11yrs birthday. Remember there can be a year between the oldest and the youngest in any academic year.

Still same more recently with SATS and even worse if the schools have phased entry. Not only are some children not yet 7yrs at the KS1 SATS, they may have had two terms less schooling if they couldn't start until the term in which they became 5yrs - which at that age is a high proportion of the total schooling they have had!

I have the letter that was sent by T. Harold Tunn, Director of Education to my parents in June 1966. It was a standard letter commencing with

'I have pleasure in informing you that your son has qualified for admission to

ABBEYDALE GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS

from the beginning of the forthcoming school year (September 1966)'

It then goes on to give details of the school (which I suppose was standard for all schools) and asking my parents to sign and return an enclosed postcard accepting the offer of admission.

I cannot recall any exam body setting the 11+ and this letter indicates that there were no results as such apart from the school you were selected to attend.

I'd be interested to know if those who failed received a letter with the words 'I have pleasure in informing you....'

Similarly, it's interesting that although the letter is a standard letter the use of the word 'son' shows that care has been taken to use the correct male / female description of the child.

I have the letter that was sent by T. Harold Tunn, Director of Education to my parents in June 1966. It was a standard letter commencing with

 

'I have pleasure in informing you that your son has qualified for admission to

 

ABBEYDALE GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR BOYS

 

from the beginning of the forthcoming school year (September 1966)'

 

It then goes on to give details of the school (which I suppose was standard for all schools) and asking my parents to sign and return an enclosed postcard accepting the offer of admission.

 

I cannot recall any exam body setting the 11+ and this letter indicates that there were no results as such apart from the school you were selected to attend.

 

I'd be interested to know if those who failed received a letter with the words 'I have pleasure in informing you....'

 

Similarly, it's interesting that although the letter is a standard letter the use of the word 'son' shows that care has been taken to use the correct male / female description of the child.

These letters were, indeed, sent out by my colleague and I as far as I can recall together with letters to those due to attend their local secondary modern school.

These letters were, indeed, sent out by my colleague and I as far as I can recall together with letters to those due to attend their local secondary modern school.

In my day the kids that didn't pass stayed put until they left at 15. There was only two of us passed( boys) not sure about girls. Mind you it was a Catholic school, so maybe there were no secondary schools for Catholics. There were only 2 grammar schools for us, one for boys and one for girls. I am talking 1956.

The 1960s 11+ papers were compiled from banks of tests produced by NFER-Nelson, the commercial side of the National Foundation for Educational Research.

They were administered by LEAs or even individual Grammar Schools.

NFER-Nelson no longer exists after being taken over by what is now GL Assessment who produce many of the 11+ tests used today.