SEAG registration opens 20th May 2024 but you don’t need to panic, as you do have until 20th September 2024 to apply, but you’ll probably want to get your application in early so you have more of a chance to get a seat in your preferred grammar school (just to sit the exam) and places can be limited.
For SEAG, when you set up the parent registration and then the pupil account, you will choose your preferred centre from a drop down list (of all the SEAG Member Schools), but if your preferred school has reached it’s maximum capacity, it will be removed from the list (so if you don’t see it, that’s the reason why).
When choosing a suitable school, there are five things you might want to consider.
1. Handiness to home location.
How handy will it be to get to on test day? The closer the better (in my opinion) as you want to keep journey time and nerves on the day to a minimum.
Also, previous years have been blighted with snow, so whilst the sun might be shining outside now, please bear this in mind as the test will be in November / December.
2. Is the test centre an all-boys or all-girls school?
Several years ago, my daughter sat her tests in an all-girls school and at the time there were about 200 girls and 20 boys and I remember thinking, “Oh, I wouldn’t like to be one of those boys as I would feel so out of place.” But that’s just me and I’m not saying all kids would feel the same way, but picture the scene for your child and if your daughter is in the minority of an all-boys school (or visa versa) how do you think they will feel? Will this add an additional level of discomfort or nerves to test day?
You own child may be perfectly fine and that’s great, but it’s just one consideration worth taking a moment to think about.
3. Small classrooms or large halls?
Does the school let the children do the tests in small classrooms or large assembly halls / gymnasiums?
In previous years this was a big consideration for some people so I’m currently working on another blog to capture a list of schools and the way they operated last year (classrooms or halls) so this should help with your decision making process.
Also it’s worth noting that schools that do use large halls will always have classrooms in use for children with access arrangements in place which requires a smaller environment.
However, if this is important to you, you can always contact the grammar school directly (closer to the time) to check and keep an eye out on the Facebook Support Group for discussions along these lines.
4. Are you sitting it in the school the child intends to go to?
Stop and think. Is this the school your child has dreamed off since they saw it on the Open Night? Do you think they’ll be more nervous sitting the test there, at their dream school – or will it offer them motivation?
If your child has their heart set on a particular school, it may be prudent to actively avoid that school and go for somewhere more run of the mill. The last thing you want them doing is looking all around them, taking in all the sights and smells and imagining their future there. On the day of the test, they will need a clear focus with no distractions.
Alternatively, you may feel it will help them work harder on the day and this choice will offer them a further incentive to work hard.
You know your child best, but this is something you may want to consider.
5. Don’t choose the grammar school to sit the test because you think it might influence the school offering your child a place in the future.
The place your child sits the test has absolutely nothing to do with the admission criteria for the grammar school.
Therefore, don’t think this will help to secure a place there, but rather base your choice in points 1-4 above and not out of some loyalty to the grammar school, or any skewed thinking that you might offend them in some way if you don’t sit the test there.
I hope this helps as you make the first step in the official journey.
More about The Transfer Tutor (Multi-Award Winning App)
The Transfer Tutor’s Online Quizzes provide a fun and interactive way to learn and practise Maths and English questions which are directly aligned to both the AQE and GL specifications.
All quizzes are broken down into manageable topics and there are many, great features including (but not limited to):
- Mobile friendly and works on any internet device.
- In many questions, there will be a ‘Hint’ option that offers the child details on the ‘rule’ or aids them to complete it correctly which helps their future application and confidence.
- The Leaderboard at the end makes the child feel like they’re playing a game and having friendly competition.
- Good use of colour and graphics which makes it exciting.
- Parents receives a progress email at the end to let them know how their child did.
Simply choose the licence you need depending on the length of time you need access, click on the blue box, pay and then you’ll be off within minutes.
For any further questions, please contact me or check out the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Google Reviews:
Check out the Google Reviews to read what other customers felt about The Transfer Tutor.
Spoiler alert – all the kids (the most important people) and parents love it!
Try It Out:
To give you a feel for the quizzes, why not try out the quick fire free quiz by clicking on the button below (no need to register or pay, so don’t worry). This will hopefully let you see how the questions work – or more importantly, let you see if this is something that would inspire and encourage your child to learn.
Social Media Links – Keeping Up To Date
Follow or like The Transfer Tutor on your social media channel of choice and ensure you never miss a beat with the whole transfer process, handy tips, advice, special offers and competitions.
Click below for your preferred channel or search for @TransferTutorHQ wherever you are.
Free Facebook Group
You may have read in the reviews about people referring to the Facebook Support Group and this is certainly a great place to keep informed, ask questions, get support and keep up-to-date with anything happening in the transfer space.
It’s free to join but please ensure you have a genuine Facebook profile picture (ghost pictures are not approved as not deemed authentic) and then simply click here and answer the simple questions -> Join Facebook Group.