2021 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2009)

[laurencewong]

Hey Parents, is anyone familiar with the school culture in Cat High? Is it very academic-driven? (not so inclined, prefer more holistic education)

For AL8, Nan Chiau High will be really near home. But a friend said Cat High is good. Any thought?

[CCK2008]

kylene\" post_id=\"2048570\" time=\"1637895575\" user_id=\"6993:

Would like some thoughts on Cedar IP vs SCGS IP . Friend’s child scored AL7, no HCL . Traveling not an issue as they stay toa payoh

Cedar partner JC is victoria JC, SCGS is eunoia JC. THink SCGS is more suitable as eunoia JC is near Toa Payoh.

[floppy]

Imp75\" post_id=\"2048559\" time=\"1637894449\" user_id=\"2358:

No la. Both jiemei were already very outstanding in chinese even in NYPS. They lived and breathed in chinese as they had a live-in private Beijing accented chinese tutor for many years. How to compare Hahaha.

When $$$ is not an issue, you can be fluent and well-versed in English, Chinese, German, French, Japanese and maybe a little Arabic.

[Imp75]

floppy\" post_id=\"2048576\" time=\"1637896384\" user_id=\"97579:

Imp75\" post_id=\"2048559\" time=\"1637894449\" user_id=\"2358:

No la. Both jiemei were already very outstanding in chinese even in NYPS. They lived and breathed in chinese as they had a live-in private Beijing accented chinese tutor for many years. How to compare Hahaha.

When $$$ is not an issue, you can be fluent and well-versed in English, Chinese, German, French, Japanese and maybe a little Arabic.

Yalor

[Pegasus08]

Option\" post_id=\"2048561\" time=\"1637894755\" user_id=\"185249:

We did away with tuitions and started language preparations in the lower primary. I agree with 678Yess that language preparations is something that cannot be rushed.
The preparations for language oral components were low because we started bilingual communications at home when they were young, and freed time for other areas. Granted that Pegasus08's 2nd child is moving to P5, in the interests of time, consider oral communications in both languages at home (even if the child has tuition). Then played by ear to regulate the intensity. Our communication arrangements were weekdays in English and weekends in Chinese.

We didn't get our children to complete all questions in any past year paper (I know this can be unnerving), only those deemed as tricky ones and in particular application-based ones for science. Our original concerns stemed from the fact that rushing the child to finish every question in every past year paper would mean he/ she has less time to absorb what went wrong, or even rest.
We accepted the risks that important questions/ concepts could be inadvertently omitted, and had less understanding how the children will handle actual papers within time limits.
Not sure if the uneasiness is due to 'being out of IP range' limits certain school choices that psle children may opt for. My DD and DS are doing reasonably ok in OP and IP respectively so perhaps as parents, be conscious not to give a child the impression that being out of IP range = not as good.

Thank you both. I guess I wasn't too prepared for the new system, going the old way and just trying to score for best subjects rather than adopt to the new system to put equal emphasis on all subjects. I enrolled my younger one in English writing class a few months ago and she is already in berries. That's a good suggestion regarding oral, it's actually a very high percentage of the total score. When you mention oral communications, is it just talking normally at home or do you go through oral questions with your kids?

For the past year papers, how did you know which one are application type questions that need to be worked on? Did you try out the paper yourself or you pick randomly?

Yeah, I know not getting into an IP school is not an end-all scenario but just with the hopes and expectations and knowing that she can do better is just disappointing. Weirdly, I'm more affected than her 😝 ask her what school she wants, she still says anything. How to motivate her. Sigh. Telling her it's for her future is too abstract for her as well. Any tips on motivating children?

[Veyron]

floppy\" post_id=\"2048576\" time=\"1637896384\" user_id=\"97579:

Imp75\" post_id=\"2048559\" time=\"1637894449\" user_id=\"2358:

No la. Both jiemei were already very outstanding in chinese even in NYPS. They lived and breathed in chinese as they had a live-in private Beijing accented chinese tutor for many years. How to compare Hahaha.

When $$$ is not an issue, you can be fluent and well-versed in English, Chinese, German, French, Japanese and maybe a little Arabic.

This boy is not rich and with internet, one can now learn a foreign language for free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoBcruz1Gac

[leeff]

Hi all mummies & daddies,

Am new to this platform. I’m in a dilemma, my gal scored AL15 and she really wish to get into her first choice school with COP13. Should I risk and put it as my first choice?

[snorlax]

floppy\" post_id=\"2048576\" time=\"1637896384\" user_id=\"97579:

Imp75\" post_id=\"2048559\" time=\"1637894449\" user_id=\"2358:

No la. Both jiemei were already very outstanding in chinese even in NYPS. They lived and breathed in chinese as they had a live-in private Beijing accented chinese tutor for many years. How to compare Hahaha.

When $$$ is not an issue, you can be fluent and well-versed in English, Chinese, German, French, Japanese and maybe a little Arabic.

this one i am not very sure, not every one can do multiple languages,

[JGMum]

lassie girl\" post_id=\"2048486\" time=\"1637859049\" user_id=\"35383:[quote=\"lassie girl\" post_id=2048486 time=1637859049 user_id=35383]

Replying to this post because my cow baby has gone to bed and I couldn’t find anything else to do tonight. For the benefit of other anxious parents who are still not so sure of how the indicative AL scores came about - here’s a recap: https://www.moe.gov.sg/-/media/files/news/press/2021/annex-d-psle-2021.pdf?la=en&hash=D9545EF210071D1E7F0B220D7C85F20C73CB8DB4

Pasting here for easy reference.
The indicative PSLE Score ranges for the individual schools were simulated using the 2020 P6 cohort’s PSLE results and school choices.
• MOE first simulated each student’s individual subject score in AL terms, based on their raw subject scores.
• Then, we added the AL scores for each PSLE subject to form a student’s total PSLE Score.
Using these simulated PSLE Scores and students’ school choices from 2020,
• MOE simulated their posting outcomes based on the new S1 Posting System and its tie-breakers (in the order of Citizenship, Choice order of Schools and
Computerised Balloting).
• The indicative PSLE Score ranges for individual secondary schools were then
generated based on the PSLE Scores of the first student and the last student who WOULD HAVE POSTED into the school UNDER THE SIMULATION.
As the 2020 PSLE cohort had their results in T-score terms, the PSLE Score ranges are indicative only, as they were simulated using the 2020 PSLE cohort results and students’ school choices in that same year.
The actual PSLE Score range for a school for a particular year is not pre-determined, and may vary from year to year, depending on the PSLE results and school choice patterns of each P6 cohort.

In short, it means students “admitted” based on the simulation may not be the actual students who went to the schools (ie sec 1 in 2021). It means the last student/students admitted to RGS (sec 1 2021) with actual t score cut off 261 may not be the same last student/students who got “admitted” with AL6 in their simulation. Same goes for all the other schools. Basically MOE did a “what if we sort them out this way” exercise. Thus all the assumptions of certain t score = certain AL are definitely not accurate.

Even if someone claims to have the correct formula for t score = AL conversion, we can never know who and how many did well or worst this year so all kinds of analysis are just meant to keep poor parents awake at night wondering which choices to put for their child’s future school, with no actual help. On top of that, we can never know what’s the choice ranking patterns this year’s cohort will make.

I do hope parents are discerning enough to make judgements for themselves and their children especially during this tight timeframe for the schools selections. We are here to help each other so let’s not have the blind leading the blind and take everyone on a wild goose chase.

Parents, have a good night rest. Most importantly, talk to your children about the schools and their thoughts on this exercise. These communications will help set the stage for your child’s transition into secondary school life, with u as their guiding light.[/quote]

Thanks so much for the explanation, it clarifies a lot. I always thought (wrongly) that the indicative 2020 PSLE score range published by MOE was based on the scores of the actual 1st and last student admitted to the school, I didn't know that they were simulated. So this means that e.g. RI AL 4-6 was a simulated COP range and not the actual 2020 COP based on t-score.

However, since students in 2020 selected schools based on merit only, and not choice order, the simulation could not take into account students who might have altered their choices due to fear of being balloted out.

Take RI (AL 4-6) as example. If we are still using a posting system that considers only merit and not choice order, then students with AL6 and AL7 (and perhaps even the more gung-ho AL8's) who really like RI might choose RI as 1st choice (since choice order doesn't matter). Hence \"demand\" for RI under this hypothetical posting system would be higher and there will possibly be more balloting. The AL 4-6 for RI was simulated for the 2020 cohort who made school choices considering only merit and not choice order.

This year, since choice order matters, I suspect that the majority of AL7 and a fraction of AL6 with low-risk appetite would avoid placing RI as 1st choice, and select other \"safer\" options. What if, due to this seemingly \"reduced demand\", the actual COP for RI becomes AL 4-7, can the AL6 who did not choose RI earlier (and posted to another school) now appeal to RI when RI was not one of their earlier 6 choices? If yes, would RI be able to take in all the AL6's who appeal?

Just wondering...

[zac's mum]

Regarding appeals:


I am currently watching ACSBr Zoom webinar for affiliated parents/students.

Principal mentioned, first must meet the COP.

But if no vacancy, P has no power to squeeze out another seat for the appeal case(s). MOE does NOT allow. He just wanted to say that it always happens every year but he cannot override MOE’s rules.

So any stories that you hear of successful appeals (any school) would be because of the “musical chairs” effect. Somebody gives up a seat somewhere and the vacancy arises, and then all the schools will have vacancy free-ing up in turn…