Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s)

Thank you for your support and co-operation in bringing your son/daughter to our Assessment Centre for the GLA Entrance Assessment on 21^st November.  We endeavoured to ensure that everything was provided to ensure that all P7 pupils had the opportunity to do their best in the Entrance Assessments.  

The English and Mathematics assessments have been returned to GLA and they will begin to process them after the Supplementary Assessment is completed on 12^th December.  Given GLA’s rigorous approach to marking the assessments and processing the results, it will be 5^th February 2010 before the results will be sent by first class post to your home.  You will be sent two copies of your son/daughter’s results, one for your records and one to be attached to the Transfer Form to be sent the schools of your choice.  When you receive these results, you have until 19^th February 2010 to request a re-mark, which will take five working days with GLA, before we can pass on to you the final result. 

In late February 2010, you will be invited to your son/daughter’s primary school to a meeting with the Principal to discuss and complete the post-primary school Transfer Form.  At this meeting, it is essential that you ask the Principal to attach an original copy of your child’s Entrance Assessment results to the Transfer Form before it is sent to the SEELB or BELB’s Transfer Department.  You should also ensure that the results are recorded in Section C of the Transfer Form before you sign it. 

With your support, we have made every effort to ensure that your son/daughter was given the best possible opportunity to perform to a high level in the Entrance Assessment.  However, your son/daughter may have experienced medical or other problems just before or during the Entrance Assessment which were beyond our control.  If you believe that your son/daughter experienced such difficulties and that the performance in the assessment may have been affected, you can make a claim for Special Circumstances.  You should register your claim at the Assessment Centre before 4.00 p.m. on 18^th December 2009 and then your completed claim should be submitted with the Transfer Form completed at the meeting with the primary school.  If you wish to make a claim, please collect a “Claiming Special Circumstances Pack” from any Assessment Centre or download it from our website – www.knock.co.uk (see below)

May I also invite you and your son/daughter to our Open Morning on Saturday 16^th January 2010 when you will have the opportunity to visit subject Departments and talk to teachers and students. 

Thank you again for your support.  I know that this has been a worrying period for everyone involved but, with the Entrance Assessment over, your son/daughter can look forward to successfully completing the final year of primary school.  May I wish your son/daughter every success in the future whether it is in the school community of Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock or any of the other excellent schools in Belfast and the North Down and Ards areas.

Yours sincerely 

Dermot G Mullan

Principal

For forms relating to the GL assessment including remark forms, please click here