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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

13+ common entrance

17 replies

originalmavis · 30/10/2016 08:42

Anyone else in the run up to these? DS seems to be taking a very laid back approach to the exams and I've tried just about everything to get him to revise.

I'm not sure if I'm worrying too much but I am concerned that he just isn't taking it seriously and assuming 'it'll be fine'.

Anyone seen through this?

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EleanorRigby123 · 30/10/2016 10:05

If you are at a decent prep and your DC is entered for a school recommended by the prep there is no way that you DS will fail. Preps only enter DC for the right school.
Obviously he can pass with high marks or lower marks - which may be important to you or him - but it does not matter in the great scheme of things.
If you have entered him for a highly academic school not recommended for him by the prep things may be different but I am assuming that is not the case.

originalmavis · 30/10/2016 10:15

The current school recommend him for the secondary and he does need to get the pass mark.

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BizzyFizzy · 30/10/2016 17:09

I teach in a 13+ prep school sending boys to Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc.

I think it as fairly normal for Y8 boys to be fairly laid back at this point, but they will soon have their mocks/trials and will realise what is expected of them.

I don't think you really need to worry about them getting into their senior school if you have followed prep school advice. The main thing is getting into the right sets in senior school. It should be a motivation for them to do well in CE in order to get into a top set in their new school.

originalmavis · 30/10/2016 17:22

Thanks bizzy. He got 3 offers from 3 schools and I know he is bright but sometimes I worry he thinks that he is so smart (no, we aren't telling him that) that he doesn't need to work and can just mess about until exam time and wing it!

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happygardening · 30/10/2016 17:50

IME bright children do think they can wing exams particularly for subjects like math. My DS2 winged the Winchester entrance exam except Latin/French as he had to actually learn the grammar. He's also went on to wing very successfully all his IGCSE''s and then even more frustratingly despite the doom laden forecast from his math teacher he's just very successfully winged math Pre U and much of Physics Pre U as well!
I worry about this one day he's actually going to have to take things more seriously but so far he's never had to really get into the habit of doing any work. I've no idea what if anything will make him change.
Most preps will really well prepare children for CE few of any fail if they're following theirs schools advise, secondly many schools even some of the big names set the pass mark at X but accept child's who didn't get the grades at least three children in DS2's year didn't get the grades stated on their first choice schools website (schools frequently mentioned on here) and still got in.

LIZS · 30/10/2016 17:55

I wouldn't apply much pressure yet. Ime school will spend much of now onwards on practice papers rather than new learning which can get pretty monotonous.

BizzyFizzy · 30/10/2016 23:04

OM, tell him his CE is all about getting in the top set at his senior school.

happygardening · 31/10/2016 08:01

Which set your child is in may be of particular interest to parents but IME laid back children with a tendency to wing things are not overly interested.
How about good old fashioned bribery? If you get 2A's I will give you X, 3A's Y etc. Not saying it will work but might be worth a go.

BizzyFizzy · 31/10/2016 21:50

Talking about sets is very motivational to my Y7/8 students who are on unconditional offers. They definitely don't want to be in bottom sets in their senior schools.

happygardening · 01/11/2016 07:16

Bizzy as I said above IME interest in which set your in very much dependent on individual personality. I doubt DS2 even thought about which set he'd be in let alone worried enough about it for it to be "very motivational".

originalmavis · 01/11/2016 07:39

He is going to a school where the middling boys will be extremely bright.

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MrsBernardBlack · 01/11/2016 09:43

Not sure what you are actually concerned about OP. The chances of your DS not reaching the standard he needs for his next school are vanishingly small. As others have said, they will be spending most of the next few terms working through past papers, not much is left to chance. DS did no extra revision except one maths paper that we worked through during the Easter holiday (an experience that is seared on my memory!)

Any feelings of complacency on your son's part will be quickly dispelled at his new school, I suspect .

originalmavis · 01/11/2016 17:26

I've seen his work books and study notes! Eeeeek! Messy, scrappy, indecipherable, unintelligible.... what, use a ruler to draw a graph?

He is quite a lazy whatzit and has to be reminded a million times to pack his bag, get his homework book signed, bring clothes home from school, pack sports clothes in his sports bag (that would have been an interesting session with him in only his pants and groin guard!).

Only this morning he remembered that he had to take some work back to school that he 'should have done if he wanted' over the half term. 'mummmmmm, I told you I had a science paperrrrrr!'. I suppose on the upside, he wasn't getting all upset over it.

I'm working long hours at the moment (as is his dad) and he is taking full advantage of the fact that I'm not always around to say 'oi, you, get your homework done!'.

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happygardening · 01/11/2016 18:46

If your prep has a consistent track record of sending pupils to your chosen school or very similar I wouldn't worry too much. Next term things will really crank up by the time he actually sits CE he'll be bored stiff with it all and be able to answer most of the questions with his eyes shut.
Was he pre tested if yes this is also a pretty good indication that both the prep and senior school think he's a good candidate.
Yr 8 at prep is a but grim to be honest most are now ready to move on but have to get through CE, and that's all they hear about morning none and night. CE is quite formulaic and preps know exactly how to get their pupils ready.
If he's going to a super selective unless he's super bright he might get a bit of a shock at how much harder he's going to have work to keep up with even the "middling" boys. I know quite a few boys who were top of their prep schools who went onto various super selective and were really shocked and unsettled by how hard they would have to work just to keep up with those at the bottom. Maybe this will wake him up.

originalmavis · 01/11/2016 18:50

He was tested when the other kids were sitting 11+ for his 13+ entry, do got his offers a while ago.

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BizzyFizzy · 01/11/2016 19:37

If you have followed prep school advice and have opted for the right senior school, you really have nothing to worry about. Almost no boys fail at CE in these circumstances.

Your son sounds like a typical Form 8.

We have our mocks next week, so have been doing some papers in class. I have been a bit exasperated by their attitude to them and the exam advice I can give them in these lessons. I told them that I would not be interested in their tears when they got their results (12 year old boys do cry). That made them take note.

It's a long time till June, and your son will perk up. The momentum will be too great for him to resist.

Is boarding an option for him? We couldn't afford boarding long term for DS, but did it for the run up to CE. He was so much more amenable to 2nd Prep when his peers were in the same position, and I didn't have to nag him or get vicariously stressed out.

originalmavis · 01/11/2016 19:40

Current school doesnt board - he would love it though! The new school does but it's only 20 mins away do not really logical!

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