I feel like I'm going slightly mad at the moment. I have a kid in year 5 and have a school "longlist" due to the fact that we don't have a good comp option in our catchment. She is mostly at the top of her class and has always been an advanced reader, and now her maths has caught up almost to the same level. Without wanting to sound delusional or arrogant or naive, we have signed her up to sit the HBS exam in September.
The HBS exam is now only 4 months away and I am getting nervous about it and I'm not even the one who will be sitting it ...I know I should be cool, and just be a grown up about it - and about the 11+ in general - but I am totally feeling like I can't gauge the level expected and that there is so much self-inflation out there it's impossible to get a read on how realistic a chance we have. I don't want to pressurize my child, but I don't want her to not give it her best shot... how to achieve that balance? Deep down I am paranoid that secretly that we might be totally kidding ourselves. Her teachers say great things about her but the school is not one that strokes the parents' ego... And yet all around me I have heard parents with kids of varied ability be all gung-ho and expound to me how "my kid is really bright, I bet she'll be able to get in anywhere when the time comes"... In my experience that is mostly not what ends up to be the case. I have had my daughter assessed and have been explained that she should be capable but that her nerves and exam technique are what could scupper her chances as you need to work fast and not get too ruffled by the pressure.
Am I being unrealistic about even giving it a shot? Or is it just imposter syndrome by proxy? I went to a top uni and always doubted myself... the real challenge is how to survive the next 6 months or so without letting the mind-games and arrogance of other parents leave us feeling insecure.
I suppose I am looking for reassurance that a normal, bright, precocious and relatively hard-working kid can get in, and that not all successful candidates are automata that work night and day and at grade 8 on 3 instruments...
Also - if anyone who has been through it and is riddled with self-doubt and guilt about the whole affair, then I'd love to hear from them!
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Henrietta Barnett - does my child need to be a genius to get in?
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AlterEgoe · 04/05/2018 00:01
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