Trafford area 11+ and tutoring

[smileyface128]

Hello mums,

I was recently told by someone that every parent in trafford tutors their children with the aim of getting them into the local grammar schools. Whilst not 'every' parent will do it, Is this the case? Do even the children who get sent to the local private schools get tutored too generally? I'm thinking of sending my children to the local private schools with the understanding that they might prepare them better for the 11+ exams (as opposed to tutoring them intensively in the run up).....
The person who told me about the tutoring basically said, there is no advantage to paying for private schools to get into the grammar schools as everyone tutors anyway and the local schools are excellent..... Any thought highly appreciated. Thank you

[Missunreasonable]

Lots of children at the prep schools have tutors as well as the children in state schools, it's just madness. If you live in the catchment areas for the grammar school of your choice a reasonably bright child will gain a place with familiarisation rather than tutoring.

[smileyface128]

Thanks :-)

[TryingNotToLaugh]

Not everyone tutors (though lots do). State primaries do very little to prepare for 11+, and the links between most primaries and the Grammars are poor. Children at private primary are at an advantage, whether tutored or not.

[Pregnantagain7]

Hi smiley I live in altrincham and my dd is just about to go into y5. She is at state school but I have lots of friends who's children are at the local preps. I disagree with your friend I think there are a lot of benefits to sending them to a prep they do a lot more preparation for entrance exams, stAte schools ime do nothing. I think a lot of parents still tutor as well as sending their children private. A lot of preps put on special lessons for children over the summer before the start of year 6.

My daughter has had a tutor for maths since half way through y4 not specifically for entrance exams but because she dropped a set and needed a bit more one to one support, she improved massively and is back in the top set. She is going to start with her entrance exam tutors in September we also do regular bond books and times tables etc

I'm not sur how old your children are but it's worth thinking in advance if you think you might tutor as a lot of the good ones have waiting lists in excess of two years.

Hope that helps if you need anymore info (not that I'm a massive expert!) feel free to pm me :)

[17leftfeet]

Some parents tutor -lots don't

I think familiarisation with the exams is a good idea but otherwise if you have a bright child and you live reasonably close to one of the grammars then you have a good chance of getting in

My worry with tutoring is where do you stop?

[smileyface128]

Thanks that makes me feel a lot better.
Pregnantagain7 I'm sending you an email :-)

[ladybirdandsnails]

Is this your experience of parents you know? Are they tutoring or planning to? I am interested as was thinking about moving to Trafford but not sure

[Pregnantagain7]

lady yes what I've said is through personal experience and chatting to other parents! however a lot of people are very secretive about what they are doing it's a bit sad really. I'm sure there are others but only know of one mum who didn't tutor but her son was unbelievably bright she just did practise papers.

As I said earlier though my dd is at state school and maybe it's different at the preps but out of the ten families or so that I know with kids at a prep all bar one are tutoring too.

I think what 17 said about when do you stop is a really valid point the tutoring my dd is receiving this year is to prepare her for the exam she is assessed at the start of the year and they will tell me what her chances are of passing,if they were to say we are wasting our time then I would stop straight away and if any of my other dcs were looking like they wouldn't pass I would look at other schools.

There are some really good schools in trafford that they can go to if they don't pass or sit they entrance exams.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Thank you - I am over in Manchester and there are so many people moving across the border for grammars I am really in a dilemma.

[ladybirdandsnails]

I am obviously really out of touch, I assumed all DC in Trafford had a go at 11 + etc but that just those that were very bright went to grammar. O assumed state school there prepped them for 11+ . I wasn't sure how much tutoring went on. We can't afford a tutor or if we can, not for loads of hours every week.

[Pregnantagain7]

lady the 11+ as such doesn't exist anymore in trafford so every child has the option to sit individual entrance exams for schools of their choice or not at all and goo their local feeder secondary. So if you were thinking of moving I would check out which would be your secondary incase things didn't go to plan there are some really really good ones.

As you say they state schools do very little if anything, not all children sit the exams so I suppose if my child wasn't sitting them and school was spending a lot of time preparing them I would be a bit fed up.

I do a lot of stuff with my dd and most kids have an hour a week of private tuition which you would probably be paying between £25-£30.

HTH :)

[ladybirdandsnails]

Thank you - I am sooo out of touch!! Such a big decision. I know the single sex grammars are rated as excellent and some of the best in uk etc but I am nervous about exam factories. Research will follow thx

[notbloodybranston]

Hello
Live in Trafford and went through 11+ myself. DD is about to go into year 5 at a state primary and will start tutoring in October for about a year.

I think about 1/2 of her class of 30 are being tutored. The rest are either not going to do the Grammar entrance exams or are going through the test books with their parents.

I didn't feel confident doing the Bond books with her myself, mainly becauase there is no longer a single entrance exam to work towards. So, we are using a chap called Peter Williams and I think we have to tell him which schools she will try for so that he can ensure she's geared up properly.

She'll be tutored within a group of about 3 or 4 kids - £22 per hour per kid (I think - can't find paperwork and she hasn't started yet).

[ladybirdandsnails]

Such a fascinating insight ladies thanks. The tutoring market is Trafford must be huge!! Boom industry...It all makes me quite sad that parents are being 'forced' (by choice I know, but sure people feel pressured) to spend so much money to go from state schools to state schools. There must be lots of people who don't have a spare 100 pound a month and children giving up sports and play time etc to make way for it or children tutoring and failing. Very much food for thought

[smileyface128]

All a bit stressful and a lot to think about... Anyone have any views on the alternative ( non grammar) secondary schools in trafford?

[TheMightyMing]

We live out of area ( Stockport) but my son attends a Trafford grammar. Certainly everyone I know tutored for exam, as the preps prepare intensively and tutoring helps to level the playing field a bit.

However, some of the schools are changing the exams to make them less tutorable, as some of the children are coming to high school being less good at English. They tried to do it for this year but there was an outcry and so they have left as is for now.

You can do the books yourself, but I would at also to work on creative writing.

As for non grammars- I believe variable. Better Sale/Alty end of Trafford than Urmston/ Stretford end.

Hope that helps. Do also bear in mind that the exams are at the start of Y6.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Just out of interest what percentage of Trafford children go to grammar does any one know? I do have one friend whose first DC went to single sex grammar but has no intention of putting her second in for the exam as DC2 is not academic or wanting to go. I haven't heard much about the alternatives as everyone who moves across the border seems hell bent on sending DC to grammar and that's why they move. They never talk about plan B !

[Pregnantagain7]

In altrincham Wellington school is excellent but very popular you definitely need to be in catchment (timperley)
Blessed Thomas Holford has improved a lot but is Catholic, they take a small percentage of non catholic kids does have a large catchment covering some not great areas though.

[Pregnantagain7]

Sorry hadn't finished! Last year at my daughters school 60% of the year passed but this is really high, my daughter is at a catholic school which means they have more schools open to them and are the main feeder for loreto and st Ambrose.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Yes I have heard very mixed views on BTH. I has heard Wellington was good. So I guess about 50% get in grammar then?

[Dawnlight]

lady going by the number going to grammar from each of the local primaries (that I know of), I would guess it would be much lower. Maybe 10% from state primaries.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Interesting as that's different to what people seem to imply

[Dawnlight]

I know 3 state primaries v well and each have had only between 2 and 6 children pass entrance exams in the last 5 years. All are 1 or 2 class intakes.

I wonder if there are official figures though, this is something I would like to know too. Will have a google.

[ladybirdandsnails]

I wonder if it varies lots by area. There is so much talk about Manchester families near us looking at moving to Trafford - pretty much assuming that a grammar education will thus follow. Some moved to get DC in at reception stage assuming the same in a few years. I am really undecided as we love where we live. I like mixed sex schools. My DC are very bright but I have no ideas as yet if grammar would be right.

[17leftfeet]

I thought it was around 20% went to grammars in Trafford?

Alternatives to urmston are wellacre boys and flixton girls -both are well regarded and some parents choose the single sex over the mixed grammar