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Secondary education

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Original poster

Sorry another Priv.Ed. thread. Where do I start?

37 replies

FoofffyShmoofffer · 05/04/2011 13:03

DS is in year 4 in a state primary. I don't love this school but he will have to remain there until the end. We suggested a while ago the local Private school at Secondary level. He knows that there is an exam to pass and that we will also have to prove poor enough (Grin we are) to be granted a bursary. He is VERY keen.
I have rung the school and we will attend an open day in Sept. We also know that there is a mock exam, if you will, that he can take when he is in year 5 just for the experience.
Is there anything we can do to help him along? Is it advisable to have a tutor in the exam run up? He is intelligent, no doubts, but considering how keen he is what can we do in preparation? Any guidance would be appreciated.

OP posts:
LondonMother · 05/04/2011 17:49

MollieO, that's not true of my son's school which offers lots of bursaries and cut the value of academic scholarships to do so. This is something to check with the school in question. This kind of thing varies enormously from school to school.

My son went to a state primary school (not an outstanding one) and got a scholarship to a very academically selective independent school without having any private tuition. We went through some past papers and 11+ preparation booklets at home with him at home and got him to do a very few timed papers so he was used to the format and the idea. We were, admittedly, very lucky that he turned out to be a natural at exam technique and even now in the sixth form he seems to feel very little in the way of exam nerves. He was a solid Level 5 across the board in Year 6 and there was very little English and Maths he couldn't tackle in the test papers just from what he'd covered at school.

bisybackson · 05/04/2011 14:26

He will be competing with kids who have done weekly practice papers in English, Maths VR and non-VR since September. Round here (SW London) most parents tutor because it's not just about absolute scores. If you get 75% that's great - unless everyone else got 80%+.

Greenwing · 05/04/2011 14:16

Schools often use Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning papers as an 'intelligence' test. They are the type used for '11+ exams. Check what your prospective school does. If so, it is very helpful for a child to have had practice in these. You can buy them from Smiths or online.

MollieO · 05/04/2011 14:14

Most schools won't offer a bursary to new pupils unless they get a scholarship. The scholarship itself may not be worth much (10% reduction) but gives eligibility to be considered for a bursary to cover some or all of the remaining fees.

I wouldnt consider letting your Ds sit the entrance exam unless you think he has a good chance of getting good enough marks for a scholarship.

Hullygully · 05/04/2011 14:08

Hoh yes. See it as a project. Break it down into steps.

Original poster
FoofffyShmoofffer · 05/04/2011 14:06

Bloody hell. Exam technique?? This is going to take some real looking in to. I wasn't aware that a tutor could be hired in exam technique. So glad I asked this. Talk about out of my depth. Despite his intelligence I don't want to set him up for a fall. He is very hard on himself.

OP posts:
Hullygully · 05/04/2011 13:49

wot bisy said.

Especially if you want a bursary, you want the school to think he's fab. Find out exactly what the exam is and get hold of a tutor so he's got the best chance. Doesn't matter how bright you are if you don't know the techniques and tricks the other kids know.

bisybackson · 05/04/2011 13:45

The problem is that it is not just about ability - it is about exam technique and timing etc and he will be competing with children from your local prep schools who will have been taught these things ad nauseam.

I am not suggesting you should have him tutored in Maths and English but I do think tutoring in how to pass the exam can be useful.

belledechocchipcookie · 05/04/2011 13:35

I wouldn't worry if he's at level 5. Smile

Original poster
FoofffyShmoofffer · 05/04/2011 13:29

Thankyou. Both of your comments regarding the Tutor make alot of sense.
So there's nothing wrong with a few past papers and guidance but entrance has to be entirely on his own merit. I think he is intelligent enough to gain a level 5 at SATS particularly the way his levels have been going.

Bunbaker was your DC ok about this? I hope you don't mind my asking it's just that my DH is on very low salary but then with tax credits it might not look too bad on paper. If we aren't granted a bursary then it's a none option.

OP posts:
Bunbaker · 05/04/2011 13:12

I'm not really a fan of tutoring for entrance exams because if the child can only pass with extensive tutoring they will struggle at the school. I had discussed the possibility of DD entering the exam with her class teacher and if he had thought she wouldn't get through I wouldn't have gone ahead with it, so I would suggest that you discuss this with your son's teacher as well. It also depends on how the teacher thinks the child will perform in the KS2 SATS. If the teacher feels that they could attain level 5 then it is worth doing.

DD sat (and passed) the entrance exam for a local private school, but all I did was download some verbal reasoning papers from the internet. The school in question doesn't give out previous exam papers or example questions, so it involved a bit of guesswork. We applied for a bursary as we have a lowish income, but still didn't get it, so DD won't be going to the private school as we just can't afford it.

belledechocchipcookie · 05/04/2011 13:08

If he's bright then he shouldn't need a tutor. I found the Bond assessment books helpful though. The school web site may have some sample papers on there that you can print off and the mock sounds like a good thing to do. I didn't tutor my son, he's very bright anyway though. We spent 20 mins talking about the sample papers and that was it. The work he's given in the secondary is difficult though, even he finds it hard (which is a first) so using a tutor just to pass the exam will backfire as your son may not be able to cope with the work once he's there. He needs to sit the exam without this help if you see what I mean.