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Original poster

Has anybody successfully tutored for the 11+ completely by themselves(need reassurance)

261 replies

Blueskiesandbuttercups · 27/05/2013 16:39

DS year 4 desperately wants to go but we can't afford tutoring.He is bright,driven and I was a teacher so in theory it shouldn't be too hard.

His friend is also going for it but they're well off so tutoring and have already started.Ds is nagging me to get started.

Sooo went on the 11+ forum typed in the school to order books and I'm already in a pickle.They cost £££££ so need to get it right. We like CPG but loads are listed we haven't heard off. Would it be ok to just go with Bond and CPG or should we go with exactly those listed?

Is it possible to do this ourselves or am I deluding myself? If I screw this up I'll feel like shit- forever! Need lots of reassurance.

OP posts:
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Foundapound · 12/06/2013 15:00

Hello, not quite followed all the discussion in the thread, though I've glanced through. Just to say, yes, I prepared my daughter and she succeeded in getting in as an out of catchment kid to a school that does "best of the rest" out of catchment (just need to pass, in catchment). Also did very well in the tests for the consortium of the other grammar schools in our county (we get the actual mark for that and she did do very well).

I went by the recommendations from the consortium school for Letts books in NVR & VR standard papers, but also others to cover the non-consortium VR standard and multi-choice (they gave very little info on question types, so I made sure she was exposed/experienced in the 30 or so possible types). Bond books were useful as introduction, but not wide-ranging enough for one set of tests, and too wide for the other (IYSWIM) - generally easier than other books. By doing the "harder" books, dd took the tests in her stride and found them easy. Timing was the hardest thing for her to get the hang of - moving on if a question was taking longer, and coming back to it (can't do this in the NVR for the consortium though as the test is split into sections and the stop/start them all the way through). The consortium schools did a practice test day, where they advised the children quite closely on what sorts of questions would come up.

Just to say also, that as we live in a village and are not in catchment for any grammar school, I rather resent the whole catchment thing. She could more easily have got into the GS's 25 miles away than the one 13 miles away. I feel that in a GS county, every address should be in catchment for a GS. But heyho, that wouldn't be fair to someone either!

Good luck, perfectly doable. And I spent about £80 on books, but they should do for all 3 of my kids.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 06/06/2013 22:27

Yeah, I think going to the school you go to if you fail in doncaster would be pretty tricky.

seeker · 06/06/2013 19:42

"That along with a Grammar School would give hope to aspriational people in Doncaster."

The concomitant presence of a secondary modern might make them pause a bit.......

beatback · 06/06/2013 19:24

Probably would flood Armthorpe if along with the return of the 11+, the area was given special delvelopment status. The delvelopment staus would mean no corporation tax for 5 years, if big mutil nationals relocated to the Doncaster area and employed 40 to 50% local people on average or above uk wages. That along with a Grammar School would give hope to aspriational people in Doncaster.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 06/06/2013 18:43

I wonder whether the middle classes would flood Armthorpe if they brought back the 11+ now...

Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 18:37

Laqueen my grandparents were very bright too,grandad wrote articles re horticulture,highly respected.Head gardener re many stately homes eg Hever,worked his way up. Astors used to give all their old clothes to my dad and siblings they were so poor.He had tweeds!!!My grandma was heart breakingly bright(actually knew Middle East politics inside out) but went into service as a young girl then married grandad etc.She was doing the Times crosswords until she died in her 90s.Grin

As I say dad went a year early,I'm convinced it was the making of him(very successful forces career,MBE etc)and I wonder what would have happened to him if he hadn't gone.

Kind of ironic getting his grandson in to a far less selective grammar will be 10x harder.Social mobility- pah!It's like we've gone full circle.

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LaQueen · 06/06/2013 18:34

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 06/06/2013 18:20

Similar for my dad, but then he did grow up in Doncaster - I suppose it might have been different in Surrey or something.

LaQueen · 06/06/2013 18:11

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Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 17:09

But were they always?

As I said my dad went to Skinners a year early- a gardener's boy.My uncle went to Judd the son of a mechanic.Confused

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seeker · 06/06/2013 17:00

They are filled with very bright privileged generally middle class children. Surely everyone thinks that's an issue.....

LaQueen · 06/06/2013 16:58

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seeker · 06/06/2013 16:55

It a actually took me nearly 5 hours! I must be slipping......

HabbaDabba · 06/06/2013 16:39

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seeker · 06/06/2013 16:24

In Kent ( or at least in my area of Kent- seeker qualifies her statement for th benefit of pedants) primary schools are actively forbidden by the LEA to provide more than a familiarization session for the 11+. If they do ( and many do) they risk- at the very worst, actually getting their exams nullified, or whatever the word is.

Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 15:47

No they don't but perhaps they should in areas like Kent.

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HabbaDabba · 06/06/2013 15:41

I don't think that they 'have to' provide after school tuition in the 11+, at least not without additional remuneration.

Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 13:56

Teachers disagree with a lot of things but have to do them.

I just think it wouldn't take a lot to make it fairer,it is possible. Tbh as you say my dc have me but for those that don't have any advantages it wouldn't take a lot to make it fairer.You can't ban tutoring so making some kind of tutoring available for those that need it seems logical.

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HabbaDabba · 06/06/2013 13:27

Judging from MN and the teachers that post here, a lot of teachers are against selective education. Why do you expect these teachers to ..

a) run a club for something that they think is divisive
b) run a club for something that they think is divisive and not get paid for it.

Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 11:56

What is the cost?

All schools run after school clubs with no cost, righty or wrongly teachers are expected to run clubs after school and do.You could get a lot of free materials.Not all kids would want to do it and a small fee for those that could would cover the cost for those that couldn't like trips.It is perfectly doable(but not very pc).

By time I've finished I'm suspecting my outlay by my calculations will be £100.Have done one small order for assessment materials+ that book you book you mentioned.I rang CPG(very helpful) they recommended their 11+study books which can assess starting point too.

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 06/06/2013 11:52

Things like, complete the sequence... I WAS, He WAS, they WERE, you......?

HabbaDabba · 06/06/2013 11:50

Ditto the question about spending so much.

A lot of the schools make about 5 years of past papers available for downloading for free. 5 times x schools was material enough for us. They usually don't come with answers but it shouldn't be much of a challenge for you or I to mark the papers from scratch.

HabbaDabba · 06/06/2013 11:46

Much as it pains me to say it but I agree with seeker in so far as banning state selective education is the only fair option if fairness is what you are advocating. Everything else just shifts the advantage to a different group, whether its well of parents like me or cash poor but educated parents like the OP.

seeker · 06/06/2013 11:43

Somebody still has to pay for the clubs!

And being in a "outstanding" school really only affects the maths and English part of the 11+ - and even then only up to a point. Often the test requires maths not covered until well into year 6. And in many areas, the isn't an English component, only VR and NVR, neither of which are taught as part of the normal curriculum.

Out of interest, why have you spent so much?

Original poster
Blueskiesandbuttercups · 06/06/2013 11:39

If there were clubs money wouldn't come into it.

I am spending £100.

Yes it is more than some will have but if primary schools were geared up to it they could provide a lot of it free with no cost to them.

As it is my kids are in a crap school with crap results and we aren't rich as you so kindly point out.Their only advantage is me,this thread and £100 of books,I may well be a crap tutor so no advantage.

Many poorer kids may well be in Outstanding schools which would counter out the above advantages my kids have.

You can't legislate for every scenario but primary schools doing more and some kind of system which acknowledges concrete/ obvious advantages is needed imvho.

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