Daughter going to local grammar school, can anyone tell me about the curriculum?

and, as I said before, doing absolutely nothing for as much time as they want and need.

Yes Needmoresleep you are right and music also has extra benefits as well. If a DC prefers reading and absorbing facts to playing sport or something creative then that is fine but my view is that their future life, personality and friendships. will be enhanced by focussing on non academic activities perhaps out of their comfort zone during the holidays.

I agree with stranger. The saddest kids we know are the ones whose mothers took great pride in their achievements and happily "enjoyed" maths together. Roll on a few years and if these children don't excel, and worse still are passed by the ordinary kids they used to consider less able, they can have a problem. Their identity can be very much tied around their status as the clever kid in the class, and as well as them then not knowing who they are, they are not confident their parents will accept them for being "average".

(My DC are at a very selective school where roughly 50% go on to Oxbridge and a further two dozen to top American Universities. Here "average" can mean not getting A*s or not getting into Oxbridge. It is a high bar. Curiously my neighbour said last night, he knew 4 people who had been to the school, and none of them had suceeded later in life, indeed a couple were long term unemployed. This might say more about my neighbour and his friends, but I think that there can be a danger at very selective schools and Universities of losing your grounding. There are lots of attributes beyond academics that cause people to become sucessful. And indeed what is success.)

When I said sport, drama or music, I was not really talking about elite sport or orchestra music, but simply widening interests, and mixing with people from different backgrounds or with different abilities.

(Sendsummer - in answer to your question, teenagers taking 20 minutes or more of aerobic exercise each day is proven to be important for long term bone and cardiovascular strength adn weight control, and is, apparently, the single best thing that can be done to improve teenage sleep. Our experience is also that it helps with focus, discipline, team playing and resiliance. It can be quite a shock for academic kids used to being the best at everything, to find that sport takes effort, and that talent is differently distributed.)

any and

I'm not trying to establish anything JustRichmal. What works for you and your daughter works for you; end of. Although it's fair to say that you don't know yet if it will kill your DD's interest in learning and you'll end with a rebel on your hands. Alternatively she might just get worn out by all the additional work or interpret it as pressure, neither of which would help achievement in any way. One risk I think is that she might think she can't achieve without constant work. So I merely offered my perspective too, which is that I don't believe that it's in any way necessary or healthy for a child at any stage of their school career to have a scripted extra work regime plonked on them during the holidays. The fact that OP's child is off to a grammar doesn't make it and more necessary either, and since all my DC have gone to a grammar and most are out the other end I can fairly say that I can't think of any one of their friends who had a parent insisting on work through the holidays. In my view the holidays should be just that - holidays and I don't believe for one second that having a complete break from formal work does any harm at all, indeed quite the opposite. I think it would be hard to argue that my DC and their friends failed to achieve on account of messing around in the holidays, whatever measure you use.

I have to say having looked at khanacadamy I've not been impressed. Ds1 is fairly geeky and I think he'd be bored rigid doing that. The fun seems to be missing.

Dd starts yr7 in September- her focus this summer will be on fun and exploring her world however she sees fit. She will continue to train in her sport though but as she loves it she wouldn't be impressed if we told her to stop.

goodbyestranger She says she is. I have been teaching her for many years and just likes someone to go through things with her. I have always liked making maths and science fun for her and still enjoy teaching her. If she does Khan Academy, she will do that by herself. She could also watch Crash Course by herself, but we like them as a family and so all watch them.
However, this is not really what you are asking, but are rather trying to prove I am wrong in teaching her. As you do not know either myself or my daughter, I do not think you can make that judgement, If you have come to the conclusion teaching over summer would not be best for your child, that is fine, but I do not think that you can generalized to your decision as a parent to all parents. I know my child and am doing what I think is in her best interest. Some people want to leave their child:s education entirely to the school. I do not.
The OP was asking what she could do to teach her dd over the summer and so I was giving a perspective on what I do.

its just that if a child is into playing a musical instrument or sports, its seen as OK
I had been wondering about that JustRichmal. It is true that the continued routine and discipline of practice for music or sports or dance during holidays are accepted.
I do think though that it is different for academic learning since it is not about establishing muscle memory but the importance for the developing brain of time for free thoughts, relaxation, self directed interests and exploration as well of course as being sociable or bored. At most a parent could give pointers to a few website or access to books for a younger DC who is very keen to read or whatever but then leave them to it.
I agree with goodbyestranger, if by year 9 your DD is still needing direction from you despite being keen then that sounds as though she may be lagging behind in learning autonomy and probably would benefit from a good break from organised work.

JustRichmal if your DD likes learning so much why does she need all the parental input? DC who like learning enough to shun the more usual and more relaxing summer holiday pursuits should be well able to find their way themselves by Y9 and if she isn't capable of finding her own material then I'd draw the conclusion that she actually isn't that keen.

But there are very few countries which advocate working several hours per day during the summer holidays for an 11 year old.

Yes, I agree, several hours every day would be too much. I personally would do less than half of that for a 13 year old and only if you have child who likes learning.

I will go with what dd wants to do. I'm sorry if you do not believe she does, just because you do not know any children like this.

There are lots of children who do a lot more work over the summer holidays, its just that if a child is into playing a musical instrument or sports, its seen as OK. I know children who will be spending a number of hours every day playing a violin at this age. I do not think it will put them off music. Orchestras are full of people who did not want to take a break from practice over summer when they were children.

Rest, fun and relaxation is the best preparation. The curriculum at the grammar is exactly the same as the comps in our Area (with the exception of ds1 school which is the only one to do latin). In my experience it's better that they start their new school well rested and ready to learn.

oh, that's odd - I thought I'd posted first to ask what 'seminary ed' meant as I've not heard that term applied to education in the UK since the days of Miss Minchin. Hence starting 'Anyway...'

But in any case - especially if the child might have spent a lot of last summer being tutored for 11 - she should enjoy the summer break. A child who loves learning doesn't have to start early on the curriculum. Take her to the library/bookshop for free choice; maybe see if she can do things with a local wildlife/conservation group or something of that type; or go to Maplin and find some age-appropriate electronics kits to play with. And/or a drama workshop, or learn to sail ..... whatever she'd enjoy(these are all the sort of things my DD would do in the holidays around this age - NOT all crammed into the same summer I hasten to add!)

Also, science, maths, history and all the things studied at school tells us about the world we live in.

Agreed - but we prefer to do things in the holidays that the school can't do (like trips to museums, theatres, historic sites, wildlife experiences such as bat walks) rather than sit in front of a computer trying to duplicate what will be taught at school.

There are other countries where the attitudes to education are totally different from the UK.

But there are very few countries which advocate working several hours per day during the summer holidays for an 11 year old. Those which do aren't actually that successful on the world stage.

Agree with previous posters that this level of academic pressure leads to rapid burn out.

The most successful students I see at university did not get rushed into doing GCSE maths in primary school and nor did they have formal study programmes through their school holidays. They often have a wide range of interests beyond academic ones - drama, sports, music, politics etc - which they have developed through their childhoods.

So many ways.....

Soon many ways of announcing your child is going to grammar school!

PerspicaciaTick , the joy of things like Khan Academy is you do not have to have the skills yourself.
Career wise dd will be competing on a world stage. There are other countries where the attitudes to education are totally different from the UK.
Also, science, maths, history and all the things studied at school tells us about the world we live in. It is fascinating. It strikes me as odd not to want to find out as much as you can or to not teach your children as much as you can simply because someone in some government office has planned out a curriculum and decided this is not the time to teach them. If children are finding the subjects not fun to learn, it is because the education system has made it so. Hence all the more reason to take ownership of their education and start teaching them yourself.

I've found DD's grammar school teachers to be very capable of introducing new subjects themselves and encouraging the girls to be excited and engaged in the subjects.
I'm not sure that my unskilled attempts to teach DD would have helped either her or the teachers.

I wouldn't do anything "new" in preparation of the new subjects they're going to start learning.

BUT, having been through the transition with my son, there are a couple of things you could usefully do over Summer. I'd concentrate on basic numeracy/literary skills - yes, I know she must be good to have got a high enough score in the 11+ to get a place, but there's always more to learn and the grammar school won't actually do too much at the basic levels in these core skills (they'll assume their pupils are already there).

Re literary skills, just lots of reading, to improve vocab, grammar, spelling, and get more ideas of different types of stories, subjects, etc. Aim to go onto older/more complicated books rather than staying at her current reading level - an ideal time for you to read with her to help her get onto more adult books.

Re numeracy, I'd strongly suggest you teaching her how to do long multiplication and long division and also adds/subtracts, with the old fashioned "bunk bed" approach of columns of units, tens, etc. Many primary schools don't do this well at all and concentrate on relatively small numbers which are more suited to the modern techniques taught, but aren't really good enough when you're onto huge numbers. The grammar expects their intake to know how to work with big numbers from day 1 and won't have the time/inclination to go back to basics for those who are struggling.

Our son, who got SATS level 6 in Maths really struggled at grammar when working with huge numbers without a calculator. School weren't any help so we had to work out for ourselves what was wrong, and when we sat with him and watched him step by step through the calculations, we saw what crazy convoluted methods he was trying to use (I think they call it the grid system), which had untold possibilities for making errors. We put a few evenings aside and taught him the old fashioned long methods and he took to it like a duck to water, then we printed off some worksheets from the corbettmaths website, and he was suddenly able to do it quickly and accurately. At the next parents' evening, we mentioned it to his teacher who glibly said, "oh yes, a lot of primary schools don't teach it very well" and went on to say that there isn't really the time or inclination to do it at the grammar because most pupils can already do it!

All we are doing with dd is a few basics on an app of a language which will be new to her. MFL are not her first love and she hasn't encountered this one before. She is enjoying it more than French (studied at primary and will be continuing at secondary). It is really to give her a little confidence before she starts and she might be able to use a little on holiday as there are likely to be native speakers in the campsite. The school are starting them as beginners so she will go over it all again anyway. We are not planning to cover anything else and this is more for her confidence in a new subject which she might otherwise dread rather than for her to get ahead. For reference her younger siblings are learning languages on the same app just for fun and it is only 5-10 min a day.

"it took until Christmas for dd to get her act together"

Ha ha ha ha

DD has just finished her GCSEs and she is still completely disorganised.

Just Richmal, DD leaves her academic and selective school tomorrow so we are at the end of the process. We have come across a few children along the way who were subject to intensive parent directed educational activities. It may seem great at 11, when they turn up at school bright eyed and top of the class. But by 16, the same children are often struggling. The risks are that either they fail to live up to their early promise and feel like failures; loathe their mothers and refuse to take on board any parental advice; or struggle to discover their own ambition and self-direction and find themselves pretty aimless at what is a crucial stage. Obviously some directed children will be bright and last the course, but others fade at some point and their uncoached peers catch up.

In so far as you can prepare your child, I would focus on building self-esteem and resiliance. Some nice family activities where a child can know they are valued for themselves not for their academic achievements. Some non-academic activity like sport or drama where a child can mix with a wider peer group, and learn to do something because they enjoy it, and to cope with things like not being selected.

I have 2 DDs at a grammar school and the school's policy is NO homework over the any of the holidays.

HT makes it quite clear that extra work outside of school is unnecessary in terms of "getting ahead" and that parents should not apply extra curricular pressure on the kids. Personally, I agree.

There's no point in teaching what they will be covering in class ahead of time, it will just mean they will be bored in class...

Agree that the best you can do is to cover the practicalities of starting secondary school: travel, making new friends, uniform and bag, a positive attitude.

Read lots for fun, do a library summer reading scheme if that's available to you, have days out, visit museums and galleries etc. Enjoy this period.

JustRichmal, OP didn't ask about your own rather unusual approach, she seemed to want to know what was the norm for DC about to start grammar. You're quite right, obviously, about each parent being free to do what they want. I'm simply observing that it's very, very much the exception to do any 'formal' academic prep in the holidays at grammars particularly in the transition to Y7 . The fact that in my view that sort of intense approach is calculated to end badly is irrelevant to everyone except me but as you say, I'm free to express it. I do however have the benefit of many years experience of multiple DC at a superselective and one inevitably gets to know about the more anxious or pressurizing parents and how their DC have fared.