Child working at "expected" ; anyone's DC working at expected pass the 11plus?

@TheRubyRedshoes just wondering how this went?

My DD has been greater depth in reading and writing but expected (although a strong expected) in maths all the way through primary. She’s just scored really well on her 11 plus and will be going to grammar school in a highly selective area. She is a big reader though. No formal tutoring but my husband did quite a bit of work with her using published books.

Agree, I also see extra learning as a good thing in the bigger picture, but that's very much an adult/parent perspective. My comments were on how the children felt and that was that their efforts had been for nothing. It's a pretty hard sell to a 10/11 year old who hasn't passed the 11+ that it's at all beneficial.

@TooManyPlatesInMotion so happy to read your eldest is flying and happy with school. But also what an interesting, extra perspective you and your husband have on this process because of his job!

Of course many DCs are completely up for 11+ and can take in their stride but for many others its just such a massive push to take on at still a young age. They all develop at such different rates and I definitely see this now.

@Hackn3ymum this is a great post. I'm glad to hear your DD enjoyed the tutoring and tbat regardless of tbe outcome of the exam, the whole thibg has been a very positive experience, which you have used to help your dd and learn more about how she learns and where she is at.

Fwiw my eldest DC is in y7 at a comprehensive (SE London). My husband works at a very academic private school and we are entitled to a significant discount off fees. However, thinking about him in y6 when we were doing applications, we could have tutored and pushed and he might have got in. But he really wasn't up for academic stuff at all at this point, his handwriting and spelling were dreadful, though reading excellent. Maths - he would just do it as fast as possible, not show workings, not check answers.

We decided that at that time it wasn't right for him. If he got in, he might struggle. Socially he might struggle (coming from a big and socially v mixed primary).

Fast forward to now.... And he us flying. Top sets, interested in his work, reading huge amounts. We are very happy with the school.

As you say, it is a long game.

OP I have found reading this thread really interesting and for what it's worth wanted to add in my DD's experience.

She is currrently Yr 6, working at expected in English, Maths and Reading. She's a late summer born too. and also not a prolific reader, and I have to say I think this is the main area where there was a 'gap' to be bridged when thinking about selective schools. For my DD we felt maths could be taught and grasped, but being a slow reader meant she struggles to build vocab, spelling skills etc

Where we live there is only one Grammar option, which this year reportedly had 3000 sitting for 180 places, and we knew this was never really in our DD's reach. I looked around a wide mix of state and private schools for Sept 23 entry, and ultimately, I came away feeling encouraged that the state comprehensive options around us were actually very good. The reason I mention this about comprehensives is that I think you have time to educate and familiarise yourself with the other non grammar options (of course you may already have done so).

We got DD a tutor in early Yr 5, with the view to sit various selective private school entrance exams. As time went on we realised that, mainly due to her not being an amazing reader, these private school exams would be too hard. In the end, she just sat one private school exam, which with the help of her tutor she actually seemed to enjoy. Wierdly, whether she passed or not has now ceased to be important to me. The tutoring has been great - its been a journey of helping her enjoy learning and the 1 to 1 has been amazing, but its also made us as her parents realise where her strengths and weaknesses are. It's ultimately a long game. Everyone develops at a different pace. 11+ may well be too early for our dd to really 'get it' academically but the process of working it out has just deepened our understanding of what our dd needs. This will be different for every child.

Sorry this is a long waffly post so I'll finish with this - Why not just get her the tutor, it will help and encourage her in more ways that just the end goal of Grammar. You'll feel and know that you are giving her a boost that it sounds like you feel she needs, an educational ally if you like! If she passes, great, if not it wasn't the right school for her.

@theremustonlybeone

My dd seems to have a week hand. She's far fer better with computer and typing.
I can't understand why she can't have one at school or in the test on creative part

Unsure dad, thank you and damm.

Modge I agree.
It is hard to cram and if not reading then not getting new words or words in context. ...

She's a reasonably good speller and has a good instinct for most word's but whilst her vocabulary isnt bad she will forget new words easily.

It also comes in fits and peaks eg in the last 5 day's she has got quite a few eg belligerent, coy, linger, indignant, appalled etc but I have to work hard to keep refering back to them to help her remember.

All the odds are stacked against us and even getting a place even in she passes will be hard.

Writing isn’t assessed in the 11+
though. Quite a lot of children are behind in writing compared to maths and reading as the writing expectations in primary school are ridiculous.

I think being a prolific reader is the most important thing, it’s hard to improve in VR without knowing lots of vocabulary. It’s hard to cram vocabulary, really it’s reading lots over a long period (years) which builds this. And 50% of bucks 11+ is VR/English.

lots of children from just out of county sit the bucks 11+ which might be the OP’s situation.

@TheRubyRedshoes this shows a slight increase

This ^^

@TheRubyRedshoes
So are you Bucks or not? All Bucks Dc take the test unless you pull out.

My daughter was below expectations in writing at the end of year 5 (after county moderators moved a number of children’s marks down, all year the school had said she was at the expected level in all areas). We’re in Bucks. She’s younger in the year, seems pretty bright, only started reading more for pleasure 6 mths ago. She passed her 11plus, was tutored but lighter amount than the hot house tutors who set daily homework including an hour a day for 5 weeks over the summer! My daughter was keen to do less than this so she didn’t pass due up too much tutoring! We did 2x10 minute CGP tests most days (eg 4-5 days a week) for 4 weeks of the summer holidays in the various subjects for Bucks.

My older child had tutoring too that set more homework, he’s a strong reader and shows real ability in comprehension and writing but failed it by miles!!

depends what OP means by '11+' but it's not unheard of for some schools to award y7 places by putting a high, sometimes very high, weight on VR/NVR. it's by no means unheard of for some kids to, for whatever reason, be a fair bit stronger (or weaker, of course) in reasoning than in the curriculum.

@TheRubyRedshoes that's a far more reasoned answer than I have had previously.

Are there intensive courses at Easter and maybe over the summer? Is it VR she doesn’t get? If so, look at the Susan Doughtrey books and resources. However you need to be aware that tutoring cannot replace vocabulary gained from reading and conversation.

I'd tread very carefully. Friends whose DC were at expected and went through the 11+ process regretted it. DC didn't pass and not only felt as if they had failed but were also incredibly angry that they had worked so hard for nothing, it goes against everything else we teach kids that effort = reward. Now a few years later all these children are settled in non Grammar schools and all the parents wish they'd never gone through the test in the first place. These kids were tutored btw.

@Delatron
Appeals are different. I meant Bucks heads don’t discuss what Dc will/won’t pass with parents before the exams. All school info to parents is based on national curriculum not 11 plus suitability. Also, in Bucks you generally pull out if you don’t want Dc to take the exams. My neighbours never put down a grammar as a preference but their Dc still took the 11 plus! Just pull out if it’s not for you. Depending where op lives, there are very decent alternatives. Many better than a good many comprehensives.

If you think she has dyslexia, why don’t you get her assessed to see if she qualifies for extra time? Having said that, we did not enter my dyslexic daughter for the 11+, as she would not have passed and the pace of learning at that stage of her education would have been too fast; however, she got into our local super selective grammar school for sixth form and loved it. I find that some dyslexic children are a “slow burn“ and need time to develop strategies for learning before they get into their stride and show their potential.