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Original poster

Was 11plus worth it for you/your DC?

51 replies

anonuser89 · 22/02/2023 00:27

Browsing through various posts here about 11plus results, offers and disappointments, and remembering our own experience of going through the process, I was wondering whether all this is really worth it?

Especially for competitive regions like London, the amount of effort, time, emotion (and money!) parents and DCs spend is so high. Then there is the tension, nail biting wait, heartbreaks, endless speculation, gossip, reviews and comparison of the same schools ad infinitum. Next year there will be another group of parents doing the same, probably some threads have already started.

Looking back, do you think it was worth all that?

Ultimately most DCs who did 11plus will end up in universities where significant majority will be from state sector, which suggests that it is perfectly possible to do well in the maintained sector as well.

Sorry, bit of a rambling post, and not being judgemental, after all we were caught up in the same frenzy a while back, but just wondering if people feel it was worth it?

OP posts:
1forward2back · 22/02/2023 07:10

For us, yes. But I think we were well advised and did is sensibly. Applied for three schools, total £450 for cost. All considered usually as ‘second choice’ banker-schools but for us were more focused on the feel of the school and the way our DD would fit there, over the gossip, ridiculous ‘reputation’-based stuff, league tables etc. Stayed calm and once we had one offer from a school we loved, DD withdrew from second round of another that was second choice and that was that. She’s 6 months into year 7 and flying - she gets so much more ‘input’ that friends at local state schools. Smaller classes, loads of clubs, academic stretch and she’s happy in herself which for me means it’s been a success. As you say, everyone will go to a good uni from all these schools. In ten years time most people will have a degree, good A levels etc, but it’s how they FEEL and how they are as people that is the most important thing to me, and that’s why it was all worth it. So far…