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Original poster

Can someone talk to me about grammar schools please?

38 replies

Idrankthechristmasspirits · 07/02/2009 11:24

Hi,

I have a dd in yr 4. On the gifted list at her state primary but i think this means feck all really (am aware it is the top 5% in her school only and not a real comparison across the country IYSWIM).
Both the state secondary schools that we are in the catchment area for are failing and have less than 30% achieving 5 gcse's at c grade or above. Both are under threat of either being closed or amalgamated to form an academy, which i think will not improve things at all.....

I am really concerned that dd will lose her momentum to do well if she ends up at the catchment schools so have put her name down for 3 independent schools.
However, I have heard Good Things about grammar schools as well. I'm aware she will have to take the 11+ and do really well so will look at tutoring in yr 5 for the verbal reasoning side of things as well as a brush up on maths and english?

I'm confused about catchment areas etc though. I'm in Essex, closer to Harlow than Epping so can i apply to all grammar schools within a "do-able" distance or would i be restricted to catchment areas?
Any info on applying to grammar schools will be really gratefully received.

OP posts:
Quattrocento · 09/02/2009 22:46

I don't know why parents do this tutoring malarky. Beats me.

Here's a cautionary tale. I recently met a family who moved into the catchment area of a local grammar school to improve their DD's chances of getting in, losing the best part of 100k in the process (massive drop in their house price, rental in the interim, moving costs etc). Then they paid a tutor for 18 months. Then their DD failed the exam. Then they went to appeal. It was never ending. Just relax and do a couple of practice papers.

kayspace · 09/02/2009 22:42

But bear in mind- 'brilliant' re elevenplusexams' in this context can also mean 'psychotic'.

You'll see what I mean once you've been there.

Original poster
Idrankthechristmasspirits · 08/02/2009 10:38

Fabulous. Many thanks once again ladies.

OP posts:
Nontoxic · 08/02/2009 10:18

As MillyR said, www.elevenplusexams.co.uk is a brilliant website - search for the Essex forum and you can find out everything you need to know, there's loads of 'old-timers' who've been there, seen it, done it and you can get all your questions answered.

smartiejake · 08/02/2009 10:17

No I would say it really needs to be weekly. I don't think you can do it fortnightly with Kip Mcgrath anyway.

Closer to the exam they recommend x2 week so I think my DD will probably do that from September of year 6 as the test is in November.

The other good thing about Kip is that they do a free assessment before you start and they will tell you if they think it's worth trying for 11+.

Original poster
Idrankthechristmasspirits · 08/02/2009 10:09

No no! Sorry, I'm not going to start the tutoring until sept (yr 5). I agree it would be far too much.

So does your dd do it weekly smartiejake or do you think fortnightly is enough?

Apologies for all the questions. All help much appreciated.

OP posts:
smartiejake · 07/02/2009 17:57

Kip Mcgrath do tutoring for the 11+. My DD does it. THe sessions are 80 mins long with about 4 or 5 activities covered within that time. Mix of computer and written work.

SHe started at the beginning of year 5. Agree that it's a bit too soon to start as early as year 4 with 11+ tuition.

KM1 · 07/02/2009 16:24

I don't know about Kip Mcgrath - I don't know whether they tutor specifically for the 11+. I think an hour a week is fine but I don't know if I would start just yet if she is only in Y4. we made that mistake with my dd who was really up for tutoring and always happy to do the work but even she was sick of it by the end. We won't start that early with my ds.

Original poster
Idrankthechristmasspirits · 07/02/2009 16:01

Fantastic help ladies. Many thanks.

So is Kip Mcgrath the way to go for tutoring then? I'm thinking an hour a week. Would that be too much do you think? I don't want to hothouse but i want to give dd the best chance i can IYSWIM.

OP posts:
KM1 · 07/02/2009 15:59

Chelmsford County High doesn't have a catchement area so you could definitely apply if you don't mind the travel (or your dd doesn't!). The top 120 girls are offered a place regardless of where they live. I think the situation is the same for the others in Essex, although Southend and Westcliff reserve some places for children who live in catchment and get a certain mark in the exam. You can still apply for them if you don't live in the catchment area.

You need to remember that you only have 4 places on your application form which you have to use for comps and grammars. Unfortunately in Essex you don't find out how they have done in the 11+ until after allocation day. Hope that makes sense!

smartiejake · 07/02/2009 12:39

The consortium round here (CHelmsford, Westcliff, Southend, COlchester grammar schools) 11+ exam is 25% maths, 25% English and 50% verbal reasoning.

My dd is in year 5 doing 11+ tuition at a local Kip Mcgrath centre and quite a bit of the maths isn't stuff they do at school and is presented in a quite different way to those in the SATs tests.

THE bond books (you can get them from WH Smith) are good for practising the sort of things needed for 11+.

MillyR · 07/02/2009 12:16

Go to the website 11 plus exams and look up the info on the Essex section of the forums. The rules are different in every LEA.

The 11 plus in Essex is the same as the one my son has just been through in West Yorkshire: maths, English and 21 question type NFER style verbal reasoning. The only difference is that in West Yorks the maths in the paper only covers topics that a year 6 child will have covered. In Essex they will ask some questions that are not covered until year 8. You will need a tutor or to cover the maths work yourself at home, unless your child is taught this additional maths as part of the maths for gifted children work. My son does the gifted programme (gets taken to the secondary each month from his state primary) but they do not do the key stage 3 maths; it is all non-curriculum problem solving instead.

In short, do not assume your primary school has covered the 11 plus maths topics! The Peter Robson prep school type maths books are the best for teaching 11 plus type maths at home.

I think Essex English 11 plus is based on 19th century texts.

Verbal reasoning just requires looking at some papers (which some primary schools do) as long as your child has a wide vocabulary.

twinsetandpearls · 07/02/2009 11:26

I may be wrong but we have local grammers. I am in Dorset but the grammars here are in Poole. I can apply but dd will only get a place after the students from the local authority. Check the school for their own criteria.