Support thread for parents trying to get their kids to do 11+ work this holiday!

We are basically autonomous home edders and fit to suit ds1 who is quite high maintenance at times!

OMG after all the homework we've done this summer home ed is the least attractive option I can imagine.

Agree Merle.We are fortunate in that we have another option other than Grammar[home ed]Ds1 was all for the Grammar but seems to have gone lukewarm now.I reckon when he goes back to School he will do some 11+ practice at home in the run up.The 2 tests are a week apart so we shall see.

Am starting to wonder how anyone passes this wretched test.

We have had a bit of time off too, I kind of feel if its not there now, its too late!

Ds1 has done nothing 11+ wise for a week...doesn't appear to want to.We do ask him but he has not wanted to this last week.We have lots of stressy type things going on too which may not help.Will see how he feels next week.

Just had our confirmation of dates and place for DS to sit 11+ - practice on 12th September, real test on 19th September. GULP!

We've not been pushing it too much, just test papers a couple of times a week and have a tutor once a week who runs through what he's been doing. Fortunately he really enjoys the work (actually hates school holidays as he gets bored v quickly) so haven't had to force him yet.

One thing I didn't realise but have found out through looking at various 11+ websites, is that the raw score the children achieve e.g. 45 out of 50 or whatever, bears little resemblance to the actual results they get as it's all standardised. It seems in our area that if the children achieve in the region of 75 to 80% raw score on a test they will get the maximum 140 points. It helps, in some ways, that DS is one of the youngest in his year as it will boost his score a bit.

Does he have a tutor ar are you doing workbooks yourself? Tell your son that he needs to give his brain a rest- that by reading a book he's learning, it doesn't have to be a vr paper. He can burn himself out by doing too much- so maybe do a timetable for him (especially when he's back at school) and make sure he doesn't do extra. A tutor may be the person to tell him- thay tend to listen to other adults, not parents!
As I said before, we've been doing half an hour a day, but we go on holiday tomorrow so it will be a complete break.
It IS a stressful time but we as parents must try not to let it take over normal life.

Hi, just joining this thread here, possibly a little late... But I'll give it a go: Our eldest (of three) is just getting ready to enter the fray for secondary school testing, and as you're probably aware, it's quite stressful. I'm trying to keep things calm, but he's feeling anxious and wants to keep doing homework even when offered a break. Any suggestions on how to deal with this very stressful time in a 10-year-old's life? Btw, we did go visit one of the schools that he's testing for, and he LOVED it, which has lit a fire under him, so to speak. Now he's super keen to do well, but even more stressed. Thanks!

Xmas pressies & caravan holidays!

Absolutely ddoo.
Can't wait till December when I will have all that extra money, as no more tutoring.
A whole new thread- what will you spend the tutoring money on????

TBH,The whole thing is an utter farce really.

My son is at his tutor, being tested on vr. Am going to pick him up and to see how he has done. Am dreading it. At the beginning of the holidays I was wishing that our tests were later in the year but in fact now I'm glad they are early Sept; don't think any of us could put up with this for much longer...

on om on om onomatopaia - that's just a song to me - no ruddy idea what it means!

Yes Grimma, dh too has suddenly sprung into action over the maths tutoring- thank God he has the answers.

Just found this thread. DD is going to sit the Lancaster Girls exam in September. We're out of catchment, so to get a residual place she'd have to do extremely well.

Unfortunately the exam is maths, english comp and VR but no NVR - which is the one part DD would do for fun, but which the headmistress and LGG declared was 'not relevant for girls' (actually that comment together with it being all girls puts me off sending DD there at all).

DH has taken charge of the whole thing, I'm glad to say!

In addition to the various papers, he's setting some extra questions on things DD needs more practise on and we're playing scrabble with extra points for DD if she can identify parts of speech, classify alliterations or onomatopaia and all that sort of thing.

I am in Lincolnshire..so not nearI am 40 too.I went to Astor secondary for the 6th form before that I was in Suffolk.

Oh cool Doobydoo!
I went to Folkestone girls - but I am 40 so waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too old to know anyone in common LOL
Are you near us Dooby?

deddai - I don't know why but I've sent messages in response twice not but they've not made it onto this thread. I've forgotten what I've said now but basically I sympathise re. the decision for and against the schools. Can't work out where you are but presumably the London/SE area. We only have one possible grammar near us, so at least we don't have to think about any others.

We have just discovered that ds will be doing the standard yests in sept and not the multiple choice[which we thought]
Only makes a difference in the verbal really as instead of 5 choices for answer you get no choices and write the answer down.
QOD,My sister went to Dover Grammar she is 30 now

Oh my god............. just did a verbal reasoning test with her - I wish humans could eat their young.
Still she got 86.5% which I think is good enough

Merie- ds is a bright lad and we thought he would stand as good a chance as any other boy to get in. However, recently I am really looking hard at the schools and just wondering if they really are the holy grail parents think they are.
One is EXTREMELY academic- one of the top grammars in the country in terms of results. But it has a wide catchment area- a friends ds is in yr 7 and only 2 boys in his class live in our borough. Other school has much nicer feel imo, although 7 miles away but bus virtually door to door.(you probably know which schools they are !)
I want ds to have local friends- I'm not being a taxi service for the next 6 years, and also want him to have a life outside school- he plays lots of sport, and I don't want him coming home with hours of homework.
Parents at our school have looked at me as if I am the parent from hell when I say how impressed I am with local school- most of them go private rather than go send their ds there. But most of them have never been, and judge on hearsay. Private isn't an option, not through cost but it's not something I'm comfortable with.
He'll be in the top stream if he goes there and yes- he'll come across all sorts there- but that's life. Lots of his current friends will go there.
I think dh would like him to go to grammar as he went to a crap school, was bullied and got out at 16. But at the end of the day it has to be right for our son.

Oh halllllllllllloooooooooo!
Dd takes it 16/17th Sept then another test at Dover grammar (miles away but what the hay) on the 18th
We have an agreement that she does 2 x 10 min papers (V, NV or maths) a day - plus a 1.5 hr stink weekly with a tutor - we have stuck it it throughout.
She has had lots of whinges but she wants to go there, and well, only she can do the work.
She has good sats levels for appeal so at the end of the day the test isn't the be all & end all.
(4a maths 5c lit 5c reading comp 5c science)
Having said that, if they pass life is so easy innit!!! Appeal results wouldnt get advised until June 2010!

Deaddei - is it your husband/partner who wants him to go to the grammar, then? I don't think I could go through all the hassle of practice/tests etc if I would be happy with my local school.

We are doing either a 30 minute test each day (maths) and I am racing him too- I am so crap at some bits in maths!What is the point of rotational symmetry ffs?, He's ok on vr and nv, but for some reason his english is not particularly good at the moment. Probably just got lazy. He doesn't start tutoring again till Sept, then has tests for 2 grammar schools Nov and Dec. Us and 2000 other boys.
One school I may not put him in for as I don't particularly like it, and don't think he'll be comfortable there.But should he just do it for expereience?
TBH, I'd be just as happy him going to the local boys- no doubt would be lynched at our school gate for even saying that out loud! (it does not have particularly good exam results, but is very much on the up. Know lots of parents who have sent ds their over last 3 yrs and are very happy)