I'm an 11 plus tutor AMA

[rosesinmygarden]

I tutor 11 plus. Happy answer questions.

The issue with the 11 plus has been that far more boys were selected to pass than girls!

Is this still an issue?

medium.com/@flowcontemparts/grammar-schools-sexual-discrimination-and-11-were-damaging-social-engineering-why-bring-them-88d5d8cd8eb8

[quote camperqueen54]The issue with the 11 plus has been that far more boys were selected to pass than girls!

Is this still an issue?

medium.com/@flowcontemparts/grammar-schools-sexual-discrimination-and-11-were-damaging-social-engineering-why-bring-them-88d5d8cd8eb8[/quote]
That's a really interesting article!

One would hope that things have changed from 1940 and that there now isn't a different passmark for girls and boys!

I know this isn't the case in my region. The passmark is the passmark, and parents can ask county for their child's raw scores, so any anomalies between girls and boys 'requirements' for passing would become obvious if parents compared these. I would be surprised if it still happens in any region but I guess you'd need to look at each regions data to know for sure.

For a capable child what is a reasonable amount to do every night or over the course of the week? I know parents who have their child doing 5 hours a day over the summer holidays!

What are the most important aspects of exam technique that you teach?

DS will do 11+ next year and we are working on it at home but can’t afford a tutor

I thought the whole point of the 11+ was to send the brightest children to grammar school, not the ones whose mummies and daddies can afford to give them loads of tutoring to get through it?
We're not in a grammar school area but the neighbouring county has them and there's a bus service from our village.
My year 5 child is very able and would do well at grammar so we're considering applying. She's said she'd like to have a go at the 11+ but would be equally quite happy to go to the local 'outstanding ' comp with her friends. I've bought her a couple of books - they test verbal and non-verbal reasoning only.
Should I be considering tutoring too?

Recommendations for tutors is virtually impossibly information to find as everyone seems to be very secret about it….. is it far better to have a personal recommendation or to choose without knowing how the tutor will progress with the student?

I know a child who was hot housed to pass, he went to a private school, but lots of tutoring to pass. He did pass He struggles at the school and isn't achieving. The school have spoken to his parents about this, but they are if the attitude that he got in do therefore they have to help him now. He's an absolutely lovely boy and his parents just want the best for him, yet couldn't afford to stay private.

I'm not in a grammar area, is it worth moving back into nearby Surrey or will my child not have a hope as they are not at private school?

Hello
What books, other material do you recommend for these last few weeks especially for the CSSE exam in Essex?

affordability controls every where, even when you choose 'outstanding' school. end of the day it's parents hard work and brilliance too may be! My town has no grammar schools.
How can you do judge DC's who should be eligible for grammars ?? Just because it's not about our DC???

One of my teacher used to say one thing. If these selective schools are great then they should be able to choose DC's with less ability and prove their capabilities by making them at least average students and it's no greater to pick achievers. So if someone struggling at selective, school should fix in what they do than pointing at child. grammars should not be seen as just another hothouse or tutoring places. Let it be open for all DC who join in.

@rosesinmygarden I’m not sure if you’ll even see this but I’m getting nervous and need either reassurance or a wake up call.
DS has his entrance exam for the only selective in the county in 3 weeks. I was initially determined not to tutor as I wanted him to get in on his own merit (I did 30 years ago and came top in all 7 exams so it seemed realistic at the time). We did a few past papers in the first couple of terms of Y5, and from February he’s done some free online English coaching twice a month as it was his weakest subject. He is starting to get nervous so at his request I’ve been “tutoring” him daily for the last couple of weeks. He’s definitely improving but I’m worried it’s too little too late. I don’t want to let him down. Any last minute tips for the home strait?
Or have I disadvantaged him?

Hi!

If it's the only selective/grammar in the county then competition will be fierce and many children will have been heavily tutored. Sad but true.

I too went to grammar several decades ago with no preparation whatsoever. I wasn't even warned I was doing the exam in advance. Things are very different now and many children are tutored for years to pass the exam. That is not to say that a naturally bright child will not pass without tuition, but they will be competing against others who have been tutored.

You don't mention the school/county so it's difficult to give you useful advice. Feel free to private message me and I will see if I have any resources/tips to help.

OP, do you think it's morally wrong that parents who can afford tutoring can effectively buy their child a good education at the expense of a brighter child whose parents can't afford it?

How do I find a good tutor with knowledge of local schools? Is it too late if just going into Y5 now?

@Howmanysleepsnow I am in a similar position where my DS is sitting the exam in three weeks for the only grammar in the county (is it N Yorks?) and we specifically chose not to tutor for the same reasons as you. I didn’t want him to feel under pressure, and I feel that if he’s going to thrive at the school he should be able to get in on his own merit. We didn’t start any exam specific prep until the summer holidays but he has been doing practice papers over the holidays which have helped to familiarise him with the style of test and pinpoint areas where he’s weaker that we’ve then revised/practised. Some of the maths content, for example, they hadn’t yet covered in school and obviously VR and NVR were completely new to him. I’ve found this a helpful exercise which we’re going to carry on with over the next three weeks (back to school and work permitting!).

I'm in a town with one 'ok' state comp (OK is not a good thing here) and a bus service to 5 grammars which are I assume very competitive (eg one is Pate's). My children are only going into years 3 & 1 and I think they'll be average bright kids, not spectacular. What would you suggest I should have an eye on, to set them up as well as I can?

Thanks OP, I was also told a week before exam and did practice papers from smiths (got in fine) but I was one of the few that weren’t tutored in my year.

Always wondered how much tutoring actually moved the dial for kids. I’ve watched kids tutored for a couple of years and fail, must be crushing given how much time is devoted to prepping. DH and I figured we would tutor DD for max of six months for exam familiarisation etc.does that sound reasonable?

@YorkshireLawyer we followed the same strategy as you've mentioned. I do think if the child can pass the exams without excessive help and tutoring they will find things a little easier. DS got in (also grammar in N Yorkshire), so i do think it is doable.

@rosesinmygarden do you hear back from parents with regards to how their children are finding school? More so, do any need continuous tutoring?

Only in the same way that parents who are rich and can afford private schooling buy their child an even bigger advantage.

There are many options for tutoring to suit all budgets. Many tutors run group tuition from as little as £10-15 per week - this is affordable to most people. There are also charities that provide tuition to families in need. And it is totally possible to DIY the preparation at home if you are willing to research properly and genuinely spend time with your child going through the materials.

Tuition is far from the reserve of the very rich.

Ask around at the school gates. Also, agencies can be useful.

Teachers to your home
First tutors
Tutor hunt

These all check references, qualifications and DBS for tutors.

Many tutors will be full for this academic year. I've been fully booked for children starting next week since March and many of those had been on my waiting lists for years. But that may not be the same in every area.

Ensure they are reading widely and that you are doing things to widen their vocabulary. Word games, watching documentaries, reading newspapers, and having family discussions are all good ways of doing this.

To get into grammar, they will need to be in the top 5-25% of their cohort, depending on how competitive the area is. If you were to wish to prepare them yourself, then start formally in year 4. Ensure they know their times tables inside out and back to front. Use the CGP and Bond books to get an idea of their level and what might be ahead workwise.

6 months can be plenty of time.

You may struggle to find a tutor with availability to start just 6 months before the exam though. I generally take students on from September and can't afford to keep places empty for someone who wants to start later in the year. Just something to bear in mind.

Yes, some stay in touch and let me know how things are going.

Some children who are heavily tutored to get just past the line will go on to need more tuition into secondary, yes. I always advise parents if I think this will be the case. Most of the children who pass well and are keen to learn will flourish at grammar (or wherever they go, to be honest). A lot of it is down to how interested the student is in learning and how much they personally take from the experience.

Obviously, things like Covid and gaps in teaching have been a huge issue in recent years too.

Hi OP. My daughter will sit the exam in 2 weeks. We are in Essex. She is definitely getting fed up with the work. There are still areas, especially in maths, that we need to go over to jog her memory but she is becoming a little reluctant. I worry that we won't cover everything in time especially as school starts today and she has lots of after school clubs. My husband says it's too late now anyway. Is he correct? Also, when do you recommend we stop doing any work before the exam day and what do you advice we should do in evenings for next 2 weeks? Thank you

You are going to struggle to effectively teach and embed new material this close to the test. Personally, I would do a small amount either in the morning or evening each day until the test but stop a few days before and plan in some rest days.