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Original poster

any one know of children that didnt get in despite private tutors?

44 replies

KnittedBreast · 17/01/2011 11:50

i keep hearing about people tutoring their primary school children to pass the great test and enter grammer schools. does anyone know of any kids that didnt get in despite of all the extra help?

im talking state schools kids not private ones

OP posts:
curlymama · 17/01/2011 11:54

I know of one from last years intake. I don't know how much private tutoring he had though, or how much work he had to do at home.

But it is inevitable that even with tutoring some won't get in, simply because of the huge numbers that apply for such a small number of places.

midori1999 · 17/01/2011 12:01

My DSS didn't get into Grammar despite his Mum paying for extra tutoring for him. He had a lot of extra help, Mum was very keen for him to get in.

Deaddei · 17/01/2011 12:04

Mine didn't.
Possibly because he decided he didn't want to go, and just did random answers. He is thriving at the local boys secondary.

cat64 · 17/01/2011 12:15

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Goingspare · 17/01/2011 12:16

Yes, my DD. We got some papers from WH Smith which turned out to be pretty irrelevant anyway. Plenty of tutored children don't get in.

It depends where you are, though, some areas seem to have an exam of a fairly predictable format, so tutors who are familiar with the format can probably make a lot of difference.

As ever, this is the place to go for information about a particular area, or for ideas of how to prepare your child for the exam yourself if you want to go down that route.

wheredidyoulastseeit · 17/01/2011 12:17

Mine didn't either nor did his tutored friends but even so I didn't take it seriously enough you've got to do loads of timed test papers at home as well. He's really happy and doing very well at comprehensive secondary school
out of 1300 boys only 170 got a place.

monkeyflippers · 17/01/2011 12:21

I think something to bear in mind is that if the child requires lots of extra tutoring they will probably struggle at grammar school anyway and that's no fun for them!

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 17/01/2011 12:23

Apparantly in some places the tests include things that are not part of the primary school curriculum - that is why you need tuition.

whoknowswhatthefutureholds · 17/01/2011 12:26

dss didn't get in and it's been a blessing. He would have been in all the low sets at grammar and here he is in middle or top, he loves his school.

edpen · 17/01/2011 12:30

Extra tuition does help but children DO get in who are not tutored and very many tutored children do not get in.

And Coalition is correct, in some areas the paper includes material not yet covered (in State schools)by the time the tests are taken (esp maths).

Greeninkmama · 17/01/2011 12:49

Yes, most of my DSS's friends went to the local (very good) comp after missing out on the grammar schools - I think most had a tutor but once-a-week tutoring isn't enough to get kids through. You have to be very focussed on it at home, and do lots of tests. You also have to understand the tests yourself so that you can pinpoint what is going wrong.

My DSS was tutored (waste of money) and got help from us. He was then massively drilled at home by his mother (she was totally obsessive about it so we backed right off and used our weekends as chill-out time). He did scrape get in. He is not enjoying it and finds the atmosphere way too competitive - as monkeyflippers says. He is quite sensitive and might have struggled in secondary school socially wherever he went, though.

Takeresponsibility · 17/01/2011 12:58

My sons teachers said he didn't need extra tutiring and we were all very suprised when he failed to gain a place. He admitted afterwards that he didn't want to let us down (both his Dad and I went to Grammars)but wanted to go with his friends to the local comp so he drew all over his papers- how pushy did we feel Blush

He's 25 next week and just bought his first house with his girlfriend so not doing too badly despite not going to the Grammar.

It has to be the right thing for your child, and if they have to cram to get in they probably won't be in the right learning environment for them.

coolascucumber · 17/01/2011 13:07

Yes, my state primary DS1 didn't get in. He ended up in the special measures school across the road.

He had the tutor for an hour a week for a year before. Bright child but v.lazy (academically) Got the tutor to cover the maths and verbal reasoning they don't cover at school.

Failure put down to 1. he's a lazy bugger, 2. our car broke down on the way to the test and he only just got there in time. 3. high birth rate year so loads more kids applying.

In my experience the kids that did get in from state schools with tutors also practised papers non-stop (the kids will tell you this not the parents). Some gave up loads of after school activities to find time for all the extra preparation.

jendifa · 17/01/2011 14:01

I know of quite a few in Birmingham.

MotherOfSuburbia · 17/01/2011 14:26

Loads! - there is one grammar school round here and literally thousands of applicants. Much easier to get into most private schools.

However - I know far fewer children who weren't tutored and did get in...

MotherOfSuburbia · 17/01/2011 14:31

I would say that even the brightest child would need some sort of preparation - either looking a practice papers at home or with a tutor. Questions in these exams usually won't be the kind of thing children will have come across before and they will need to understand how to answer them.

ashamedandconfused · 17/01/2011 14:35

yes, loads - one girl we know had a tutor for almost 2 years at £32 a week - and still failed

I never thought she would pass (am a teacher BTW not just bitching) and think it is very very sad the pressure some kids are put under to pass by their parents

Ingles2 · 17/01/2011 14:41

do you mean fail the test?
or pass and not get in on intake?
I know both... we've taken the test this year. I think 9 boys sat the exam, 6 passed and all were tutored. Some much more than others. This is ordinary state school.
Have no clue yet how many will get in this year but I think you going to need to score at least 390 / 420 and preferably over 400.

figcake · 17/01/2011 14:47

loads nw london

GORGEOUSX · 17/01/2011 14:48

I know lots of kids who were tutored and didn't get in. As a previous poster said, there are too many kids for the number of places OR NOT ENOUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL PLACES AVAILABLE for the numbers of bright kids. Lots pass the test but still don't get in.

Totally agree about the amount of tutoring that goes on. In Asian cultures this is the norm - a huge emphasis on study and education. So if you want to compete for a GS place you do have to tutor.

MillyR · 17/01/2011 14:49

When DS was in year 5 his teacher told me to put him in for the test and that I did not to pay for a tutor. She went through how many children in her class for the past few years had sat the test, how many had passed who had a tutor, and how many had passed who had not.

On that basis we did not get DS a tutor and he passed the eleven plus. I don't think there is anything wrong with tutoring. If a child doesn't pass the test then the boost in their maths skills and vocabulary will still be useful to them when they enter a non-selective secondary school. There is a big jump between Primary and Secondary and having prepared for the eleven plus makes that transition easier.

MillyR · 17/01/2011 14:50

That should have said that 'I did not need to pay for a tutor.'

NanaNina · 17/01/2011 14:54

In Birmingham, there is I think) only one grammar King Edwards Camphill, different sites for girls and boys. Only 10% of children get a place.

cat64 · 17/01/2011 20:15

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cat64 · 17/01/2011 20:16

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