To ask how much work in preparation of the 11 plus your child did if they go to a grammer school.

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Ds sits his 11 plus exam in a few weeks. He is keen to do it as most of the boys in his year are. We have been doing a little work most days of the holidays ( approx 15 mins). He is progressing but still finds some of the practise questions hard. He has come home from school today and said that one of the boys in his class did 4 hours every day and another did formal mock tests every week which were £60 a go. Now I'm feeling that we haven't done enough. Mums at the school gate are usually a bit reluctant to discuss the amount of work done so I am really keen to know how much your child has done/ did as I know it's a topic that people disagree on.

My dc sat (& passed) the exam last year, though we chose a different school in the end.

He had absolutely no tutoring and never has. I don't think a kid should go to an academically selective school that they have to be tutored to the gills to get into, it will put too much pressure on them when they are there. Obviously there is a balance between none and loads, but goodness knows where it lies.

An hour most days, which included 2 hours a week with a tutor and 3-4 mock tests per week. Unfortunately where we live there is a massive difference between the local grammar schools and high schools

My kid did some practicing for a couple of months- maybe an hour a week max. No tutoring. He did exceptionally well- offered several schools as was in top however many. Other kids who'd done a bit, but not much more also did really well. They went to a school where we discussed it as not many kids went for it.

Other kids who'd been tutored since year 4 didn't get in to any.

I think it's hard to tell. The worst thing he can do is worry. If he has a 'method' e.g. If stuck go onto next question etc (useful if he finds some things tricky) he'll have a better chance.

My son found the exam much easier than the practicing!

Mine did about an hour and a half a week during term time but nothing in the holidays. I think that children that do four hours a day during holidays are the exception rather than the rule. The child who says that they have done this much could be exaggerating or he may not be that academic (in which case he will struggle if he gets in). The schools try hard to make the exams tutor proof and whilst a bit of practice certainly helps, I'm not sure that excessive amounts will make much difference.

It varies from area to area; partly depending on the competition to get into the school.

DS1 and DS2 did much the same as you. No private tutors. Just the kind of practice papers you can get from WHSmiths. They both passed the test.
DS3 went to a private tutor for a few months in addition to some practice at home. The reasons for this is that:

1. we moved house to an area where we discovered just about everyone else sitting the test used tutors.
2. There was more competition for fewer places.
3. He wasn't as academic as his brothers and while we though a comp would probably suit him better, he was VERY keen to try. Despite this, he didn't pass the test but was absolutely fine at the local comp.

We always felt that if a child needed a lot of extra help/practice, they probably shouldn't be aiming for a grammar place anyway (but then totally went against that theory with DS3...).

If the people I know some did very little others went to ridiculous lengths - 2 years of tutoring!!

I would say some prep is fine, if the need extensive tutoring to get in they will likely struggle...

Thanks for replies. Peachy can I ask did you do an hour every day in the holiday or was that through out the whole year? Do you think it is too late to do anymore work now. He is very laid back so he is not stressed about it!

We are too early for grammar school as only year 5 but I'd consider it if DS shows the ability. His friend has an older sister who is sitting the exam and she has a tutor for two hours a week and has done since they returned from the Mat half term. This tutoring was upped to 3 hours a week over the summer and 4 hours starting this week until her exam.

I think if they need tutoring that much, then is grammar school the right choice?

I will be completely honest and say I don't really understand the difference but we also do have an excellent state school that he will go to.

None at all - sailed throught it as very very bright - now a doctor

Generally it was an hour most days over the summer holidays, with Saturdays off. He's sitting the exam in Nov/Dec this year, so time will tell. I don't think it's too late to start, depending how well the school prepare them. In our area you need to be getting 80-85% to be sure of a grammar school place - it's horribly competitive, and I hate putting him under pressure - but our local high schools are pretty poor tbh.

DD had a maths tutor who coached him on exam technique for an hour a week from the Easter before the exam . He did no other prep at home. His school did past papers every Monday from half way through year 5 and held an 11 plus summer school which DD attended for three days in the holidays before the exam.

At my school they start in year 4 and build up to a hour or two a day during the summer before year 6.

It's £££ and a big business here.

By the way you're right - no one tells the truth here but my brother is an 11+ tutor.

He's minted.

Many parents would say that other parents are getting children intensively tutored in my area. The majority don't though and whether or not they do intensive tuition, I don't think it necessarily makes that much difference. If it did, then the children will struggle once they get there. Having seen how some children buckle under pressure at grammar schools and end up getting chucked out by sixth form, I really think those who want their children to get in whether or not they are that academic are misguided.

My 2 did one hour a week with a tutor, the oldest from January until the exam in September, and the second from September in Year 5. Neither did much over the summer holiday before the September exam. Both are doing well and holding their own. Both have classmates who have had subject specific tutors since Year 7. I would never have allowed either of mine to go to GS if I'd felt that I'd have had to supplement their learning all the way through secondary school. I feel very sorry for the children I know for whom school lessons alone aren't enough. I have a third who may not even sit the exams. He learns at a different pace so I'm not sure the grammar schools are right for him.

My 2 did one hour a week with a tutor, the oldest from January until the exam in September, and the second from September in Year 5. Neither did much over the summer holiday before the September exam. Both are doing well and holding their own. Both have classmates who have had subject specific tutors since Year 7. I would never have allowed either of mine to go to GS if I'd felt that I'd have had to supplement their learning all the way through secondary school. I feel very sorry for the children I know for whom school lessons alone aren't enough. I have a third who may not even sit the exams. He learns at a different pace so I'm not sure the grammar schools are right for him.

Back in the year dot, I did a number for different schools and passed and my parents didn't even tell me I was doing the exams until the morning of the actual exams (I was very upset). But I passed them without any extra work. I knew people at school who had tutors and didn't. As pps said, if a child needs extra tuition in order to get into a school then maybe the school isn't right for them. That said I know some people live where there are only terrible state schools (I fear that we are i this bracket now and am doing extra work with my daughter most nights).
Furthermore, I passed the tests, but I went to the local comp anyway because I was too upset at having passed them and the fees are so high that my parents didn't see the point. I still achieved. There is hope!

My ds had a tutor from the beginning of year 5 - 1 hour per week and he did around 2 hours over the week himself. He passed - whether he would have passed without the tutor I don't know. The tutor helped a lot with the technique (as in - how long you have and how long to spend over each question and that sort of thing). I wasn't prepared to take that risk though as the alternatives are poor round here! There was no prep at school at all as we are out of grammar school catchment.
I wouldn't worry - some parents go way overboard - I wanted my son to be as relaxed as possible - on the way to one of the exams we saw one mother with a past paper in her hand firing questions at her dd right up to the gates! Afterwards some children were walking out crying, it was awful. I think making too much of a big deal of it can make them too stressed out to do well anyway.

DS1 has recently gone to grammar. He had a handful of practise papers and a book. We did a few together at home. That was it.

Ds sat for a ss 11+

We sent him on a 4 day (3 hours a day) familiarisation course at a local private school (he was at state primary) in the summer hols. Which was a mock exam and some tutoring.

He did a couple of practice papers at home and I bought the 10 minute work books-which he barely touched TBH.

He passed. But I knew of plenty of kids that were tutored really intensively. Some did online courses every day and some went to an actual tutor once or twice a week.

Children who are intensively tutored may well learn to pass the test and may well get an offer of a place. Once in, they're up against those naturally academic children who can learn at a pace and can manage the homework with ease. It's a tough environment unless it comes naturally.

One Bond VR paper per week with me for a few months prior to the test. Other than that, nothing. I teach there and know full well that those who have been tutored and pushed need that tutoring once they start, and of course parents are no longer bothered or willing to pay.

DD1 is about to start her degree at Cambridge having achieved A* or A grades in 6 A levels. Most of her friends from school who are on the most prestigious courses were not tutored for the 11+. Make of that what you want.

Op don't focus on what tutoring or work others may or may not have done as at this stage it is not relevant. You can't change it.

All you can do now is to use these final weeks to prepare as best you can.

Some kids will do well with no tutoring because they are naturally bright and quick learners. Others will do badly with any amount of tutoring. Those in the middle will probably be able to increase their marks with some preparation. So I'd just try to get as much done now between now and the exam.

If you have to be tutored to get in a grammar school then it is not the right environment unless you are going to continue tutoring during their time there.

I have seen numerous kids who have got places through massive tutoring and when they are in the grammer are consistently bottom of the class and it strips their self confidence.

For natural ability they will get in anyway. If you start pressure tutoring you need to continue it through the whole school or you can end up with serious self esteem issues.

In the holiday before the test, we did some of the practise papers at home, no tutoring.