To think it's cruel to enter your child for nine 11+ exams?

[48wheaties]

Seen the news article about the child from Isle of Wight who passed nine 11+ exams in various counties all over the country. I think it's unkind to put a child through that. Yes, he's a bright boy, but what are the parents thinking? And no, I dont know them personally. (Runs for cover)

Mine would quite happily sit 9 exams. In a way it's less pressure, as you can afford to fail some! I'm not sure of the logistics, though, as they tend to fall on the same/similar weekends?

This kid is obviously bright as he passed so many, so he's probably the sort of kid who quite enjoyed it. It would be awful if pushy parents had schlepped their not particularly bright kid round 9 different counties, and he'd ended up failing all of them.

I don't understand what the point of it was. I'd like to have known if they were letting him sit the exams so they could have the choice of the very best grammar schools in the country and then they'd move (but both parents would have to find new jobs!) or whether the parents knew that one of both of them would be relocating for work (perhaps fewer opportunities to progress on the Isle of Wight) and a few areas came into question but they weren't sure yet where they would actually be offered a job and therefore made him sit a few in the areas where they might find work.

I can understand people maybe sitting the 11 plus in a couple of neighbouring areas where they could travel to if necessary as an insurance policy. Or even entering an 11 plus somewhere you weren't going to go as a practice exam for the area you actually wanted to go to.

Very odd really.

I think you should need to have a local address (commuting distance... an hour perhaps?) To be able to sit the exam, unless there is extenuating circumstances.

Round here ("super selective" no catchment/sibling criteria at all, literally just ranked by 11+ score) it's very common for parents to drive down from London for the weekend to do the 11+, and then relocate if they pass. I imagine it's pretty common to have two potential locations in mind.

I think sitting this many is more "for fun" (publicity/bragging?) than for purely practical reasons, like when parents enter their 10yos for GCSE maths.

I could’ve written this! I was the same…my mum didn’t get it 😁

my parents found it funny as I’d enter myself into anything. One day they came back and I’d entered the dog into a dog show- and she won!

i’m more interested in what compelled you to start this thread OP?

One day they came back and I’d entered the dog into a dog show- and she won!

I love this!

My eldest daughter would've absolutely loved that and she's 15 and thriving in her grammar school. But her twin would've hated it and she didn't even do any 11+ exams! My son did the 11+ exam and passed but he wouldn't have loved it but wouldn't really have cared. I don't think it's cruel because it heavily depends on the child. I have a 9 year old as well who I am not entering for any because she has anxiety and I know she wouldn't enjoy it whatsoever despite the fact that she is pretty academically gifted.

Yeah I think it's cruel. I was super academic but any kid who's smart knows that doing 9 versions of the same set of exams is a waste of time. The kids who were even more academic than me were correcting the teacher because they'd learned stuff far ahead instead, which is a lot more valuable than many variations of the same lower level.

There are plenty of ways to learn new things and take part in competitions. Lots of MENSA and IQ stuff around, chess, languages, all kinds of things that will teach them a new skill. Otherwise it's just a repeated set of things to memorise with limited usefulness, especially when you've already got the core skills of work ethic and such. Most of what they teach for that age they tell you to unlearn at a later date.

You're also wasting the time and resources of 8 schools.

Hhmn, a child sits 9 11plus papers all across the UK. And then the papers get wind of it.

It's almost like the parents want to boast about how amazing he is or something.

Reminds me of the girl who took 28 Alevels

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-68282659.amp

the schools don’t mark it 😕

Tbf the parents seem like they were probably very academic smart people themselves. They probably chose to enter him in so many because they would have to move and this gave them options when looking for jobs. Clearly prioritise their kids education. He may not have minded tbh.

Let them boast, the girl is amazing, I enjoyed reading about her.

I thought it was ridiculous. If my child was as academic as her, I'd be encouraging depth not breadth. There is no point to sitting more than 4 A levels. It's literally a waste of time.

I guarantee she will have since forgotten what she learnt too.

I say a waste of time, if she wanted simply to be the person to get the most Alevels then achievement met I guess.

Top lad. I would have quite enjoyed doing this when I was younger too!

Exactly. I plan to enter my DC for four 11+ exams. It’s the same prep, she won’t be anxious or nervous, so I don’t see the issue.

* It's literally a waste of time.*
Well i wouldn’t go that far!

So judgemental. They clearly thought about given they had 11 options. Maybe they have jobs they can keep, maybe he has no siblings?
a lot of families who care about education move for schools.
the boy is clever, has lots of hobbies and interests (sports and music), they sound like great parents.

”As well as his academic excellence, Parinith also enjoys many sports, music and interests around his Hindu Indian heritage.
He plays cricket for East Cowes, rugby for Vectis RFC, as well as enjoying swimming with Seaclose SC and taekwondo. He also sings in the school choir and takes piano lessons.”

And by taking the Bucks 11+ they were part of the problem of hundreds of out of county kids sitting it who have no realistic hope
of admission due to catchment rules, but have pushed up the pass mark and so pushed out the local kids who just missed a pass...

Some kids enjoy that sort of exam. And I guess by doing quite a few, there was far less pressure on each one than for most kids doing 11+ where they can only do one.

We contemplated moving to the IoW when I was pregnant, one of the things that put us off was that it seemed that secondary schooling might be difficult, some kids would be travelling to the mainland. I'd guess this family may have planned to move at this stage for a while.

agree, extra pupils sitting from outside of the area pushes up the average mark, making it more and more difficult to pass.

This is the reason that you need to heavily tutor even bright children to get into superselectives.

I know this type, extra classes every day. Test papers from age 5. Parents gaming the system and starting early.

It's news to me that most grammars don't have catchment areas. Seems a but unfair but then at least if you grow up in an area with no grammars there's a slight chance of getting into one?

She apparently does it because she enjoyed it, I am not capable of what she did so I assume that she really enjoys collecting information and is a curious soul. She’s got a huge IQ so I expect for her this brings her joy.

Tbh I also imagine it was to stop her from entering university early, which I think is sensible given it doesn’t always turn out so well. I imagine she’ll also have a very clear idea of what she wants to study when she gets there.

What's the point though? Isn't it a bit like getting GCSE Maths 9 times. Just seems like a waste of time and energy with no real output.