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)

It gave them a variety of options when looking to re-locate, they need to work.

I agree with the previous posters who have said that it depends on the child. I would have loved it. I took 5 entrance exams to 5 different schools in our area when looking for a secondary school and I honestly loved them! I've always liked exams and it didn't feel like pressure. I am a bit weird!

From what I understand (not an expert in this but on some 11+ boards) some grammars have an allocation for catchment area and an allocation for outside catchment area.
I am looking at 11+ for private schools and one will withdraw an offer if you don’t live a reasonable distance from school (eg move) so that the child doesn’t have a super long commute.
i assume they were always planning to move from IoW.

From the article, 'Mahesh Kumar Puttamadaiah, Parinith’s father, is a senior engineer at GKN Aerospace, while his mother, Tejashree Ramraju, works as the cancer Information and urology MDT coordinator at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport'

So Dad's in a job where he can move (and travel) easily and his Mum's got skills that can go pretty much anywhere that has the NHS or private health facilities or be transferred to any employer - along with the qualifications and experience she has from before marriage.

Seems fair enough 'See where you like best, we'll move there' is a level of freedom I think most of us would be happy to have - and with the Dad's job, the actual freedom probably extends worldwide.

you don't need to sit 28 Alevels to avoid going to university.

Sitting 28 alevels to alleviate boredom shows a lack of imagination. Plenty of other ways to stretch your intellect.

there's a boy's SS near me that has no catchment. 100% of places are offered with no catchment.

From what I understand (not an expert in this but on some 11+ boards) some grammars have an allocation for catchment area and an allocation for outside catchment area.
I am looking at 11+ for private schools and one will withdraw an offer if you don’t live a reasonable distance from school (eg move) so that the child doesn’t have a super long commute.

There's only a small number of state GS in my county, they each have a catchment. Everyone within catchment who scores high enough gets a place, this usually leaves a few 'residual' places which are awarded in score order but only to children living within reasonable travelling distance. That's the sort of system you're thinking of but it's not what happens everywhere... the 'no catchment' superselectives are a different kettle of fish.

I've got friends who think we should bring back grammar schools, etc. This thread exemplifies why it doesn't work anymore.

When grammar schools were the norm, (I was in the last gasp of the grammar school), kids just rocked up at their local grammar for the tests with no prior preparation. It was totally on ability.

Now getting into grammar school is a hothouse of tuition and strategising by parents.

The irony is most of these schools aren't that great. Their results are just scewed by them selecting kids who are reasonably bright and have highly motivated parents pushing them.

This really fucks me off. It negatively affects local DC. Exam tourism should be stamped out

In Bucks, part of the admissions criteria is you have to live in catchment BEFORE you take the 11+. Even with this clear policy, in 2023 over 600 DC from London boroughs passed the Bucks 11+, driving up the pass mark, depriving local DC of 'passing' marks. Hardly any of the London DC got a place - I think less than 5.

I understand other counties /schools have similar policies.

If the parents are so involved and wanting their DC to go to grammar they should at least look at the admissions criteria and either move house in Y5 or just apply for the grammar schools they have a chance of getting in. This family are exacerbating an already fucked up 11+ exam process. Shame on them.

In Bucks, part of the admissions criteria is you have to live in catchment BEFORE you take the 11+. Even with this clear policy, in 2023 over 600 DC from London boroughs passed the Bucks 11+, driving up the pass mark, depriving local DC of 'passing' mark

Why don't they change to the 'residual place' method for anyone not already in catchment? Then the out of area candidates have no effect on the pass mark.

They clearly thought about given they had 11 options.

They didn't have 11 options in fact @HaveYouSeenRain. The Bucks grammar schools were never an option as they live on the Isle of Wight, just out of catchment.

If the parents are so bloody clever, maybe they should have researched how 11+ admission works in all the different areas before taking the test…

Yes agree. My children all passed the 11+ and lived within 2 miles of the grammar schools. Absolutely no way would I expect my children to travel more than 1hr each way !
We chose to live close to decent secondary schools inc non grammar,long before they were born.

Exam tourism has slowly being picking up speed. Certain parents have their child sit a number of no catchment grammar schools with the intention of moving into an area nearby. It has the knock on effect of artificially raising the exam pass mark and increases the need for tuition.

It could be easily rectified with a catchment area and an address relocation cut off date closer to the submission date for school admission forms but these types of schools have no urge to change admission policies to benefit local children as the schools are more interested in maintaining high GCSE/A Level pass rates and their place on school performance tables.

As for the child featured in the article, he could be naturally gifted and relish the challenge of taking multiple exams, only the family know if he is happy/well adjusted.

Exactly. It's unfair that those kids who would have benefitted from a grammar school who are naturally very bright are now getting pushed out because they value having a bit more of a childhood rather than years of hard tutoring.

Sorry I got it wrong. It was 9.

I don’t know what the issue is, the boy is clever and got in and they will move. Not everyone plans their whole life around secondary when the kids are small and for certain reasons they live on IoW.

is it fair that only certain areas have grammar schools? My county has none.

I am on a 11+ group (and before you attack me we are trying for private schools not grammar schools), the vast majority does not pay for tutoring but downloads resources online and buys second hand books. It’s not hard to help prep your child yourself. I don’t know what the issue is with valuing a good education, a lot of the parents on the group are from a migrant background (myself included) and we think these are amazing opportunities for our children. Everyone can do the same at home if they wish to. doesn’t mean the children are robbed of their childhood, a bit of a reach.

IMO the bigger issue here again is the UK education system, some areas have grammar schools, some don’t. Houses in catchment areas of good state schools are mega expensive.

This boy enjoys sports and music, it sounds like he has a lot of interests and hobbies outside of school.

”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.”

My DS is competitive & likes these sorts of assessments. When you find the content not too difficult it feels good.

Generally speaking what makes a test bad is when you are attempting material too difficult for you where risk of failure is high.

Crikey. This thread is peak mumsnet.

The child sat a lot of 11+ exams - cue loads of mumsnetters boasting about how their exceptionally bright child would love it.

Really?

I don't think I have ever met a child of that age who asks for extra homework/wants to learn a foreign language with a different alphabet/loves sitting exams.

that says more about you than Mumsnet

also did you read about his background? He is learning a language from his culture not a random language he has no connection with. So ignorant.

I say that as the parent of a bright DD who is starting a masters after scoring a high first in a STEM degree. She still doesn't love exams though.

Congratulations! She sounds great.

I wouldn’t say my DC loves exams but she seems quite happy with the 11+ prep and is not particularly phased about exams. But generally likes “showing” her skills and knowledge and scoring well.
We won’t sign her up for 9 exams, she will probably do 3-4 max. Also I wish there was a system that schools shared those results but they don’t.

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again..

We do not have 11+ in our area. Blows my mind that it’s even a thing. You just go to
your local school (or just apply for a different one of yours is a bit shit). No one needs that pressure at 10 years old

We don't have grammar schools in our county either @SandandSky

Until MN I thought it was one of those things that was a relic of the past, like rickets 😂

They probably took the Bucks test for the practice ahead of the other exams as it’s one of the earlier exams by a few days. His parents would have known where they were targeting.