To ask about the 11+ (Bexley/Kent)

[Bucdynovehbkfdg]

Posting for traffic (apologies!!)

my daughter is in year 3 and at greater depth currently. I know a few parents are starting to tutor (my daughter has told me, I’m a bit anti social with the other mums).

my question is, when is best to start tutoring and how do I find a good tutor? I feel like year 3 is a bit young! I didn’t grow up in a grammar area so I have no idea!

as a side note, I know grammars are controversial, but our 3 local comps are dreadful!

You might talk to other school mums? Most likely they have the info you need.

Year three is ridiculous. My daughter started in year five in a group tutoring session once a week and passed well.

Sadly where we used to live in Buckinghamshire parents either used to send their children to private junior schools, where they were coached to pass the 11 plus, or pay for a tutor from about year 4 onwards. Parents whose children did not pass were sent to good comprehensives in neighbouring counties as the secondary schools had poor reputations as the more able children had been creamed off. ☹️

This is what I was thinking! Was the group tutor in Bexley, I think half way through year 4 or year 5 is better

I remember some mums at her nursery doing this, paying for prep to save on secondary fees!

My Y6 dc goes to a state primary, worked through the 11+ study books from November of Year 4 onwards and did 1 mock in Y5 for each of Bexley, Kent and Newstead. She passed all of them. We didn't get a tutor or use Atom, didn't think it was needed. It depends how well dc are able to self study and if you have time to guide them.

I don't know anyone in Buckinghamshire who tutored from year 4, and very few who went over the borders to school. There are good upper schools, but admittedly not many.

Mushypeasandchipstogo: I agree with you completely I live in Bexley and the brightest children are creamed off. I don't agree with children from outside the borough being able to take the tests but there you go!!

We started in year 4 so that dd was comfortable with the tutor, as she can take a long time to settle. Academically we'd have been fine if she started in year 5

But surely if out of the borough kids didn’t go even more of the Bexley kids would be creamed off?

Hey, I have been teaching English for 15 years and mostly in independent schools. I would say year 5 is more than enough time. You risk overwhelming her otherwise; she's so little. Please don't worry about what the others are doing. So many schools have said they don't want children who have just been over tutored and then can't cope when they join. Yes, they'll need to have a grasp of the structure of the entrance exams but these skills are still being covered to an extent in school.

If you wanted to support her in the meantime, just keep encouraging reading. It really is the most important thing. Look up some recommended reading lists for her age groups. When you can, try to talk to her about what she's read. What happened on that page? How was the character feeling? How do you know? Lots of discussions as coming across confidently at interview is important. Does she like writing? Lots of stories just for the fun of it. Wishing you all the very best. Happy to answer any questions, although my personal experience is in London indys as opposed to grammars 😊

My DC is at a Bexley comp and doing great so don't panic too much if 11+ plans go awry

I suspect that it is where you live in Bucks. We neighboured two other counties. It was ridiculous as pupils from neighbouring counties were bused in to the grammar schools as pupils from Bucks were bused out to good comprehensives in adjoining counties.

Sorry for the late reply, no we're in Kent. Not sure if the test is different in Bexley, I seem to recall it may be less places available.

arlequinn: Yes you're quite right I'm against it in principle. I also feel sorry that we have a situation where young children are having to be tutored and pressurised at such an early age and the fact that if they scrape by and manage to get in the Grammars they're setting themselves up for an anxiety ridden time by being the bottom of the ladder and a small fish in a big pond. Of course its up to the parents and if you have an extremely bright child then I understand that you would want to go down that route, however, if the bright children stayed stayed in the local schools it would be a good experience for them all i believe