to think that the 11plus forum is the scariest forum in the world!

[stillenacht]

anyone agree??

Hi LDriver,
DS3 will be going up this September, so we have yet to see how he'll do but I'm sure he will be fine.
I would definately have a good talk with the teacher - I'm sure you won't be the only one asking about it - and you're the child's parent - it's your job to be pushy !
Do you know what kind of tests they do in your area? Not all counties do the NVR. Ours doesn't which is a pity, as DS3 is quite good at spotting paterns etc. Ours only do verbal reasoning but in Kent, where we used to live, they have the works - VR, NVR, Maths and a written paper.

L driver: I was in a similar situation to you last year, wondering whether to apply and how to prepare. Our 'local' grammar is about an hour an way on the bus and is hugely competitive so we were not sure about applying. I spoke to DD's primary school and asked for advice. Her teacher seemed to have no experience at all of 11+, and couldn't even tell us whether any of their pupils had ever applied, let alone successfully so it was very hard to gauge whether or not DD was in with a chance in a notoriously tough competition.

We did decide to go for it and to do it without a tutor. The Chuckra website was really useful for free video tutorials, free online tests and also some pay to use material. Chuckra also do mock 11+ tests which you can sit at a test centre or buy on line to do at home. This was one of the most helpful resources because they also publish the results and scores from the candidates, so you can get a reasonable idea of how your child is performing in comparison to the cohort. That's otherwise really hard to measure if you're doing it on your own.
The 11+ forum (the scary one!) was also very good for getting specific info on our school's exam and what material was relevant.

I think most kids for our chosen High School do go to tutors but we did the preparation togther without a tutor and DD got a place. All the resources you need are in the public domain and a lot of it is also free, so you can certainly do it yourself if you have a bit of time. There's no great mystery about the preparation; you just learn how to approach the various question types and then practice a bit so you can do them more quickly. You also need a good vocabulary and an eye for detail.

L Driver
I thought I was the only one asking the teacher, but I later found that at least 4 other kids were preparing for 11+! None of them got the top school (except us ) but I think they mostly had tutors. I don't think people talk about it too much, though, as no-one wants to fail very publicly. Also there seems to be a bit of a culture of secrecy and the idea that if you pass on info or tips, you are reducing your own child's chances.

Ldriver - I would ring someone at your County Council Ed department as soon as possible. Some counties take the 11+ early in the Autumn term (Kent I think is September?) and if that is the case, you do need to start looking at practice papers sooner rather than later. The time will go very quickly and the more practice your DC can do the better.

High Schools are generally comps but there are a few around that are Grammars. Don't think the name really means anything.

Ah well, if Mohammed won't come to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed.

Only you can decide if you want to go through this with your child, but see if you can find an approach that involves the fewest possible tests for the range of schools you are looking at.

As others have said, do your research. It always makes me sad when a child has done their bit by qualifying but it then turns out that Mum or Dad omitted to read the small print ...

• Check the current Admissions Policies (2010 entry) for the schools or LA - whichever is the Admission Authority. They have a duty to publish it.

• Most of them will also have a "consultation document" online for the Admissions Policy for 2011. That will detail any proposed changes to the policy.

• Check what the tests consist of for each school. If the information isn't on their website and you don't want to use the 11+ Forum, call the school or LA.

• Check whether the school has it's own application form in addition to the CAF (Common Application Form) - foundation and faith schools often do.

• If you plan to move, check the deadlines for address evidence very carefully and also the requirements. Some schools require you to demonstrate that you have sold your previous property, etc.

• Make sure that you have a really workable Plan B in case the 11+ doesn't work out. That takes more stress out of the process for parents and children than any other single factor.

OK, time to stop scaring the natives over here and crawl back to my dungeon.

It's just a saying, Ldriver.

Must go ...