11 plus coaching - even for 6 year olds

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Just read \link{http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/4755270.stm\this}

Parents need to get a grip when it comes to education in this country. Coaching 6 year olds for the 11 plus. Whatever next? I went to a bog standard comp, received no extra tuition etc and still ended up with a PhD. Things are not that bad. My boss's daughter failed her GCSE maths and got a D in English last year, despite going to private shcool from the age of 5 and being in classes of 10 or less. My DH's 2 cousins went to private school and left with nothing. DH and sister both went to bog standard comps and they too have PhD, like me. No private tuition or coaching for them either (our parents were too poor and did not know about things like that, thank goodness).It is really down to the individual, imo.

My goodness, anyone would think that other than grammar schools, state schools offer nothing but failure and misery the way the media portrays them.

I'm actually sending my children private to avoid the hothousing and endless SATS coaching that goes on in the state schools.

They will have to sit an 11 plus, but form what I gather it can't really be coached in terms of facts, it is verbal and non verbal reasoning etc.

I don't care one jot what qualifications they end up with as long as they have fulfilled their potential, whether it be in academic sujects, drama, music, sport or woodwork!

I went to a bog standard comp, but there was very little opportunity to participate in anything extra curricular. I got decent exam results, but wished I could have done more drama and music.

Mine are also going private to avoid 11-plus. Here if they are in private school they are not allowed to take it because they are considered to have an unfair advantage over the state primary students. This is a plus as far as I'm concerned.

I know what you mean julienetmum. If your school does not provide extracurricular activities that you would like to participate in and your parents can't afford such things, then you do miss out.

I can't help feeling that school is no longer about acquiring an appreciation of learning and enjoying what you have learnt. It is more about one upmanship for too many parents, league table position for too many schools and political dogma for too many politicians. I'm not surprised so many children end up hating school