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Education

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Original poster

11 + parents - a question about school visits. Are you taking your dc? Would be great to hear from parents with dc at grammar too. Thanks

19 replies

Waltandfizbee · 07/09/2012 21:59

My dd is starting year 5 and will be taking the 11+ next September.
So my question is, when you look/looked at schools, did you take your dc with you? I don't want dd to think her opinion doesn't count but at the same time, ultimately dh and I will be picking the school for her.
If you did take your dc, did you go with their choice?
I remember falling for my secondary school because I liked the Art room. Not a good reason to choose a school though

OP posts:

letseatgrandma · 07/09/2012 22:13

My DS is in Y6 and taking the 11+ this month. The open evenings were full of parents with children-I think showing them the lovely schools wth great facilities is a very good way of motivating them into working hard!!

Original poster

Waltandfizbee · 07/09/2012 22:49

Good idea about the motivation
Do you and your DS like the same school?

OP posts:

numptymark1 · 07/09/2012 22:57

we went to see schools in year 4, shortlisted and then took dcs to visit them in Yr5

yes as the parent you make the decision but there is no point sending DC to a school they hate

in your situation I would take them

Nuttyprofessor · 07/09/2012 23:03

I took my DS, would never consider not. We agreed on our order of preference. I think it is important to be positive about all of your choices, you may not get your first choice.

kilmuir · 07/09/2012 23:18

took my DD to the grammar and the academy in our town. She preferred the feel of the academy

Original poster

Waltandfizbee · 08/09/2012 07:58

Tbh we live about a mile out of area for all the grammar schools - we are effectively in no mans land. What I don't want is dd getting her heart set on one place and then she doesn't get in. She is bright enough to do well but geographically whether she gets a place uncertain (but not impossible).

We will be taking her I think but making sure she knows there are no guarantees.

OP posts:

seeker · 08/09/2012 08:03

Of course take them! They are the ones who have to spend the next 7 years there!

Original poster

Waltandfizbee · 08/09/2012 08:09

I've said we will! Dd just gets so hooked on things - she may fly through the 11+ and still not get a place anywhere, just worrying about protecting her really.

OP posts:

Merle · 08/09/2012 08:14

Yes I took my Y5 child. I also took my Y8 child, who is already there. The main reason for the visit was to snoop on the Y8 child (I told him this), as he tells me very little as to what goes on in the school day. The other purpose was of course to inspire my Y5-er. We all had a good evening.

11+ is next week.

letseatgrandma · 08/09/2012 09:03

Yes-we agree on the same school. It's lucky in that this school would only take DS about one minute to walk to in the mornings, so that's quite a good motivator! The other grammar is a longer walk/cycle-but still quite doable. I would have been happy with either tbh, but the one he can virtually fall out of bed into is so perfect that unless there was something horrible about that one; he'd be silly not to choose it.

Enjoy looking round the schools-I found it fascinating!

Lottie4 · 08/09/2012 14:27

We looked at two schools and took our daughter to both of them - I think everyone took their kids and there were science experiments and art projects lined up for the kids. I think it's good for them to see as much of a potential school as possible.

breadandbutterfly · 08/09/2012 15:12

Of course you must take them; I don't know anyone who didn't. If you want them to work for the 11+ they have to understand what that means and want to go there - you can't expect them to work otherwise.

Occasionally a few schools will have visits during the school day which are harder logistically to take your kids to as they have to miss classes - but open evenings are designed for kids to attend.

Milliways · 08/09/2012 19:40

Yes, take them. I took DS and he whispered to me "I'm soo coming here, it's like Hogwarts" part way round.

He will be showing the Yr5's around in another week - now Yr13! :)

seeker · 09/09/2012 00:26

Another reason for taking them- they need to know it's not the end of the world if they don't pass. Because most don't!

JustGettingByMum · 09/09/2012 07:21

A lot of bright children either don't pass the 11+, or pass but don't get offered a place anyway - there are lots of threads about both on MN. Please remember to take yor DC around your Plan B schools as well, and remember to be equally enthusiastic and positive about these too.

Anyway, it's always fun visiting new schools

Original poster

Waltandfizbee · 09/09/2012 08:18

Yes, we have got all the options on our list, we have a busy sept and oct coming up
DD should pass, all things being equal, but we are definitely taking her to the non-grammar too. She may end up there because of where we live and she knows a couple of children there so that should help.
Thanks for all the advice, I can tell the 11+ is an emotive topic for some - me included!

OP posts:

BeingFluffy · 09/09/2012 12:22

I am a parent with daughters at a so called super-selective grammar and a comprehensive. By all means bring your daughter along to the open evenings/days. Her opinion is important. I would try and have positive conversations with her about all the schools - pointing out nice aspects and things they do well. Neither of my DD's got into their first choice schools.

gazzalw · 09/09/2012 12:29

DS has just started at a super-selective (his second choice originally but he's now glad he's at the one he's at) and he visited all the schools which we were seriously interested in. DW did most of the visits with him and although their opinions weren't always the same, it was good for them to be able to thrash it all out based on what they'd seen. I think 10/11 year olds are perfectly capable of picking up a 'vibe' about a school and it is important to have their input seeing as they will be the ones stuck with the choice for 7 years!

We did a few visits at the end of year 5 and the rest at the beginning of year 6 but wished we'd started a year earlier to be quite honest. It's very tiring particularly for the children when they've done full days at school and have homework and are possibly doing practice for exams (for some not all) too... It also just you more time to revisit 'shortlisted' schools etc....

I think it's also helpful for any younger siblings to look round too...not only so that they get an idea of what big schools are like but also so they have some idea of where their older siblings are disappearing off to everyday!

ImaginateMum · 14/09/2012 14:30

I went to three schools alone last year (Year Four). I was pleased I did, because I got into the swing of the whole open evening format - how they work, what to try and find out, etc. This year (Year Five), I will attend as many as we can realistically manage with DS in tow. Neither of us like speedy decision making, which is what it would be if we left it all till Year 6.

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