Free tutoring for the 11+ - or how to make the 11+ more meritocratic

[tryingreallytrying]

Thinking aloud...

I successfully tutored my own dc for the 11+ and have been approached many times to tutor other people's children (I'm a teacher, but not at this level, but frankly didn't find it difficult to get on top of requirements for the 11+).

I've always said no to doing any paid tutoring (though I've tutored a friend's child for free) - I know I could make lots of money doing this but strongly believe that grammar schools should not only be open to the children of those who can pay - much like it used to be when I went to grammar school myself.

I'd like to return to that situation - where 11+ exams are NOT tutored for. But in the absence of that, I'd like to ensure that 11+ exams are open to everyone, rich or poor, and that the poor are as well prepared for the exams as the rich.

I'm happy to offer my expertise - but can't afford to spend my time tutoring everyone who might want it for free, personally.

So how to achieve that goal? I've thought of creating materials, websites... Anyone else like to join with me in this? Got any other ideas?

Ventura I so agree with your last post re the MN attitude.I think it's part of a wider classist can't do attitude we have as a nation though.We like to put kids in boxes from a very early age and keep them there. Children working hard work or striving for anything at any level is frowned upon.I guess that is why as a nation we are stagnating on the education front compared to the rest of the world.

I meant to write non ss ie it's just a regular grammar.

Steppe we've got the same attitude as you.

I think it's stupendously naive to assume that most parents would find it "not really very hard" to fill gaps in English and Maths and teach exam techniques and study skills.

Tbf Taffeta it's all online.

I found filling in a tax return far harder.There will be a minority who would find it hard which is why primary schools could perhaps play a part.It doesn't take much if they are at the level of literacy/maths they should be.

Ventura, I'm sorry I don't understand what you mean when you say that I am personifying the mystique. Perhaps our understanding of personification is different. I feel that you are saying that I am wrong to have made the choices I have, and that you are judging me and finding me failing.
DD is in the top 5% at her school. We have no way of telling if she is also in the top 5% of the county, we don't have friends with children at grammar school as it is very rare for people in my town to go to grammar school.
You make it sound like identifying gaps in learning is easy, personally I find it quite hard and I do like to work through ideas by talking them through with someone. In the absence of friends and relations to talk to, I use a tutor as a sounding board

"It's all online."

Hmm. Yes it may well be "all online" if you know what you are looking for, have acres of time to identify where your child's gaps are, investigate study aids and most importantly, the confidence to believe in what you are teaching. Some people can't teach, just simply don't have the skills. Not every parent is a natural teacher. Some children are more biddable than others etc.

That said I am perhaps a little too relaxed about the whole thing.I'm not going to beat my chest and gnash my teeth if my DS doesn't get in.I expect DS to do what he can comfortably do with a certain degree of effort and work ethic(which he would need to be there anyway).If it isn't enough I firmly believe it isn't for him.

Perhaps if you're putting more stock into it ie not getting a place would be unthinkable the preparation would be harder(don't know).

Perhaps I am being naive.We shall see.

I think that entirely depends on the alternatives in your area Retropear eh?

Nope it is all laid out on the 11+ forum.

You type in your county and get a run down of the exam with a list of suggested books.There are lists of things to do to support area and active forums.If you can manage Facebook you can navigate said forum.

Maths isn't my thing and it's not that great at our school.Dp does a bit with DS,he has no teaching experience at all.He follows the CPG How to guide.

Our alternatives are pretty average.

I know the 11+ forum thanks. It's not that straightforward. It's fine if you have great self confidence and as you say the alternative to not passing is OK in your area.

I'd be pleased with pretty average.

"If you can navigate facebook you can navigate said forum". This is hopelessly naive, I can really see half the parents are my DCs school articulating what they want to speak about on an 11+ forum. Not.

It seems to boil down to either you pay for it or you have confidence, time and skills in order to be able to teach it yourself.

Which is why grammars are populated by children with middle class parents with sharp elbows.

Half the parents wouldn't have kids applying and sorry at some stage parents and kids have to take responsibility for themselves.The days of being handed things on a plate are over.

My kids are currently at a below average school but I have no intention of sitting back and going woe is me.

Said site isn't hard to navigate,it may look scary but then many sites do which people happily navigate.

Sorry but aside from ensuring maths/Eng are of a good standard and giving access to VR at the end of the day I'm not sure what schools should do.

Identifying gaps is easy - but bond ten minute tests & see which ones your child has no idea. Algebra for example in our case - not taught until year 6 but needed for the 11 plus taken in the second week of year 6. Also identified that despite having done fractions at school ds2 was fairly clueless about them so we knew they needed work as well.

It's not rocket science - albeit it helps that in our area the 11 plus is maths & English only. Yes there will a few parents who can't do primary school maths & English, and there will be a larger number who don't want to teach their children. But if you can't afford a tutor (I felt we couldn't when ds2 needed to do the work) then it is pretty easy to do yourself. There are so many step by step guides & past papers & similar books of questions available. Half an hour on amazon does the trick. Like others on here I felt that if enormous amounts of hands on teaching was needed to get through the 11 plus then it really wasn't going to be the right school for him. Exam practice & identifying & going over ropey areas isn't difficult - and that should be enough for a child who will do well at a grammar school.

Wondered when we'd get the sharp elbowed m/c thing.

Funny that in China the kids of labourers are doing better than the kids of said m/c here and it seems to be just fine and dandy for m/c parents to buy up all the places in Outstanding schools by property.

Getting your kids to work for an exam however is taboo.

Exactly Saintly.

My dc's school is in the bottom quintile for everything however he is still doing very well as regards 11+ on the bits we've done.

I'm guessing posters think kids in Outstanding schools with non m/c parents deserve their places but my DS doesn't if he gets one.

I also checked out all the private schools (ESP in London) & downloaded their specimen entrance exam papers (free & most are kind enough to supply a mark scheme). Once I knew ds2 had a fractions blank I found some super cheap apps for the iPad & he soon got up to speed playing some game involving a chicken iirc.

But if we're not allowed to be "m/c with sharp elbows" then what should we do? Seriously?

DH and I are well educated (state) through luck and hard work, we enjoy literature and discussion, DH is great at maths and regularly tops up their learning. Should those advantages not be passed onto our kids? How could we raise our kids in any other way?

It would be great to find ways to "level the playing field" for disadvantaged kids (I was such a kid!), but talk seems always to be "level at the expense" of those parents and kids who are already interested / naturally advantaged (and I don't mean money).

Short of removing all kids from their homes at a young age and raising them in some kind of utilitarian paradise where they're all treated the same, kids will always be dis/adavantaged in comparison to some other kid.

Well ds2 has a severely disabled brother so maybe he passes some disadvantaged test. TBH I am FAR more sharp elbowed when it comes to dealing with SS on behalf of ds1 than I am about ds2 or ds3 getting into grammar school. Finding some past papers, surgically removing them from computer games & getting them to do a ten minute bond test isn't my definition of particularly sharp elbowed parenting. Ds3 is in year 4 so it's his turn soon.

And if you want parental advantage - having a literate, bolshy, educated parent is a HUGE advantage if you are a severely disabled child - or the sibling of a disabled child. Because the system is so bloody difficult to deal with and anti- parent. And that's an inequality that has far wider consequences than whether or not you get into a grammar.

But the sharp-elbowed thing is exactly why the system needs reforming. Most parents are hard-wired to do the best they can for their children, so you can't rely on them to be altruistic and attempt to level the playing field. It's up to the people designing the playing field to make it as level as possible, and I don't believe the grammar school system is the right way to do that.

Absolutely we should be encouraging our children to work hard and do as well as they can, but the system should be designed to help, not hinder, those children who don't have parents who are willing or able to do that.

Soooo it's alright for the kids from Oustanding primary schools to have an unfair advantage re Sats with extra booster sessions,better teachers,better results etc?It's alright for said kids to cream off the places in the top sets and have extra confidence and a higher starting place on starting secondary?

No system is perfect and the grammar system is here to stay as highlighted by Sutton.You make the best of it,like anything.

Well, obviously, if all children were to taught to high level in the course of their primary school education then all the tutoring would be redundant.

How to achieve that is an endless political wrangle. Not just here, but all over the world.

We want equality; we also want every child to achieve their full potential. Those two aims are often in tension. All of our fudging between the two is usually where we get muddled up.

I've not read the whole of the thread but I also feel strongly that access should be much wider. Part of the problem is the widely held belief that paid specialist tutors are essential. I hate the fact that a huge tutoring industry is exploiting parents' fears and entrenching privilege. Those parents who took the DIY route need to spread the word that it's not that hard.

I looked up 11+ forum & Chuckra and found out the exam format for my school and got hold of some practice material in WHSmith and online. The tests are aimed at 10 year olds - I think most adults could master the techniques with a bit of time & practice.

MrsCakes I'm sorry if you feel I was judging you as an individual. It was a comment on the system, or the myths surrounding grammar school entrance, not intended to be personal at all. Apologies.

I completely agree that with a first child it's far more difficult to judge. It becomes significantly easier with each subsequent child, as does almost everything on the child rearing front.

Nevertheless, the idea that copious funds are needed to have a good shot is just wrong and it most definitely does deter applications and therefore access, which is obviously wrong.