Year 5 - preparing for 11+

[nicename]

What is a realistic prep plan for the 11+ exams?

I know that there are Bond papers etc and have past papers from the schools, but what is a 'good' timetable of study?

Thanks Smee. It's interesting to know. It's hard for me to know what is a given nationally and what is the choice of my local school.

Agree with smee, just to big up state section, dc won places a very selective private school at 7 and were easily up to speed on what was required for the exam, simply on the basis of what they'd done at school. I'd had dire warnings they'd be years behind prep school kids, would need heaps of tutoring etc.

Of course, all schools are different but it's worth not automatically assuming your child will be miles behind and a no hoper.

Oh, and my dcs' prep insists on them jamming in adjectives etc too, much to my irritation, so this is certainly not just a state thing. Good luck OpP and everyone else 11+ing it.

Smee - those are exactly my DDs gaps.

Though - FWIW - she's cottoned on quick. We youtubed it, then did like 100 examples. It is surmountable.

It's interesting how teaching differs so much - maths especially. My SIL teaches at a strongly academic private school and she was a bit amazed when she looked through my DS's maths work as she said it was ahead of her year 5's.

The jamming adjectives into everywhere seems universal then!

The wonderful idea of adding excellent adjectives at every literary opportunity seems widely accepted as a terrible educational affliction.

marriedDad

to the adjectives. My Y2 dd just had one of those adjectivy homeworks: she crammed so many in it looked like a spoof...

Interestingly, a bunch of Y2 kids got into local super selectives recently, some with no tutoring (one with, but they went to Colet Court which I believe is nigh on impossible without). All from state, no problem.

I understand from the school that the transfer exam from Colet Court to St Paul's (age 13) is mostly to ensure that the 7+ and 8+ intake are still up to scratch - the 11+ having been tested more recently are less of an issue for transfer and more likely to pass.

It does raise a concern that a tutored boy at 7/8 might be at risk of being "underwater" more.

Yes, it does.

Though the one I know personally certainly won't be.

There was another little lad the same age who went for it at the same time, and had had no tutoring - he failed to get into any of the schools he tried for, and yet he is very bright. I can't help wondering if the confidence that going over papers (over time) brings made the difference between them?

Which is a shame, but I suspect it must play a part...there must be a certain amount of exam technique coming into play, even at that age

Interestingly too, I was given to believe by a friend who teaches at St P's that almost all the CC boys do go on?

I have dds, so am a bit clueless on boys' schools...

EllieBean

Yes. The school have also made it clear that almost all boys do and a few choose another school (Eton etc). The only case I've heard of that was not sailing through they worked with the boy to get the couple of areas he was falling short on up to scratch and he went through anyway.

I guess the school just want the option to say no, but, since they have such an effective entry process they rarely need to.

I'd recommend to begin with:
MATHS
Maths on Target (Year 6 if a bright Y5 pupil preparing for 11+ state/ independent selective assessments).
Be sure to buy the separate grrrr answer book.

ENGLISH (comprehension):
Focus on Comprehension books 3 and (then) 4 - Nelson.

SELECTIVE STATES:
Have a look at elevenplusexams (google them). The resources that they recommend for state selective a are brilliant. You can look up area and school-specific resource recommendations. This is important as schools vary in their assessment content of their assessment (verbal and/ non-verbal as well as maths - some also have a written / comprehension element).

Independent selectives need more work on creative writing too, in general.
No one resource I'd recommend for this, I'm afraid. Tend to decide my own to incorporate punctuation, grammar, content (organisation and structure RELEVANT TO TITLE / question - e.g. 'continue the story' from comprehension).
Most indies have specimen/ old papers. Very often, these are on their web. page / can be sent

I'd recommend to begin with:
MATHS
Maths on Target (Year 6 if a bright Y5 pupil preparing for 11+ state/ independent selective assessments).
Be sure to buy the separate grrrr answer book.

ENGLISH (comprehension):
Focus on Comprehension books 3 and (then) 4 - Nelson.

SELECTIVE STATES:
Have a look at elevenplusexams (google them). The resources that they recommend for state selective a are brilliant. You can look up area and school-specific resource recommendations. This is important as schools vary in their assessment content of their assessment (verbal and/ non-verbal as well as maths - some also have a written / comprehension element).

Independent selectives need more work on creative writing too, in general.
No one resource I'd recommend for this, I'm afraid. Tend to decide my own to incorporate punctuation, grammar, content (organisation and structure RELEVANT TO TITLE / question - e.g. 'continue the story' from comprehension).
Most indies have specimen/ old papers. Very often, these are on their web. page / can be sent

I'd recommend to begin with:
MATHS
Maths on Target (Year 6 if a bright Y5 pupil preparing for 11+ state/ independent selective assessments).
Be sure to buy the separate grrrr answer book.

ENGLISH (comprehension):
Focus on Comprehension books 3 and (then) 4 - Nelson.

SELECTIVE STATES:
Have a look at elevenplusexams (google them). The resources that they recommend for state selective a are brilliant. You can look up area and school-specific resource recommendations. This is important as schools vary in their assessment content of their assessment (verbal and/ non-verbal as well as maths - some also have a written / comprehension element).

Independent selectives need more work on creative writing too, in general.
No one resource I'd recommend for this, I'm afraid. Tend to decide my own to incorporate punctuation, grammar, content (organisation and structure RELEVANT TO TITLE / question - e.g. 'continue the story' from comprehension).
Most indies have specimen/ old papers. Very often, these are on their web. page / can be sent

I'd recommend to begin with:
MATHS
Maths on Target (Year 6 if a bright Y5 pupil preparing for 11+ state/ independent selective assessments).
Be sure to buy the separate grrrr answer book.

ENGLISH (comprehension):
Focus on Comprehension books 3 and (then) 4 - Nelson.

SELECTIVE STATES:
Have a look at elevenplusexams (google them). The resources that they recommend for state selective a are brilliant. You can look up area and school-specific resource recommendations. This is important as schools vary in their assessment content of their assessment (verbal and/ non-verbal as well as maths - some also have a written / comprehension element).

Independent selectives need more work on creative writing too, in general.
No one resource I'd recommend for this, I'm afraid. Tend to decide my own to incorporate punctuation, grammar, content (organisation and structure RELEVANT TO TITLE / question - e.g. 'continue the story' from comprehension).
Most indies have specimen/ old papers. Very often, these are on their web. page / can be sent

I'd recommend to begin with:
MATHS
Maths on Target (Year 6 if a bright Y5 pupil preparing for 11+ state/ independent selective assessments).
Be sure to buy the separate grrrr answer book.

ENGLISH (comprehension):
Focus on Comprehension books 3 and (then) 4 - Nelson.

SELECTIVE STATES:
Have a look at elevenplusexams (google them). The resources that they recommend for state selective a are brilliant. You can look up area and school-specific resource recommendations. This is important as schools vary in their assessment content of their assessment (verbal and/ non-verbal as well as maths - some also have a written / comprehension element).

Independent selectives need more work on creative writing too, in general.
No one resource I'd recommend for this, I'm afraid. Tend to decide my own to incorporate punctuation, grammar, content (organisation and structure RELEVANT TO TITLE / question - e.g. 'continue the story' from comprehension).
Most indies have specimen/ old papers. Very often, these are on their web. page / can be sent

So sorry for poly-posting. My phone said that the connection had failed - and having spent a few minutes writing that up, I didn't want to lose it. Oops!

Good exam technique - read the question, answer the question 5 times over.

Hahaha. So very true!

If you are concerned that a few hours of bond etc might not be enough for your DC then why not book a place on one of the courses available in the summer holidays? Might be worth paying a deposit now so you have that option (no idea how full they get).