How to prepare for private school 7+ entry, any ideas?

[londongirl1]

Hello - my daughter's at a state middle school which we're really not happy with. She was privately educated up to last year - we then thought we'd change her to the local school, which was a mistake as she's just coasting and not putting any effort in, her work standards have slipped and she isn't challenged at all. So we're trying for an occasional place at a well-regarded academic girl's private school. She's got two months before the test. Was wondering what we should do to prepare? Any advice gratefully received!

No xenia, its not a middle class thing here! If you belive that the testing and tutoring at such a young age are endemic to teh Mc everywhere, you are even more parachial than I thought!

Personally I dont have any "issues" about my job, social class, education or income so I dont feel the need to boast about them on mumsnet, as I know some people do. But I think some people might be a little offended by your implication that only mc people want to

" talk ........ about maths issues, psychology etc ... wanting to teach your children and help them....spend a huge lot more time talking to their children which expands their vocabulary about all kinds of subjects "

I was specifically asking about the tutoring and the entrance tests at 4, 5 and 6. I was wondering how our oldest managed to get into a good oxbridge college without all thsi academic pressure so young? Are we just more fortunate in our schoools?

god
this is horrendous
let 'em be kids

I think the problem is that (huge generalisation here) children that go to low-achieving state schools do not get the same A-level results and into the same Unis as the kids that go to the more academically focused schools (whether state or private). Sorry, will get jumped on for that, but don't know how to phrase it. There will always be exceptions of course.

adn hten they will die

ohf or gods sake

I was trying to say it's not really pressure at all and just part of helping your children do their best at any age and only a small part of interaction with them. I've never particularly pressured my children at all. I just want them to fulfil their potential and find work they really enjoy doing.

I don't think helping 6 and 7 year olds learn reading, tables, spellings and how to write stories is damaging to them at all given how long most of them spend each day on other pursuits. The learning element is fairly small. I wouldn't like us to get like Japan say.

so teh probelm is that your state school and low acheiving, is that right? sorry to bang on, but I really do want to understand. this is a common theme on mumsnet and I have never understood it.

BTW I am not criticising anyone for trying to get their kids a good education. I agree its very important. Just feel a bit that its so hard for those of you who live in london. Glad I dont live there

thnak you for explaining it to me [smile

Cod-I really don't care, just trying to answer Kristina's question

thnak you marialuisa, you have been very helpful

cod dont be so rude

BTW sorry for bad typing toddler on keyboard

Kristina, which country do you live in? I'm just curious and was wondering if it was Scandinavia. IMO I must say I believe many of us UK parents have COMPLETELY lost the plot regarding education, all this exam prep and tutoring of babies. It's all aimed at one thing, again, purely in my opinion and that's to make sure the children get into highly paid jobs so they, too, can enjoy a 500,000 quid mortgage and 20,000 quid a year school fee bills when they're adults and thus perpetuate the MCs!!

Personally I like to sit back and smile as I witness the paroxysms of justification we come up with as to why our DCs are somehow so precious they can't possibly be expected to mix with the hoi polloi in nasty state schools.

And yes, I believe is IS largely a London thing.

go miljee

,y kdis are able to hack it in a nromal shcool
they dont need etra help

cod i think its easy to say that if your local state school is good or at least ok. and your kids have teh personality to cope with being "different"

anyway, i am sorry to have hijacked your thread londongirl. I seem to have turned it into a private vs state schooling debate, which wasnt my intention.

i just genunely wanted to understand why it was so hard for children in teh London area to get a decent education and you have helped me do that. thank you

good luck with your plans for your DD londongirl

god what a shame, those poor kids

move out of London then if things are so shit there

get a lower paying job in another part of the world and give your kids a less pressured life

There's no pressure on most of the children. That is what I was trying to say. There are quite a lot of private schools and if they don't get in one they'll get in another and if they don't get in at 7 they'll get in at 11 or 13. Some silly parents choose to make it a pressured process probably because they don't work and have no other thing in their lives except pushing the next generation to avoid making the mistake they made which led them to be housewives I suppose.

I think what people often fail to notice is that even in relatively poor performing or averagely performing state schools there will be a few children who will get top grades at GCSE and A level and will go on to the top universities. Saying that most of the children from those schools will do poorly ignores the fact that some - especially the bright ones from supportive famiiles - will do very well in those schools, and will not be "behind" at all by age 18. There are many on mumsnet who've been in that situation, and I can think of plenty of children I know in real life too who are doing absolutely fine, or even brilliantly, in fairly mediocre state schools.

I do think it's easy to panic and see that most of the children won't be in that situation, but actually, many of the children whose parents are on this sort of thread would be those who will do well in state or private, if people didn't panic about it. As KristinaM says, there are many many children in the top universities who didn't go to private or selective schools. it's not that unusual.

I agree. I know at my ex husband's private school I often saw parents who in my view were making too high a financial sacrifice in paying fees when they could have done as well in state schools. If it's having a major impact on your life don't bother. If the fees are manageable then pay. Most children go to state schools and many do well academically. Many go to private schools and don't do well too. Many private schools cater for children who are not very bright anyway.

Yes, Kristina, the anxiety about the Y4 child is that, come the competitive entrance exams at 11, he won't be up to it and will have to go to our very poorly performing comprehensive.

Living in London for us isn't all about huge salaries - in fact, it isn't about that at all. A lot of it is about being near family.

And I feel tremendously sorry for children who are being tutored for exams at the age of 5. They've only been at school for a year!