7+ exam with little preparation - V bad idea?!

[7pluspanic]

Despite the two of us being privately educated, having a surprise which pushed us beyond 2 children put paid to our plans of educating ours privately.

We are lucky to have good state schools where we are, but my eldest is very bright, top of the top sets for everything and is on the G&T register - but is often saying he finds it boring. We have spoken to the school and they say they are doing what they can.

So, fast forward and I saw an advert for the local private school's 7+ scholarship exams and they say they would like to give state school children a good shout at them. I think that DS would probably be able to do well, but we've done absolutely NO preparation. Realistically, is it fair to put him into this sort of exam environment after only 5 or 6 weeks of practice?! It is a very academic school and I think that the standard of competition is likely to be very high - but I feel that if we don't give him a shot at it, we may regret not giving him the chance to fulfil his academic potential.

Any sage advice please? I have tried to speak to the school today but obviously they are not back until next week I think.

7pluspanic, if you have one very bright child who gets a scholarship, you may find another one of your children manages to, also. And most private schools offer "discounts" on subsequent siblings.

Just wondering, if your ds1 were to have the opportunity to go to a selective state school, would you still not allow this if your other children couldn't get into the selective state school, or would you view that differently because you weren't having to pay for that school? Do you feel the need for all your children to end up at the same school, in order to be seen to be fair, regardless of their different talents and the school's strengths and weaknesses?

Obviously you are in an extremely difficult position, but fairness does not always equate to doing the same thing with all your children, or not doing something with a child just in case you can't do it with your other children. If your ds1 is bored and unhappy, that is a good incentive to try to change things for him. Not learning much academically isn't always a cause of misery at age 6, though! I certainly don't remember feeling I ever learnt very much academically at primary school, but I enjoyed playing, singing, learning the recorder, woodwork, sewing, netball and other non-academic activities in school time. Tbh, I don't have much memory of the academic activities! The lack of academic stimulus at primary school didn't ruin my entire future, though - I still got into Oxford. My father spent 2 years making tea for the teachers and helping the other children at his state primary, whilst he waited to be old enough to take the 11 plus. They were two of the happiest years of his life.

Perhaps you should try not to view private as automatically preferable, but in this case just better if your child is unusually gifted, and bored and unhappy where he is. Or just enter him for the exam and deal with the consequences when you get the result - you don't, after all, know what they will be, you just know you'll wonder whether you missed an opportunity if he doesn't take them. That's why I'm glad I wasn't educated privately - I am not putting my children through an unknown system, repeating what worked for me, albeit I understand what works for one doesn't always work for the other, so I retain an interest in the alternatives. I would hate my children to be unhappy and to feel I failed to do my best for them.

Thanks so much for your perspective rabbitstew - I have been a bit disingenuous because I haven't wanted to identify myself too readily, but we are in an 11+ area, and we are hoping that DS1 (and hopefully his siblings) will get into grammar schools if we support them with a bit of tutoring in the run up to the exams. Our dilemma will come if one or more of them don't get into a grammar school - do we send the ones that don't to private school at that point? Not sure. I suppose that my school experience has been skewed by only having been through the private system and not knowing any state school children throughout my school career.....which I'm sure is not a good thing either, but that is a debate for another day I think!

If it's any help, I know of two families who live in Trafford and have done just that.

In one family, the eldest 2 got in to the Grammar sch of choice but the youngest didn't. They decided to pay for him.

In the other family, they have two very different children. One who is exceptionally bright and their youngest who struggles academically. Eldest at grammar, youngest at indie school.

I'm not really sure about the first family because we just know them rather than are friends but certainly the second family feel that the situation has helped narrow the gap between their kids as the indie is small and gentle and suits their DS perfectly. They've never suggested to me that they feel they treat their DS and DD differently. I don't think fair has to equal same.

haven't read the whole post, but just wanted to say that my state educated ds took a 10+ exam (for deferred entry at 11+) this time last year with no preparation whatsoever, and got a place. He's just taken the 11+ and been asked back for scholarship interview. I reckon the 7+ with no prep should therefore be absolutely fine.

My experience has been that even a very bright child can manage the undemanding education that the state provides at primary level, then move to a selective secondary and thrive there with no harm done. We chose an independent school but no doubt a grammar would be just as good. DS scores over 138/141 on any standardised test he does - so he is bright, honestly, though I know all parents say that!

Any 6yo IS learning at school, whatever they say!

Thanks montysorry, LovelyJudy and Acanthus - that's all very positive. Acanthus, I know that he's being ridiculous, but he's been saying that he's bored with the numeracy stuff (in particluar) that they are doing in class and wants to "do more interesting things", so I think that we need to start doing fun stuff with him outside of school, regardless of the 7+ exam.

Yes, give him lots and lots of interesting stuff at home and he'll be fine. Puzzles, trips, clubs, books, all that stuff.