11+ 2014 What are people doing over the hols?

[SeagullsAndSand]

Just realised we only have 3 weeks until they go back.

Trying to keep things calm although dc is starting to talk about the exam itself.

Have kept things pretty low key(odd VR paper)wondering if we should up it a gear.

So you have true comprehensives as well as grammars?

Blimey , my DS is starting his new school after CE. For the pre-tests which are the same as 11+ we did nothing over the summer prior to the pre-test - It never occurred to me that I should . I did no work for my DD either . . It's the school holidays and they need to relax . They have a tough few months ahead when they go back there's time enough if they are prepared to work .

Oh seagulls if you read what I typed you will clearly see a reference to "preteen days".

I would happily link but do not want to out my esteemed colleagues who contributed to a European research study on the subject of depression in teens.

And before you start I am not suggesting the posters' children will be depressed. You do have a habit of reading what you want into what is said.

I suggest Google if you are that interested.

Thought you'd gone to bed....

No thanks,unless you care to link I'll take your declarations of doom as regards sensibly studying for one exam at 10 with a pinch of salt.

Well Homework if I was lucky enough to have the cash for private schools I'd put my feet up too but I don't so I'll just cover the work not covered by their primary during the hols thanks.

raisin, passive aggressive chippy posts from you, tsk tsk.

What is this 20 questions?

Taffeta in my part of London we have proper comps with fair banding entry; reasonable travel to a few grammars and there are a couple of selective non-grammars.

blueshoes yawn.

Stoke v Aston Villa is looking so interesting all of a sudden.

11+ content varies.

And sorry believe what you want but my dc hadn't covered a lot of the maths until the last few weeks of the summer term,some not at all(why would they it's year 6 in content and the maj in a class won't even be working at the level 5 content contained in the exam).The reading comp format is completely different(my dc did zero guided reading for the entire summer term anyway), they do zero VR(unlike the prep down the road which only does 11+ prep(not being constricted by the NC )and it's pass rate is what it uses to sell places. My dc also don't do zero short timed essay writing in primary school and had not covered some of the English terms or writing themes.I was a literacy co-ordinator pre kids and checked.

A few hours during a very relaxing summer holiday after a very relaxing school year 6 weeks before the exam isn't hot housing(a term used rather too flippantly)imvho.Aside from anything else my dc wouldn't want to do the exam without adequate prep and I don't believe in setting them up to fail.I just want them on a level playing field.

So if you don't mind I'll continuing upping my game,they've had 2 weeks of the hols doing zilch.Many thanks for the contributions from posters who have answered my questions.

There is a normal distribution intelligence in children. There is also a distribution of the amount of work they put in to passing the 11+. Both will effect their result. Last year dd passed the 11+ and, having done quite a lot of work over the holidays, I concluded the ones who did put in the work deserved to be there.

Also the question of being self driven: at what age does this start? Do some children acquire this when older? I do not know, but I know at 9 or 10 it is for the parent's to make decisions for them as to what would be best. It is no use telling a now driven 16 year old they should have been like that when they were younger so they would have been in grammar.

There is a straight linear correlation between the amount of preparation a child does, and how likely they are to pass. Being clever helps, but is in no way a sure fire recipe for success. Preparation is key and knowing hot to pass the exam ( exam technique etc)

Non grammar area but I am getting DS familiar with 11+ papers for maths, English, VR and NVR for 11+ entrance exams for local independent schools next Jan. Out of the 6 wk summer hols, he is doing an hour a day, 4 x a week for 4 of those weeks. Not a huge amount out of the 14 hrs a day that he is up. (Gets up at 7 am and in bed at 9 pm). I get him to do it in the mornings after breakfast so it's all done and dusted by 10am! He spends far more time watching TV and playing minecraft frankly so not exactly child abuse! He's still managed to do his cycling proficiency, play his guitar, play an awful lot of tennis and generally mooch about doing nothing for the rest of the day.

I do realise that (a) we have just started the prep at home with 5 mths to go and (b) it's not a super selective grammar where the pressure is really full on. We used to live in Trafford and parents were booking tutors from Year 4 so 2 yrs of prep! Inevitably, there is pressure on DS since he understands that he does need to do well to get a place and that a written cheque is not a passport to this school.

Kids are mature enough at 10 to learn the lesson that you do need to work at it in life to be good at anything. Competition is a reality in life and it starts early - take flipping football for example. Kids are dropped like flies from the age of 7/8 because they are deemed not enough to make the team! (Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!)

You do all realise that kids in prep schools tend to have tutors as well.

Personally I think the amount of prep. a DC does for 11 plus is entirely up to the parents and the child. I live in an area where the exam prep. has gone from starting 6 months prior to the exam, moving to 9 months prior and is now up to 2/3 years prior.

However, in line with this increase in preparation time, there appears to be a steep rising trend in the uptake of private tuition once DCs are in the local selective schools (this has come from comments made by parents and teachers at those school). Is this down to a drop in the teaching standards in those schools or down to the failure of the selection process to identify the most academically able children due to "teaching-to-the-test" or are other factors causing this?

Ours is on the 20th September and is 1 hour each of English and maths (with some VR and NVR included) and we're doing about 30/45 minutes each day.

The format has changed since DS did it, so we're doing more 'write for ten minutes about this piece of fruit/view from a window/favourite biscuit' ;) and less VR; I hope we're on the right lines!

Pardon my ignorance here but I feel I should pity all your children.
School is for learning and if they have to do work during the holidays to pass a test to attend the school they clearly aren't bright enough.
Not many grammar schools here but kids just take the test and if they pass they go if they don't they go to a normal school.
They can't be Grammar school material if they need to much work, ah poor kids

I tend to find that parents are able to be more relaxed about the 11+ if there are true decent comprehensives in their areas, or they can pay for independent. In other words, they have decent alternatives.

It's very easy to criticise others actions without thinking first how they may be in a very different position to you.

And yes, I mean you, RaisinBoys.

Arna - I totally agree with your football analogy. We have pulled our DS out from a football academy as the pressure was too great. He is fiercely competitive and driven, and takes "failure" as he sees it, very badly. We are working on this with him, but it's inherent in his nature.

Oh man. I'm done here.

Our local catchment school has 14% of children getting 5 A-C at GCSEs. That's the alternative if she doesn't pass and I think she'd thrive at grammar.

I did the same in the summer with DS-who passed a year or two back with the highest mark in his school and is loving the grammar and in their G+T program-certain not struggling. He probably could have passed without me doing it, but I knew plenty of people whose children didn't pass by just 1/2 marks to think it was worthwhile. The girl over the road from us at private school does VR every day at school plus has 2 hours of tuition a week-I'm sure that she's not alone.

You can't stop people tutoring their children, so it will never be a level playing field to begin with. Most parents just want to give their perfectly able children a fighting chance,

Raisin- you have been rude. Simple.
If you choose not to do much with your dcs that's your business. I couldn't care less.
However, don't judge those who want to ensure that their dcs have the best possible chance of passing.
My dd has just spent. 2 hours studying today and will do the same on Monday.

Sorry More my DS is G&T so very much grammar school material and where he would be happiest.I'd never forgive myself if he lost out due to me doing sfa. If get doesn't get in I've bigged up the alternative,we'd have done our best and we move on.There will several benefits to going to the alternatives.

Starting to think some posters just ignore the content of posts on this thread.He's doing a very small bit of work during some of the hols because there are holes in what he has covered and a fecking prep school,down the road who pretty much only teach to the 11+.

Please don't pity my son he's having a fab holiday.Blackberry picking today along with pie making,The Nut Job on Netflix,loom band making,hamster cleaning out oh and a half hour essay and going over some maths corrections.Hardly slave labour.If he couldn't cope with that- then he'd have problems coping with life in a grammar school.

Seagull- my dd is also grammar school material and that's where she would prefer to go. We are lucky to have a brilliant catholic school in our area, but competition for places is high.
Seagull- you don't have to justify yourself to Raisin and her ilk. There are far too many naysayers on these threads , who try to make others feel like crap. They have their own agendas.

My DSs teacher said he has the ability and temperament for grammar school.

They never ever comment however on whether they think they will pass. That's a whole different story.