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7+ for GHS ...preperation tips please.

8 replies

Doc25 · 10/08/2015 08:06

hello all..my daughter would be sitting for 7+ for Guildford high school in Dec this year...Can you please advise on books (math/engkish/verbal/nonverbal) and preperation tips...she is ranked as a good student in her current class...many thanks.

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CB2009 · 10/08/2015 12:17

Not familiar with this specific school but son will try 7+ entrance exams in Dec/Jan for NW London private schools. He just left Y1 at state prep. We are working with Bond assessment books for Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning. We did some 6-7 and now working through all of them for age 7-8. Using Scholfield and Simms for Non Verbal as recommended to us as slightly tougher than Bond. We are writing a story each week over the summer and a diary recount. Spellings - high frequency words, wow adjectives, months of year etc etc. Times tables (not 7, 8 &9). We are reading lots to him and him to us. All the usual good authors/books for children - R Dahl, Flat Stanley, Dick King-Smith etc etc No idea if this is adequate but we do some each day over the summer and then the rest of the day is fun/outdoor stuff. It feels like plenty. Good luck. Hope this is of some use!

Doc25 · 13/08/2015 09:20

many thanks CB2009...for time tables how many time tables should be adequate? is there a fixed number like timetables till 6? i a doing scholastic books at the moment with my dd...hope to start bond assessment once we finish this...many thanks..

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CB2009 · 13/08/2015 11:50

I have heard mixed reports on tables. Some people/schools seem to need all of them. We have been told to focus on up to 6 plus 10, 11. Less focus on 7-8-9 and 12. Good for them to know the easier tables in word problems too rather than a straight sum. So for example how many pairs of socks. Or sharing a bag of sweets between 3 children. I will take look at the scholastic books too! Thank you & good luck

Fishinthepond2 · 11/03/2017 19:05

Good evening CB2009
I was looking on Mumsnet for advice and a tutor regarding 7+for my daughter.
She goes to an independent school in N London but the school offers no support whatsoever for 7+. Can I kindly ask you the details of Arlette as I saw an older 7+ discussion and you mentioned her as a tutor.
I hope you don't mind
Kind regards
Patricia

ghsmum · 11/03/2017 21:51

Please check the website for some details:
www.guildfordhigh.surrey.sch.uk/joiningghs
There are no VR or NVR test papers.

Rather than being far ahead, focus on accuracy in maths and comprehension and for writing focus on punctuation, wow words, spelling key words accurately and different sentence openers.

Traintracks · 12/03/2017 22:49

Be aware that arlette selects - she assesses in the June of reception and if your child can't do number bonds to 10, maths within 20, reading to ORT 7 and some comprehension she won't take them on. So at lest some of her success is in the cohort she takes.

tashka · 15/10/2018 13:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skal · 15/10/2018 16:08

#Fishinthepond2

Just to add, we went for arlette's programme and found it really unsuitable for our extremely bright DS (who has been tested very high on IQ, like in top 2%). We realised that we were mainly doing 50 pages of maths every week and that too simple maths questions, which really put DS7 off the whole thing. Also, she doesn't do anything on story writing except telling you to do beginning, middle, end. We found comprehension to be quite elementary too. So, DS did not find any connection with Arlette at all and we discontinued after being with her for 6/7 months.

In reality, for 7+, what children need is the exam technique. Exampaperplus is extremely useful for 7+ preparation and quite a gold standard. If you can do those, there is a high likelihood your child will make to the top schools.

I would really suggest not to waste time on tutors, rather build up on what your child already knows and focus on exam technique. Of course, if you feel that the child needs help with a particular aspect like composition (which is hard for most children), find a very focussed external help. But even then, the whole 7+ process needs a lot of commitment from the parents and depends on their ability to extract the best of their child (by hook or by crook!).

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