'Twas the day before the 7+ exam

[nutsandcrackers]

Did you let your DC take a day off school on the Friday before the Saturday 7+ exam? If the exam was a weekday e.g. Colet Court's exam in January 2016 is a Friday are you going to let your DS take Thursday off school?

I didn't, no. Just think it adds to the pressure of the exam.

Was 11+ mind, not 7+, but I think the same principles apply!

would strongly suggest just following a normal schedule. although you might be nervous, you should try to minimise it for your son. Let him do whatever he would usually do the day and night before. I always recommend telling children it's THEIR opportunity to see if they enjoy the school rather than emphasise the fact that the school will be assessing them...

No time off here either.

Thanks for the thoughts. The poor DC know they don't they that it's the school choosing them after all the open days where the headmaster says there are 10 boys applying for every place, etc. The Year 2 boys in DS school confess they are stressed and worried about the exams.

Oh dear, really feel for your little DS. DS thinks he's going to have a fun day and is looking forward to it. We are quite stressed leading up to the exams but DS seems not even a bit worried. Perhaps we haven't pushed him enough and he is perhaps over confident as he's very at ease with all subjects at his current school. Agree with Leeds and Cherokeee and there's no plan for us to take him off the day before the exams. I'm counting by days as the exams loom but feel whatever we have or haven't done, it's probably too late to change the outcome of the exams. So as long as DS tries his best that's fine. Though deeply inside, we really hope he can excel and get into one of those super schools. [pray...]

nuts as I hope you can explain to your son: it is the same "10 boys" applying for each place at each of the competitive entry schools (with some exceptions where sensible parents only apply to schools that are geographically convenient!) so the ratio of acceptances to applications is much higher than what you are told at Open Day. Importantly, it is up to parents to relieve the stress their children might pick up from other boys and/or from their schools. We told our son the test day was a chance for him to see if he liked the school -- on the basis that the extent to which a child enjoys the test day is, I'm sure, highly correlated with success on the exam.
Good luck. I hope you find a way to manage the process so it becomes enjoyable for your son. He is only 7! These exams will not determine his future happiness and success in life. There are many excellent primary and prep schools in London -- I'm sure you will find one that is suitable for your son and for your family.

No time off for either son. Best to be relaxed about it and not make it such a Big Deal. Both sons did fine.