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Original poster

At what age did you think your child might do well in the 11+?

36 replies

AmbushedByCake · 10/04/2022 18:34

If your child sat the 11+ and did well, what age where they when you thought about grammars, and what made you think they could do well? If you did any prep/tutoring, what school year did you start in? Thanks :)

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spanieleyes · 10/04/2022 23:41

For my eldest son, we never thought about it until we moved at the start of year 7 into a grammar area. We discovered we were moving on the Friday and the test was on the Tuesday! So no prep, no practice, he just sat the test! With my younger son, we were a little better prepared and he did a couple of familiarisation tests in the summer between yr 5 and 6 which I think helped him just understand the format etc.

LadyCatStark · 10/04/2022 23:49

DS decided, 3 months before the test. We did some practise and preparation but no tutoring. He passed and is now in year 8 and doing really well 😊.

Africa2go · 11/04/2022 11:59

Grammar School area, always in the back of our mind but was told by Yr 2 teacher that DC was "clearly Grammar School suited". Started tutor about 11 months before the test (so Yr 5) - it was more test familiarisation and tricks to improve speed rather than traditional tutoring.

3peassuit · 11/04/2022 15:55

I think it was about age 8. She read for pleasure, was very curious about how things worked and enjoyed maths puzzles. I hadn’t thought much about it till then.

NobbyButtons · 11/04/2022 17:54

We started doing some learning packs at home in about February/March of Year 5 after watching the grammar school's online open day with DS. (Unfortunately there was no in-person open day due to covid). We (parents) probably started thinking about it in Year 4.

HighRopes · 12/04/2022 09:10

We knew from KS1 that they were ‘exceeding’ across all subjects, asked the class teacher in Y3/4 to confirm. Did home preparation (aka tutoring, but didn’t use a tutor) from Y5 for about an hour a week for the oldest, plus a bit more over the summer and in the autumn term before the exams. From mid Y4 for the youngest because we needed something to do during lockdown when she got barely any schoolwork.

Focus was Y6 maths (as not covered in school in time for grammar exams), some VR/NVR as that’s in stage 1 for our local grammar, a bit of comprehension as the exam one is a lot harder than the ones they do in school and exam technique.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 12/04/2022 09:16

We moved from a Grammar area when DD was in Yr3 and tutoring was already being discussed. It hadn't been a consideration for our elder DD. I was happy to escape that pressure.

Phewthemutinyworked · 12/04/2022 09:20

About year 2/3 for my older children . My youngest I can honestly say I was never sure how he would do , but he wanted to go to grammar school with his older brother ! He actually got the top score !!
They all had a few weeks of tutoring so they got used to timings,format,NVR …all of which is not covered at any Primary School .
I bought practice papers which we did in a leisurely,non stressy environment.

Rosewaterblossom · 12/04/2022 09:28

Similar as Africa2go. Was also a forward, switched on child right from preschool where he just "had" something in his brain. Around year 2 or 3 his teachers made comments he was grammar school material, always at greater depth throughout primary.

In year 5 he had some test tutoring, not to make him more clever but for test speed and familiarity and they didn't cover some of the material in his primary. He end up scoring 74 points above the pass score and is now an 8/9 grade grammer student 🙂

Chewbecca · 12/04/2022 09:43

In infant school.

Say there were 20 DC in the class, I think about 10 were on the ‘top table’ and I think all may have passed the 11+. There were probably 7 on the ‘middle table’ of whom perhaps 1 or 2 passed. The remaining 3 kids didn’t sit.

No tutoring but private primary who prepped for it. We’re in Essex where the exam content is very similar to the NC so if you’ve grasped that, you only need a little exam technique.

LBFseBrom · 12/04/2022 13:28

I can't say I ever gave it much thought, I just assumed he would do well. Neither I nor his dad were great shakes at school :-,) and we both passed and received grammar school places so I guessed it would be the same for our son. It was.

He had no extra tutoring but we always did fun educational things with him, puzzles, reading and writing, discussions, etc. He did OK, no complaints.

Earlier somebody posted a thread asking an 11+ question which she wanted to help her son to work out. Now I cannot see her thread and hope somebody did answer her. However I will post the question here before I forget it, for others (I've always found this sort of thing very difficult and now I'm setting old, even more so; I don't care usually but this is bugging me):

A person can afford to buy 6 limes and 7 lemons or else 8 limes and 4 lemons. Both options leave him/her with no change whatsoever. If however she/he bought only lemons, how many could he/she afford?

Is the answer 16?

Lockdowndramaqueen · 12/04/2022 13:37

Three lemons are the same price as two limes which turns the 8 limes into 12 lemons plus the four already there and hey presto 16.

underneaththeash · 12/04/2022 13:37

Neither of my boys were academic at all until year 3/4. Both passed just with doing papers at home in year 5 with me. (Although DS didn’t go).
DD is not academic.

merryhouse · 12/04/2022 13:48

Yes.

where x is price of lemons and y is price of limes

total price T = 6x + 7y = 8x + 4y
so (7-4)y = (8-6)x so 3y = 2x so x = (3/2)y

so T = (6x3/2)y + 7y = 9y=7y = 16y

merryhouse · 12/04/2022 13:49

oh bugger, that = should be a + I'm sure you can work out which one

merryhouse · 12/04/2022 13:50

or of course what @Lockdowndramaqueen put... I've been too well-trained

LBFseBrom · 12/04/2022 13:53

@merryhouse

Yes.

where x is price of lemons and y is price of limes

total price T = 6x + 7y = 8x + 4y
so (7-4)y = (8-6)x so 3y = 2x so x = (3/2)y

so T = (6x3/2)y + 7y = 9y=7y = 16y

Thanks Merryhouse!
WhiteHartLane · 12/04/2022 14:22

Similar to pp in that we knew very early on (maybe aged 4) - he appeared very cognitive and found learning easy . He was always exceeding expectations in Primary and it was his Year 4 teacher who confirmed he was "Grammar level"
We didn't pay for any tutoring he just completed some online timed practice papers with me during the Year 5 summer holiday. He passed and is now doing well in Year 10.

Lockdowndramaqueen · 12/04/2022 14:30

@merryhouse

or of course what *@Lockdowndramaqueen* put... I've been too well-trained
😂😂😂 think maybe I am just badly trained. I have a logical but not mathematical brain if that makes sense.
pkim123 · 15/04/2022 20:02

As soon as we saw the CAT4 results it was clear.

Dixiechickonhols · 19/04/2022 10:27

Reception. All 4 children top table in reception were the 4 to pass. DD enjoyed sitting and reading and writing she’s 16 now and laughs about her and her friend (who also passed) who spent all their time in the reading corner while the others played in the sand. School wise from juniors they had tests every year and I think from year 3 the school indicated that a mark in this bracket indicated possible grammar ability. She was tutored from November yr 5 mainly maths as she needed to have covered all year 6 maths by start of year 6.

Hoppinggreen · 19/04/2022 12:15

To be honest from about age 3
She had group tutoring (3 of them) for 1 hour a week from the beginning of Y5

pkim123 · 19/04/2022 12:21

@Hoppinggreen

To be honest from about age 3 She had group tutoring (3 of them) for 1 hour a week from the beginning of Y5
wow, just age 3 and you knew? that's brilliant.
Svara · 19/04/2022 12:23

@AmbushedByCake

If your child sat the 11+ and did well, what age where they when you thought about grammars, and what made you think they could do well? If you did any prep/tutoring, what school year did you start in? Thanks :)
4/5. Knew DS had an talent for mathematics at 4, non reader starting school but in the top group for reading with two girls a year older and another six months older at age 5. Bought a practice test book in the January of year 6 and left him to it (he sat the late test in the March).
MarshaBradyo · 19/04/2022 12:25

It was hard to really know for Ds that he’d do as he did in exams

We kind of knew he was doing well but just thought we’d give it a go

Not much prep other than past papers and a month on an online format - which he did do well at

Then just went for it and he’s happy in new school without too much prep