7+ or 11+

[babynosebleed]

DS is in year 1 and is pretty happy at his current school.
We are in sw London and the other parents around us have started the frenzy around the 7+
as it's so competitive to get into schools at the 11+

Having looked at the exam papers for boys schools, there's no way DS would be able to do them without tutoring. Heck no 6 year old would be able to - a 3 hour exam which includes listening tests, maths and writing a short story at 6 is just not something that they would be able to do easily without any prep.

Part of me thinks he's too young to be going through this but then the appeal is if he gets through now, we won't have to go through the 11+ exam which will be more competitive and even harder?

We are considering KCS, Dulwich or St Paul's.

Hi OP. I don't think many at all get in without tutoring and 11+ entry is, I thought, usually aimed at boys coming from state primaries. We decided to avoid the frenzy completely and go for a Home Counties boys' prep. We moved out to Berks but plenty come in on the school minibuses from SW London. Still lots of very high achieving boys but a lot more relaxed and more space. Couldn't have done the 7+ personally! Just another option to consider.

OP, you need to read the old 7+ mn posts esp from last year. Plenty of 6 yr olds complete the KCS and St Paul's entry exams with ease and get offers from both, they are often at Pre-preps that end at age 7 so focus on the content needed from Reception or they are heavily tutored or both. 11plus at St Pauls is also very tricky, KCS is more manageable if your ds is working at Tiffin level. You need to be realistic about the ability of your dc even at this age.

Thank you - might have a look at Berkshire schools! Not so keen on a long commute for DS though

Looking at the pass exam papers for KCS, i do think DS can do it, but it would need a lot of coaching either from myself or from a tutor to help him. Which makes me wonder if it's worth it
I honestly don't believe any child can get through the exams without coaching.

DS is in a pre prep at the moment but his school goes up to 13 so they are not pushing the children hard now. Part of me thinks to just leave him till 10/11 before pushing too hard

@babynosebleed , if you are already in the prep system you are half way there as they need to teach ahead of the national curriculum to make sure the dc are ready for all the 11 plus preparation during year 5. You need to ensure your dc is working at a level for 8 yr olds by this time next year. You can probably tell from the ability range in your class what the 7+ examiners are looking for and last years thread had lots of examples - ie being able to sit on the floor and listen, follow instructions etc.

Unfortunately old 7+ papers on Kings website have nothing to do with the level required, they are being there for a long time and the kids become more and more prepared. Have a look at owltutors.co.uk sample papers, they are more likely to be like what is expected. Plus verbal and non-verbal reading Bond books for 9 years olds. Dictation from exam papersplus.

A few things to note -- you can usually do both 7+/8+ at the same school (if you do well enough at 7+). A lot of schools (where junior school has ties to senior) only allow a single application at either 11+ or 13+.

As others have mentioned the pool is larger at Y6 as it ties in with maintained education primary school finish (and parents in prep who delayed things).

The last part is even getting into a prep you still need to do the 13+ (just better prepared internally if school has ties between junior and senior).

Short answer -- if DC ready go for 7+ otherwise prepare for 11+ over a longer period.

We are looking into this as well. I agree that there is no way that a normal 6 year who attends a state school would be able to do these exams without some level of tutoring. They are just not working to this level yet. With some tutoring I think it would be do-able for some, and if not then probably best not to push them down a route that might not be best for them at this point.

It's worth reading the latest post on the Hill House v Thomas's v Wetherby post below to give parents an idea of the pace at which pre-preps teach ds.

Sorry "thread below"

Ds is just turned 6 and at a very academic pre prep which all the kids are sitting the 7+. They have been preparing them for the last year and we are busy with the papers. We are not tutoring because our school is excellent for this. We get a full feedback session every 6 weeks, where we discuss where ds is and what's the plan forward. I think you would need either a tutor or a prep that is focused on the exams.

I remember on one of the older thread someone said if DC is at the top of their class then parents may consider St Paul's, Westminster and KCS. Otherwise DC will struggle in those schools.

Agreed -- in WUS it's obvious that every child is coming from being top in their respective schools (in pretty much all areas). You really have to be top of your game to not struggle there.

I know it's different but we are in a grammar school area (state) and some parents start really young with the turning and I think it's so wrong. I waited to see how DC was age 9 (end yr 4) before deciding whether to tutor or not.

If they're top or towards the top then it's worth a shot. So exceeding expectations I think in several or all key subjects.

My eldest in particular took until year 2 to really show his potential and then just excelled at school (state again so obviously a greater range). But if he hadn't it wouldn't have been fair to start 11+ tutoring as it would have knocked his confidence entirely.