Is there any one out there with kids hoping to take 11 plus for Colchester or Chelmsford??

[drivinmecrazy]

My DD1 is fast aproaching November exam and am wondering how other parents/kids are feeling??
I am veering from feeling wonderfuly optimistic one week to full of doom the next. DD just starting to realise what could be happeniong in just a few short months.
She has tutoring with 3 other equal ability children, which she loves. But I am begining to wonder if she has any real notion of what it is all about.
Would love to hear from others taking the same format test (50% VB 25% English 25% maths)
Currently DD is scoring almost 100% english, between 60 & 70% maths and anything between 55 & 85% VB. How does this compare to your DC?
BTW, not asking for a bragging contest just really interested how other kids in the area are doing so far

No one in Essex taking 11 plus in November????

Not this year, but my DD starts at CCHS in sept and DS1 is at CRGS.

English sounds good (I assume you know they changed the format of the paper last year which caused a bit of a storm!) VR is the most important so probably the one to work at. Children never seem to score as well on the day as in practice - expect a 10% drop at least.
She has plenty of time yet. Good luck they are great schools.

My ds is doing the Essex 11+ in November. I am feelinig stressed already although trying not to show it! Myd dd is at CCHS (Chelmsford) and loves it so we really want the same for ds - it is actually harder second time round as we know what we will be missing if he doesn't get a place.

Regarding scores he is averaging in the 70 per cents for each subject.

My DD doing Wiltshire and Gloucestershire in Oct and Nov and feeling exactly the same. Nervous wreck today as keep reading how many people have tutors. We took DD out of private prep at Easter as we were moving but didnt happen so now home schooling until 11+ . Using all the books etc but not sure if it will be enough as we started so late. Also her variation in grades varies wildly from one day to another. Just read a posting on the 11+ forum from a mum questioning the answer to a specific question in a Bond book. I had no idea it was so competitive. I'm getting palpitations as I type.

My DS will be doing the Essex 11plus, hoping for KEGS.

He scores VR 92% maths 96% and English 94% most of the time. He has always been gifted in maths, but has had to work harder in the English and find the score drops if poetry is involved.

It seems the boys are not as good as the girls at English, and the girls are not as good as the boys at maths. I know that is not very PC but it is true.

I know he is capable but I still worry about it as anything can happen on the day.

Much of it is down to how they perform on the day. So unfair really.

My DD took the Essex 11+ in Nov 2009. In the mocks and past papers she was getting around 75% on VR, 70% on English and 65% mATHS.

With the drop of 10% most people suggested happens on the day, I didn't think she had a hope of getting in anywhere but she is a cool customer and got around 70% in everything on the day which was enough to get her into Westcliff (she would never have coped at CCHS)

She had a number of friends at the same tutor who regularly got 90-100% on their practise papers who did not gain grammar school places as they underperformed on the day.

DD wanted to do the 11+. We never put any pressure on her and she knew she would have a place at a nearby Indpendent if she didn't get in which helped.

It's natural to worry but try not to put any pressure on them, especially in the lead up to the exam.