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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

How can I wait until the 1st March!!

25 replies

mumwithtwokids · 13/10/2011 18:26

Hi All,

I'm already going out of my mind waiting for DS's grammar school results letter so really don't know how I'm going to make it to the 1st of March to find out which school he's been allocated!!!

Does anyone else feel like this?

xxx

OP posts:
DeWe · 13/10/2011 19:23

Have you thought about hibernation? Grin

troisgarcons · 13/10/2011 22:45

Best diet I was ever on! LOL - the nerves ....

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 10:09

DeWe - I really wish I could hibernate!! :o

It's my first time I'm going through this process and can't believe we have to wait 5 months for the result :(

OP posts:
slavetofilofax · 14/10/2011 10:40

I feel your pain!

I was there this time last year, and will be again this time next year.

It is pants.

And it's even worse if you have done it by post rather than email and have to wait until the 2nd of March!

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 11:02

Hi slavetofilofax - My DH set up the account the other night and selected email and text options so fingers crossed the system doesn't crash on the day.

How did you get through it last year? Did your DC get the result they were looking for?

OP posts:
CustardCake · 14/10/2011 11:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 11:08

CustardCake - please don't say that! :(

OP posts:
CustardCake · 14/10/2011 11:10

This reply has been deleted

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Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 11:13

I'm hoping once I've handed in the CAF I'll feel a bit better.

OP posts:
slavetofilofax · 14/10/2011 11:34

We just tried to forget about it as much as possible! Which worked until about half way through February, and then I became very impatient! Unfortunatly there's not much you can do, but I did have to consciously stop myself from keeping on looking at the schools website and prospectus.

Thankfully, we did get the result we wanted and ds has now happily settled in to his new school.

I'm not looking forward to doing it again next year though.

CustardCake · 14/10/2011 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 11:53

My ds is currently sitting the grammar school entrance exams. He's not had any tutoring and we received his first result which was good news. I've had a glance at the 11+ forum and just think he hasn't a hope in hell of getting a place :(

Some of these kids have been practically tutored from birth - how can he compete against that!

OP posts:
emkana · 14/10/2011 12:11

Mumoftwokids, are you in Gloucestershire?

slavetofilofax · 14/10/2011 12:13

Unfortunately not Custard, it's a superselective grammar school so it was all dependant on him getting a high enough score on his 11+.

Mumwithtwokids - don't worry about what you read on the 11+ forum, I caan remember being very scared by it the first time I looked on there! It does seem to be full of super pushy parents, but I don't think that's the norm. My ds didn't have any formal tutoring, we just did a little bit of work at home, and he still got a place.

Wishing you lots of luck!

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 12:26

Emkana - no not in Gloucestershire, I'm in London.

Slavetofilofax - that's really reassuring and congrats to your ds. I know this sounds really silly but I didn't have a clue about the whole tutoring thing, didn't realised the lengths parent's where prepared to go to in particular when overheard one mother telling another that her ds had to be referred to a child phycologist who advised he was stressed and to pull him out of the exams. She then told the other mother "What does a child phycologist know about exams anyway".

I know everyone wants the best for their kids but I can't help thinking that if you have to go to those lengths then maybe the school isn't right for the child.

OP posts:
CustardCake · 14/10/2011 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slavetofilofax · 14/10/2011 13:24

I didn't know the lengths people went to either, I just thought 'he's a clever kid, he'll get in'. If only it were that simple.

I was heartbroken on the day of the test when the majority of boys turned up in their pinstriped private school blazers, and my boy was there in his state school polo and sweatshirt! Then there were the parents waiting to pick up from the test who I overheard discussing what each of their schools had been doing to prepare the children. They were getting help in regular lessons, the schools had put on extra after school lessons, and one of the parents paid a private tutor as well! I was mortified, although I suspect a lot of their preparation was intended for private school entrance exams rather than the 11+.

But the feedback we have had from the school so far shows that my ds is coping fine with the work (which is what became my worry after we got the place) and is doing very well.

I'm not sure if all this will be reassuring to you or just stressing you out even more while you do the dreaded wait. Sorry! Not helping you forget about it really am I? Grin

sandyballs · 14/10/2011 13:31

Very stressful. I doubt we will get our first choice even though it is just over a mile away. Doesn't help that dd longs to go there with all her friends and 1st march is her birthday Sad

CustardCake · 14/10/2011 13:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

spiderpig8 · 14/10/2011 13:59

We get 11+ results tomorrow.Not too worried though as DD really doesn't want to go to grammar school but it is our local school, so if she passes , she'll go.

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 14:21

Thanks all!!

It's so good to be able to speak to other women who also share the same fears and don't think I'm mad. My dh seems quite relaxed about it all and thinks I'm slightly insane.

On another note, I called the grammar school the other day to ask if we could visit again before submitting our CAF and explained that he passed his exam. They asked his name to access his record on their computer before telling me he could come. What's that about? Am I reading too much into it maybe?

OP posts:
gazzalw · 14/10/2011 14:29

Mumwithtwokids....we had the same issue (with wanting to look round the grammar school again too - suspect we may be visiting the same one!) and again DW was starting to read too much into it....but it does almost seem as if they are checking to see whether it's worth their time to show families around again..... who can say?

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 14:42

gazzalw - that's exactly what I thought as they wouldn't say it was allowed until she checked his record and went to speak to someone. It could be the same school - are we allowed to name?

OP posts:
gazzalw · 14/10/2011 15:41

I've PM'd you!

Original poster
mumwithtwokids · 14/10/2011 15:42

I've PM'd you back.

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