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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

My daughter passed the 11+. Thank you for the advice.

41 replies

mumof32015 · 05/10/2019 23:24

I posted a few months ago about my daughter preparing for the 11+. Today we received the letter to say she will be offered a place.
I just wanted to say thank you for the advice I was given, it really played a huge part in helping us to prepare.
It was the timing that let her down, but I found the bond 10 minute test books really helped her.
To those who are about to go down the road of preparing for the 11+, good luck I hope it all goes well for you :)

OP posts:

JoJoSM2 · 05/10/2019 23:35

Congratulations! Which school is she going to?

JoyceDivision · 05/10/2019 23:37

Oooh DC sat this, should hear this month, congratulations op

Faith50 · 06/10/2019 17:00

Congratulations to your daughter! I hope you celebrate!

I assumed the initial October letter recommends/does not recommend your child applies for a grammar school then in March you receive confirmation of whether your child gained a place. Perhaps it works differently depending on the borough.

Mustbetimeforachange · 06/10/2019 17:09

March 1st is when school places are offered

aweedropofsancerre · 06/10/2019 17:09

Congratulations! I used a mixture of books and did like the ten minute bond books too

Original poster

mumof32015 · 06/10/2019 17:38

The letter just states that they have informed the LA that there is a place for her, if we state that the grammar school is her first choice. I put in the application to the LA last night, and it will be confirmed in March.

OP posts:

Faith50 · 06/10/2019 18:19

mumsof32
Thanks for confirming. Were your daughter's scores given or were you just informed she had passed?

Original poster

mumof32015 · 06/10/2019 19:29

No they don't disclose the scores to the girls who pass. It's so they can all start school on the same level, without comparing with eachother. I believe they disclose the scores to those who don't pass.

OP posts:

chillie · 06/10/2019 21:47

I don't want to upset you but you should know that passing the 11+ does not necessarily mean that you will get into a grammar school. The cut off score to get in is usually quite a few marks above the pass mark. At this point the school won't know yet who has actually applied to them so don't know yet who will actually get in. It is the council who sorts this out and knows before the schools do. You won't find out until March, the school telling you to put it as first choice is no guarantee that your child will get it! Sorry!

bookwormsforever · 06/10/2019 21:49

Depends on the county, @chillie. In Bucks, if you pass, you get in...

Parsimon · 06/10/2019 21:49

chillie it’s different in different areas. Some people do know at this stage that their dc has a grammar place. We did.

chillie · 06/10/2019 21:53

How wonderful if you do know for sure now! I live in serious super selective land and although 2 of mine did get in the wait was just horrible!

swanriver30 · 06/10/2019 23:03

In Bucks you only definitely get a grammar place if you live in Bucks, fewer and fewer kids each year get in from outside Bucks (although still quite a few for Aylesbury grammars)

swanriver30 · 06/10/2019 23:03

PS but agree the amount you score once reached pass mark doesn’t count

Original poster

mumof32015 · 06/10/2019 23:26

In the area we live, there are 140 places. If the LA has been told that your child is one of the 140, then the child will get a place if the grammar school is the first choice on the common application form. It's stated in our letter that if she wants to go to the grammar school then we must put it as our number 1 choice and then she will be offered a place.

OP posts:

Faith50 · 06/10/2019 23:32

mumof32 Interesting. In some areas merely passing the 11+ does not guarantee your child a place. It means they can be put forward for a grammar place and may/may not get it based on their score.

underneaththeash · 06/10/2019 23:37

@bookwormsforever - no you have to apply and I personally know a couple of people who didn't get in first round.

OP - congrats to your daughter.

bookwormsforever · 07/10/2019 08:50

@underneaththeash - obviously we had to apply too, but the letter we were sent guaranted dd a place... and some dd who didn't pass got in on appeal in her year too.

Were the people you knew who didn't get in from out of country/catchment?

Perhaps it depends how strong a year it is and how kids do on the 11 plus.

OP, check your school's admission policies for clarification. Sounds like it's different round the UK. But school places are decided by the county council, not by schools.

magnaconcordia · 07/10/2019 08:59

Congratulations, OP.

Not grammar but DS applied for a scholarship place offered via aptitude test. He scored the highest mark so ranked first on their list. Like OP, we received an email notifying the result and that the place would be guaranteed as long as we put the school as our first choice on the form. So very similar to OP's case. I don't think all the children who were given a guaranteed place took the offer (we didn't) so the school would just go down the ranking list until they filled the scholarship places.

WingDefence · 07/10/2019 09:13

Morning OP - well done to your DD! Your county system sounds the same as in mine but I'm waiting for a boys' school so I don't think we're in the same place.
I have a relative whose DD sat the 11+ in Bucks and I didn't realise until just beforehand that all the children sit it in their own schools and it is administered by the LA whereas in my county we have to apply to each individual school and sit it there, even though all the exams are the same. Much more pressure I think!

Chickaletta16 · 07/10/2019 09:20

Many congratulations to your dd and well done to you in helping her with the preparation. I've been doing the same - my daughter sits hers on Saturday this week and it is for a super selective. I've tried my best to help her - and she has worked so hard...but a super selective is so hard to get into - so let's see. Again op - well done x

Faith50 · 07/10/2019 09:52

I would not opt for a super selective for ds. He is not highly academic. I am anxious about next week's 11+ results and avoiding discussing with ds. He is worried we will be disappointed if he does not pass. I plan to take him out for ice-cream regardless of his result.

Redorangeyellowgreenblue · 07/10/2019 10:58

Congratulations! We are still waiting for results xx Hope your daughter likes her new school xx

WombatChocolate · 07/10/2019 14:19

Great idea to go for treats regardless of result. Lots of people like to give a reward or treat just after the exam, so the effort, not the result is rewarded too. It's important isn't it, that even if as parents we are disappointed, we protect our children from that when they have fgiven of their best.

Glad to hear MN was a help to your family preparing.

Original poster

mumof32015 · 07/10/2019 16:25

We treated our daughter on the day. We were just proud of her for doing the test, and how determined she was. There were a few times I asked her if she was sure she wanted to sit the test, and I reassured her that she could change her mind at anytime. But there was no changing her mind.
I feel I didn't just learn from MN about what resources to use but also about not being pushy over it all. It did cause me a lot of anxiety because who wants to see their child disappointed. Apparently at school today 2 others who took the test with her told her they didn't pass and one of them was really upset.

OP posts:

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