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Secondary education

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

Original poster

11 plus support thread 2022

623 replies

PalindromemordnilaP · 23/09/2022 20:35

Anyone else have a DC sitting 11+ this Autumn?

If so, would you like to chat on a support thread?

DD is sitting her exam tomorrow.

Anyone else? Waiting for the results will be nail-biting.

OP posts:
Raindancer411 · 09/10/2022 15:43

@ElvenDreamer They told us the pass marks for the last few years but their paperwork just says it does not guarantee a place and just a consideration. I only know a few who took the test and my son is the second highest of those. I think it is just a wait and see...

ElvenDreamer · 09/10/2022 15:53

@MagnaQuestion I totally get it, hopefully it's all needless worrying, it all sounds really positive if she was performing well in mocks etc. If not then tell it how it is, it was a snap shot of what you can do on one day and absolutely doesn't represent what we know you are, now lets go to lovely school X and show them what they are missing! Fingers crossed it's all straight forward for you though and she can just go with her sibling.
@Raindancer411 it sounds good for your DC then, keeping everything crossed for you. All this waiting is driving me crazy!

MagnaQuestion · 09/10/2022 16:01

Yes that's a lovely way of looking at it! Thanks.

Pearfacebanana · 09/10/2022 17:15

We get ours w/c 17th, not 11+ as such but similar. Hoping earlier in the week rather than later. It will be a long week. For ours you have to rank pretty much top 35 to get in. Although there is some flexibility and a lot of people use it as a practise/safety option for Bham and Walsall 11+ so hoping the out of area people rank in theirs and more spaces for us!

Dynamix · 09/10/2022 17:16

Hi everyone, I'm just joining as ElvenDreamer helpfully pointed out that there is an active Grammar School thread.

My DD sat for Grammar in the first week of September and results are due out mid-October. I was nervous before she took the test (she came out reasonably happy and completed the papers) but the pressure now feels pretty unbearable. DD is not aware of when the results come out so there's no pressure that way. To add complication, we're out of catchment so a pass is no guarantee of a place unfortunately, but it would be a relief!

redferrari · 09/10/2022 18:46

Has anyone given QE boys Barnet?

BabaJones · 09/10/2022 18:57

I'll join the fun! Feeling the weight of the wait at the weekends. My son is in the (rat) race for a Sutton Grammar. Stage 2 last week and Sport aptitude test yesterday. And now we wait...... Best wishes to all.

BabaJones · 09/10/2022 19:36

@redferrari My son hasn't tried for QE but several of his schoolmates have. (Even though we live 25 miles away). After receiving their results, these boys seemed to have a good idea as to whether they could be offered a space. I don't know any more than this though. Good luck!

redferrari · 09/10/2022 19:44

@BabaJones my son has given Sutton stage 2 too and we are waiting. He has a promising score for QE although it seems to change every year but a house move is on the cards so we will decide once all results are out. Waiting impatiently!

redferrari · 09/10/2022 19:44

@BabaJones thanks for your wishes, good luck to you and your DS too.

Original poster
PalindromemordnilaP · 09/10/2022 21:00

A sport aptitude test 😮 I have never heard of such a thing. I certainly would not have got into grammar if that was necessary in my day 😂

OP posts:
Aethelfleda · 09/10/2022 21:09

daft question out of curiosity : why do people use the phrase “my DS/DD has given an exam” for a particular school?
it’s more usual to say you or your child has TAKEN an exam …. is this an English second language thing where the verb given/taken is interchangeable?
not criticising, just curious because I’ve seen the phrase used on another board too…..

ElvenDreamer · 09/10/2022 21:15

@PalindromemordnilaP things like the sports aptitude tests aren't usually for the grammar schools. I'm guessing this is people looking at very good, oversubscribed schools for plan B, I did it last year with my DD, 11+ with a chance of 2 grammars was plan A, she also sat music and language tests for a potential plan B that we wouldn't have got into without them ad put of catchment. They ring fence a few places just for these kids each year. Have not played that game this time round with DS as he's a different kettle of fish and it wouldn't suit him, probably will again though in 2 years time with DS 2.

ElvenDreamer · 09/10/2022 21:16

*out of catchment. Ad put of catchment was a very odd typo!

Pearfacebanana · 09/10/2022 21:21

We also did a sports aptitude.
Didn't realise we would be up against Team England 🤦🏻‍♀️ it ended in tears.

FlamingoSocks · 09/10/2022 21:29

We would also have done the sports aptitude day of we’d decided to progress with Sutton stage 2! Joe was it? I found it interesting they said your DS didn’t have to be good at football just have the aptitude to be good….. how did they test that?

FlamingoSocks · 09/10/2022 21:30

How was it I meant. Don’t know who Joe is.

BabaJones · 09/10/2022 21:31

@PalindromemordnilaP The sport aptitude test is optional :) For those who pass Stage 2, it's an opportunity to grab one of few places for a football programme.offered by the school. The school in question also runs a music aptitude test/programme. A way to highlight that education is about more than pure academics.

@Aethelfleda Yes, I think it must be a literal translation from another language. English is not my 1st language and I too sometimes translate literally. This is how languages evolve!

MagnaQuestion · 09/10/2022 21:53

There's a lot of interesting language around exams. I'd say they took an exam or sat an exam but some people do say they are writing /wrote an exam.

BabaJones · 09/10/2022 22:15

@Pearfacebanana Oh, no!Just put it down to experience. It sure is quite intense. Right up my Y6 son's street but my other son wouldn't fancy a test like that at all! At our local Grammar, it seems only about 15% of eligible boys apply for the sport aptitude test, so I assume the not-so-sporty boys usually decide to not bother. In the same way that my son didn't even consider trying for the music aptitude test. He enjoys music and plays the guitar but knows he wouldn't stand a chance.

@FlamingoSocks It was a 3-hour assessment. Must have been about 115 boys in the am session. Not sure if numbers were as high in the pm session. They did football matches, various skill tests (to assess hand-eye coordination, speed, balance, shooting, etc) and an endurance test. My son loved it and fancies his chances :) But he needs to pass Stage 2 to be in that race and that's still an unknown. As for saying that boys don't need to be good at football, I don't buy it! They may not need to be outstanding, but I would think they need to be good - on top of being excellent runners and demonstrate great skills. My son saw several of his friends at the test - and all play for a team.

FlamingoSocks · 09/10/2022 22:40

Oh I wish him the best @BabaJones ! Still
swithering about whether we should have just gone for Sutton stage 2 and sucked the journey up
if we got a place, or even just used the results to indicate our Tiffin chances but really nothing is indicative is it and I probably would either have got false hope or been worried for no reason. Just finding it such a drag. I think if we get Tiffin stage 2 hopefully the time lag between the exam and finding out results in March will be long enough to forget about it for a while. DS found Tiffin stage 1 really doable and everything I’ve seen online has judged it a hard test so I am worried he missed something. But then I feel horrible for doubting him as he’s worked so hard especially on exam technique. Anyway sorry for the brain dump. Rooting for you all.

BabaJones · 10/10/2022 07:24

@FlamingoSocks Thank you. Fingers crossed for your son too. Yes, the long wait for Tiffin's Stage 1 results, and the gap between the 2 stages, must feel particularly frustrating. I think you were right to pull out of Sutton though when you realised the journey would be too challenging. As your son son passed the SET, I'm sure he's in a very strong position for Tiffin. All the best - keep us posted.

Aethelfleda · 10/10/2022 09:01

good luck everyone… Berkshire and Bucks results by this weekend hopefully (Bucks on 14th and Berkshire “mid october”)….

Original poster
PalindromemordnilaP · 10/10/2022 09:52

2 weeks, 2 days of waiting done. 1 week, 5 days to go IF the post arrives on time!

Does anyone remember that BBC documentary a few years ago "grammar schools: who will get in?" I'd like to watch it again now, to see whether my thoughts about it have changed at all now that we're in the thick of it, but I can't find it online.

OP posts:
ElvenDreamer · 10/10/2022 10:02

Essex results out this Friday, although nothing conclusive until March, at least they may give us some idea. In the meantime I'm so sick of looking around other local schools, I feel the more I look at, the more confused I get about plan B which let's be honest is only an illusion of choice anyway as most schools round us are oversubscribed, simply because of the sheer numbers rather han because they're actually any good. Argh! Keep breathing everyone! 🤞🤞

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