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Secondary education

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

Original poster

2023 Eleven Plus support thread

854 replies

elevenduck · 19/10/2022 16:30

I thought it might be useful for parents of 2023 children taking the 11+ test next school year to have a space to talk everything 11+ - tips on managing stress, approaches to the different papers, ways of relaxing etc.

Let's try and keep it positive and supportive!

OP posts:
LimeCheesecake · 08/09/2023 20:36

The Kent test is 25 mins for maths and 25 mins for English - both with a 5 min practice/example questions section so 1 hour in total for both parts. Then they had a break and then the verbal and non-verbal sections which was a total of 1 hour, but not sure how that was split up. Then after that there’s a written section but this is only marked if there’s an appeal, they had 10 minutes to plan and 30 minutes to write. Hope that helps!

historyrepeatz · 09/09/2023 06:01

The sections don't seem very long considering registration is at 8 and pick up at 1:30.

Livinginkent83 · 09/09/2023 16:35

My son took the Kent test today. He was very nervous but came out saying it was actually okay but struggled a bit with the English comp. Glad it’s over!

Coraline353 · 09/09/2023 16:56

Livinginkent83 · 09/09/2023 16:35

My son took the Kent test today. He was very nervous but came out saying it was actually okay but struggled a bit with the English comp. Glad it’s over!

Glad it went well. Comp wasn't Shakespeare was it? One of the companies selling papers recently said GL had set a Shakespeare text in another part of the country which threw a lot of children.

Livinginkent83 · 09/09/2023 17:10

I don’t think so, although he can’t remember what it was about so who knows!

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 09/09/2023 19:07

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Idlovetostayhereandbenormal · 10/09/2023 06:52

Ours is done. He said it went ok so now the long wait for results!

curiousmamma · 10/09/2023 07:27

Well done to all those who have already sat theirs. How long do you have to wait for the results?
@Coraline353 Shakespeare? That's tough. I hope it was a modernised text! 😂 I wonder which part of the country got that?

We've still got two weeks to go here before ours. The letter with all the details arrived yesterday and she's got an afternoon slot which is annoying. I wanted her to be able to get it over with in the morning. Not sure what I'm going to do with her all morning to distract her. At least we know she's actually going to be sitting near the front on the huge exam hall and not right in the middle!

historyrepeatz · 10/09/2023 07:50

Kent test yesterday, results 18th October. Bexley test next week, results 17th October.

Idlovetostayhereandbenormal · 10/09/2023 08:51

Our results are mid October too.

Coraline353 · 10/09/2023 09:30

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon what trouble are you getting yourself into on here! Hope all is ok.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 10/09/2023 22:54

@Coraline353 sorry it was entirely my own fault! I made a general comment on the Kent test and in doing so, I completely inadvertently revealed the topic of the Comprehension section!

Anyway best of luck for your DS for Bexley tomorrow!

Coraline353 · 10/09/2023 23:00

Thanks. He seems ready and was fairly relaxed today so fingers crossed.
Interesting Chis and Sid say results on 13th. The Bexley gov website says 'by 17th October '. At least it did last time I checked but this stuff all ses to change - glad you posted that because their open day bookings are opening much sooner than they said a few days ago!

Eastie77Returns · 10/09/2023 23:47

DD sits her test on Friday. We were on holiday for two weeks and took a complete study break. Since returning we have done a couple of 20 min recaps on NVR which is her weakest area and nothing else.

None of her friends are doing 11+ and they have apparently already begun chatting excitedly about going to the local secondary together. DD is now beside herself at the thought of not going with them. So she isn’t particularly nervous about Friday - if she doesn’t pass it will not really be an issue for her (although she is quite competitive so there will definitely still be some disappointment) and I’m actually glad she is relaxed about it all.

I just wish the alternatives to the Grammar were better. The secondary is a poorly performing school with safeguarding issues flagged by OFSTEd. The two other local schools are really good but heavily over subscribed and out of catchment. It’s all quite disheartening.

The very best of luck to everyone with upcoming tests.

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 05:54

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon I did wonder about that as I'd heard that Chis n Sid didn't like to have open days until after the results were out to limit numbers viewing. DC1 sat the test in 2020 and there was only supposed to be 3 weeks between test and results until covid mucked it up.

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:13

Good luck to your DD @Eastie77Returns, friendships do change things. DC1 seemed very content with their choice which none of their friends were going to right up until deadline day where they had a little wobble. Happy now though.

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:19

@Coraline353 good luck for tomorrow. Do you have a morning test at a secondary school? We had that on Saturday and got there quite early. DC got to chat to classmates while waiting which was nice. As we left we saw a huge queue of traffic with some stressed looking parents.

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:19

@Coraline353 ignore me I mean good luck for today! 🤞🏽

Coraline353 · 11/09/2023 06:24

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:19

@Coraline353 good luck for tomorrow. Do you have a morning test at a secondary school? We had that on Saturday and got there quite early. DC got to chat to classmates while waiting which was nice. As we left we saw a huge queue of traffic with some stressed looking parents.

Thanks. It's an afternoon test at a secondary school. DH intends to get there early in case if queues like you said. They're doing a 'drop and go' system in the school car park apparently so can imagine there will be queues of cars!

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:46

That's good that you don't have the morning school run to contend with. I was going to say it will be nice that it's over but now we have the visiting and choosing!

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 11/09/2023 07:22

I think (hope, perhaps!) that the key word in the sentence on the Bexley website is "by 17 October" to cover themselves if for some reason they can't get the results out on the Friday. It was definitely a Friday last year so fingers crossed!

Good luck for your DS today! Ours is a morning slot tomorrow (have to be there by 7.50 am!) but at least the temperature is cooler. She had to sit the Kent test on Saturday afternoon in a classroom with no AC!

Questionsquestions121 · 11/09/2023 07:23

Hi! Test Saturday eek. GL! Trying to decide study every other day, everyday or a break (just tutor one hour) what do you feel worked better? Thankfully last mock went well so 🤞🤞 Hope everyone is doing ok. Those that have done the test and have upcoming tests. This is nerve wracking!

Coraline353 · 11/09/2023 08:00

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 06:46

That's good that you don't have the morning school run to contend with. I was going to say it will be nice that it's over but now we have the visiting and choosing!

Seriously. I've had to make a spreadsheet to keep track of open days, booking for open days, banding tests...

historyrepeatz · 11/09/2023 08:37

Anyone doing their test at Townley this week you might want to leave a lot earlier than you thought or see if you can park in the shopping centre/ supermarket and walk down. The roads are bad enough at school time, the extra from the 11+ is horrible and you don't need the added stress! This morning was horrible.