SW London Private & Grammar: applying for year 7 in 2023

[QuiteAJourney]

Following up from
www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/4716365-sw-london-private-grammar-applying-for-year-7-in-2023-part-iii?page=40

Sharing the journey

I think we can identify the Tiger Mothers on the thread…

You probably are right then.

My DD is smart but she didn't know how to retain information before. But during 11+ DD have learned how to learn quickly and retain information easily now. Without a doubt this is very useful skill for her coming years in school.

BTW, all the DCs I mentioned prep 1-2 hours a day are "exceed expectations" set at state school.

True Tiger mum won't tell you this in MN when they hunt

absolutely, pretty obvious

I know people who did hours a day over the summer and hours per day after school in the Autumn Term. I know people who did virtually nothing apart from a few hours tutoring and tutor homework a week. Some from the first set have got no interviews, sadly, although some of course have, some from the second have got interviews/second stage from every single school they have gone for, state and grammar. So it depends. And no, I don’t think the second set are fibbing.

@PreplexJ I respectfully disagree. While a variety of environmental factors influence cognitive development, drilling 11+ papers isn't going to make someone genuinely more intelligent.

Everyone I'm sure is making choices that they genuinely believe are in the best interest of their children. However, its not reasonable to shout down everyone who suggests their experience isn't hours of tutoring a day. Everyone should be able to speak about their approach and how it worked or didn't for them.

My dd is at exceeding level as well in state school. At our parent teachers meeting end of first term they said she was exceeding level for end of year 6 dc. And my ds is also exceeding level as well. We have done no extra work with him at all (in fact bare minimum is done with him because I am busy w the older one and the 3 year old). I was quite shocked at the teachers meetings when they said he was exceeding level for all and singing his praises. But on the other hand, I found out some other children that are in greater depths or exceeding level in his class also have a Math, English and French tutor. So this is what I mean, some dc naturally absorb or learn easily and some can reach the same level...but with extra efforts and help outside of the school. Do not get me wrong though, I fully intend to get my son to prep for 11+ earlier then my dd did. I would not have waited until end of May for her if we knew we were going to do the 11+. But I will not do the 1-2 hours a day with him, I will do the same amount as what my dd did.

@Trickleg "nothing apart from a few hours tutoring and tutor homework a week"

A few is how many hours? Say on average 3-5 a week? So first set is more than that for sure?

@MomFromSE

"development, drilling 11+ papers isn't going to make someone genuinely more intelligent."

Yes but it will make intelligent kids higher chance to go through 11+ exam.

However, its not reasonable to shout down everyone who suggests their experience isn't hours of tutoring a day. Everyone should be able to speak about their approach and how it worked.

Yes, you probably right, 10-20 mins per day is enough for most of the kids. 🤐

Lol

Upthread you asked “Can I ask which year you did the 11+ prep? How did your DC spend the rest of the time if not doing music and school or other activities, and just do a couple of papers all year?”

Maybe they were children! They watched crap TV, played with their siblings and friends, built Lego, played video games, read the Beano and similar, ran round the garden and moaned because they were bored.

"played with their siblings and friends, built Lego, played video games, read the Beano and similar, ran round the garden "

Bravo, my DD hit all above notes in a recent interview! I must did something right!

Sigh

@PreplexJ yes, maybe 3-4 hours a week in all. Maybe a bit more from October onwards. I won’t say that I wasn’t surprised they weren’t doing more, but it does rather seem to have worked, in that they seem so far to have done v well, including the most desirable schools.

everyone’s experience is different, I know we all seek validation for the way we have done it, but I genuinely know everything from “a bit of group tutoring” to “hours and hours a day”

We did 7+ but so not entirely comparable but have a cohort we’re friends with doing 11+! What else do the kids do?! Chill out, watch tv, play their computer games, do some whatever else at home they like? As 7+ we never did anything any week day evening in terms of work but did the 10 mins reading (and they had 10 mins homework at weekends) and did 30 mins at weekends max plus one did 1 hour of tuition for 4 months but this was a bit wasteful as 4 kids all of different ages but did tell us what was needed. No more in hols, probably even less as we didn’t do tutoring so didn’t do anything lol.
i couldn’t dream of doing even an hour every night at 9/10 they’re so tired and will have other stuff…..

No natural ability here at all 😁

just hard work and I’m super proud of him!!

DS said in an interview he played a lot of computer games. ( he didn't actually at that point although he does now....) The interviewer said that sounded like fun and which ones did he play as she'd like some good recommendations for her children!

Yes the interviewer did ask some more details and you couldn't fake it 😛

My experience will all my kids is that they mature at different times. My first child suddenly understood everything a few weeks before the exams; the second one was just beginning to have her lightbulb moment during the exams. The others maybe when in secondary school, who knows. But those kids who worked really hard isn’t because they were not bright enough and won’t keep up at one of these secondary school it’s just a brain maturing at different times.

MN kids are 120+ CAT on average from what I see now.

I have never known what CAT score my kids have

ask one of the other mums on here, she might be able to tell you LOL

Some mums may suggest if you DCs work slightly harder to get in then it is not the right school for you.

I find all those discussions a bit sad.. some people do more work with their children because they feel it is appropriate or maybe because they are scared, maybe those DC will have passed without those additional hours. Some may do much much and maybe they pass X Y Z exams because they were a bit lucky. Some might not want to say the truth because they feel they went over the top and that is their right as well. At the end of the day we all try to do our best for our children and that is probably why they will be successful, whether they go to SPGS or alike or a school that is seen as less academic. What we can all with each other is that our DC find a school where they will thrive and if they are not or if parents later see that is not the right school there is always an opportunity to move. Lets remember that 11+ is not an end per se, it is just the beginning of secondary school..

No one has said that. But it would be disingenuous to deny that there is a culture of tutoring in the SW London grammar schools as well, which is the logical outcome of tutoring massively for 11plus and parents and children trying to keep up thereafter. It’s even mentioned in the Good Schools Guide - refers to Saturday morning tutoring schools that teach the curriculum a week in advance (TGS). It’s an arms race. And a mad one at that.

Just a question to the parents of state school kids - does the DD do 6-8 hours of sports outside school? What time do DDs get home. We live close to school and get back at 16:30 and we would struggle to do anything beyond homework most days. Hats off to parents who are able to do so much outside school… you are dedicated and your DCs even more so - they will do well whatever school they get in!