Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

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

Original poster

11 plus support thread for exams 2024

638 replies

ElvenDreamer · 11/10/2023 08:55

Hi all,
Anyone fancy joining me for for an 11 plus support thread for those yr 5s who are probably just starting a bit of prep now ready to sit exams in September 2024?

State grammar is the angle I'm personally coming from but all welcome no matter if you're applying to private selective, state aptitude tests etc.

This will be my 3rd and final time of going through this and I've found support threads here really useful the previous times.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
FrenchieMum2Be · 19/05/2024 13:36

Hi everyone. The timeline seems to speed up lately... We're home tutoring. Mock and real exams booked, open days are next month.
My year 5 child is going through all the motions but has lost motivation the past few weeks.
Will read the rest of the thread later for support.

Original poster
ElvenDreamer · 19/05/2024 15:33

Hi @FrenchieMum2Be , they do tend to wax and wane, I've got used to that now I think. What seems like a short time to us seems so long for them. Open days do help though as they then feel something more tangible to work for. We've done one, one to go.

OP posts:
generalelectionfish · 13/07/2024 10:11

How is everyone getting on? Feels close now!

BarqsHasBite · 13/07/2024 13:20

Our first exam is 7 Sep, but the exam for our target school isn’t until Jan - so for us it’s both soon and still a long time away! 😫

Original poster
ElvenDreamer · 13/07/2024 16:59

21st Sep for us, and the letter with all the details arrived today. We've been unlucky with the sitting time, DS will have to sit the exam right across lunch time so now need to factor that issue into planning too!

OP posts:
RandomUsernameHere · 13/07/2024 20:41

21 September for DD and 28 September for DS. Definitely feels close now. DS and I went to the open morning the other week which I think was quite motivating for him. DD's open evening is next week.

@BarqsHasBite that's unfortunate that they are so spread out! On the plus side, the earlier ones will be good practice for the target school exam.

yoshiblue · 13/07/2024 21:11

DS has exams on 16/9 and 20/9. Once school finishes for Summer, it feels like we're on the final stretch of practice paper practice and a couple of mock exams. Will be so glad when it's over!

MincemeatMaestro · 13/07/2024 23:05

Mid-September for us, almost exactly two months to go. I think we're in a good place so wish we could get it over with now! We're taking a break for the first half of the holidays (we're away for some of that anyway) and then will knuckle down for a final push, including doing longer practice papers rather than the 10 minute tests that we've been mostly using so far, and practising using the answer sheet format. I'll be so glad when it's over!

slaybell · 14/07/2024 08:32

yoshiblue · 13/07/2024 21:11

DS has exams on 16/9 and 20/9. Once school finishes for Summer, it feels like we're on the final stretch of practice paper practice and a couple of mock exams. Will be so glad when it's over!

Same.

Think you may be in the same area as me.

yoshiblue · 14/07/2024 09:04

@slaybell 👋 I think so too, I’ll recognise you from other posts I think!

Danlsb · 19/08/2024 10:22

Hi - my DD’s first exam is 2nd Sept. We did a mock at her preferred school yesterday which she found really hard and is now freaking out and not wanting to work - lots of tears and saying she can’t do it and making silly mistakes. She did a mock in her explore learning centre the week before and did really well. I’m now panicking that the explore learning 11plus stuff is perhaps not to the same level. We are in a super selective grammar area so she needs to be hitting 90% - anyone else’s having the same experience ?

SamPoodle123 · 20/08/2024 13:49

Danlsb · 19/08/2024 10:22

Hi - my DD’s first exam is 2nd Sept. We did a mock at her preferred school yesterday which she found really hard and is now freaking out and not wanting to work - lots of tears and saying she can’t do it and making silly mistakes. She did a mock in her explore learning centre the week before and did really well. I’m now panicking that the explore learning 11plus stuff is perhaps not to the same level. We are in a super selective grammar area so she needs to be hitting 90% - anyone else’s having the same experience ?

I think it depends what school you are applying to. Do they have an example paper on their website? Most schools do. This will help you get an idea of what level is needed. Some exams are more difficult than others.

Return2thebasic · 20/08/2024 23:41

@Danlsb It is how it is now. With a couple weeks to go, the best you can help her is to focus on giving her best regardless the results. I told mine at the last hours for each, the exam was a report he delivered to himself. If he could put his best out there, the rest doesn't matter.

Remember, all what she worked on benefits herself no matter she gets in or not. To pitch reaching the % and an offer as the sole reason is not healthy and very dangerous.

Danlsb · 21/08/2024 08:48

Thank you Return2 - we have been telling her that we will be proud of her regardless of her result and that the extra work will benefit her in any school and are not directly telling her she has to hit 90% as I completely agree with you that it would be harmful and unfair pressure. It was just her response to the recent mock that had me worried.
Thanks also Sampoodle - we have downloaded the sample papers that are available but they only put the English ones on but it was the maths and VR that surprised her as being a lot harder.
🤞🏼 for everyone

Araminta1003 · 21/08/2024 10:05

DC sitting 4 grammar tests in September and two have a second stage!
We only started prep at the beginning of July. DC very strong at English and was in top 3 per cent in the mocks with no prep at that point. We have a ton of non verbal which we have crammed and on the CGP stretch books now. Verbal is just natural ability too but still more practice required. Maths DC is making silly mistakes but can finish in the time allocated. I wish we had started earlier now.

I did the same with my elder DC and they all made it into superselectives, but it all seems more competitive this year. There were a ton of private school kids at the mocks locally this time round. I have booked one more mock.
As we are sitting different formats rather than just 1 test, it is difficult to get too hung up on exact format. Equally, I feel for anyone sitting just 1 and everything riding on that. I am not sure what is better.

We will also be doing music aptitude tests, although right now we have scrapped much of music practice. It’s part of the reason we started so late as DC refused to do anything else at the time.

Araminta1003 · 21/08/2024 10:21

@Danlsb - older DC had reported at the time that the maths in superselective mocks was harder than stage 1 in the real thing.

antcomp · 21/08/2024 10:57

The peak in birth rates has passed, leading to expected lower competition this year and in the future. According to statistics from the Sutton mock, there are fewer students sitting exams compared to previous years. This decline is also partly due to the current government’s stance against private and grammar schools.

Araminta1003 · 21/08/2024 11:01

@antcomp - has Sutton confirmed that fewer candidates have actually registered for the free exam? The mock is expensive? Families have left London. Kent test applications have gone up again. What about Bucks? There was a post Covid exodus out of London per se to Home Counties and further?

antcomp · 21/08/2024 11:09

Araminta1003 · 21/08/2024 11:01

@antcomp - has Sutton confirmed that fewer candidates have actually registered for the free exam? The mock is expensive? Families have left London. Kent test applications have gone up again. What about Bucks? There was a post Covid exodus out of London per se to Home Counties and further?

Sutton mock has a small drop compared to last year actually. Don't know SET test, I don't think there will be increase, don't know Bucks, Kent and Bucks are grammar county driven by otjet dynamics.

Return2thebasic · 22/08/2024 09:52

Danlsb · 21/08/2024 08:48

Thank you Return2 - we have been telling her that we will be proud of her regardless of her result and that the extra work will benefit her in any school and are not directly telling her she has to hit 90% as I completely agree with you that it would be harmful and unfair pressure. It was just her response to the recent mock that had me worried.
Thanks also Sampoodle - we have downloaded the sample papers that are available but they only put the English ones on but it was the maths and VR that surprised her as being a lot harder.
🤞🏼 for everyone

Unfortunately, in our experience, half of the results come out from mental capability to handle the stress. I know two other kids of my DC's year who were with the same tutor. I know both of them were super bright and really hardworking. Mine was nowhere near their level. Both neither of them went through the 1st round and only one probably can manage to go into their 3rd choice via waiting list. To have the mind power to handle the stress is really really vital. But if they could conquer it, they would benefit massively in secondary and GCSES. - I myself have had massive anxiety issues during exams, so I know what a game changer it could be.

So use the rest of the few weeks, really emphasize stabling her mind and get down to just focusing on each question, not the big scary picture.

Did she say why maths and vr were difficult? Time management or level of knowledge? You need to identify which aspects are weak and then focus on that given so little time left.

Just do your best (both of you). Nobody can guarantee anything, and doing your best is all what you can.

Original poster
ElvenDreamer · 23/08/2024 13:13

Hi all, sorry, been a bit out of the loop recently, now realising with a jump how close it all is. Just a few weeks left now, good luck to anyone starting earlier, and my sympathies to anyone who has more than one exam. At least we'll all be done soon, then the awful waiting game begins!

OP posts:
househelp12345 · 03/09/2024 00:31

Atom reset? Has anyone else found that Atom has reset their child's results to "needs practice" across the board?

Earlier this week we had mainly "master" ratings with a few "goods" but now it's all "needs practice"

We emailed Atom and they said they'd ready to Y6 but we shouldn't expect to see a change since the Y6 curriculum would have already been covered as part of 11+ prep. Clearly not!!

BananaPeanutToast · 04/09/2024 09:31

househelp12345 · 03/09/2024 00:31

Atom reset? Has anyone else found that Atom has reset their child's results to "needs practice" across the board?

Earlier this week we had mainly "master" ratings with a few "goods" but now it's all "needs practice"

We emailed Atom and they said they'd ready to Y6 but we shouldn't expect to see a change since the Y6 curriculum would have already been covered as part of 11+ prep. Clearly not!!

We gave up our subscription from today as our exam is next week so I can’t help. Makes little sense though as the Atom material has to cover yr6 maths etc. as it’s included in the test (in GL at least) and NVR isn’t really part of the curriculum anyway?

BananaPeanutToast · 04/09/2024 09:32

If they are doing ok in the practice tests I wouldn’t worry too much.

Araminta1003 · 04/09/2024 09:49

Re Atom, just logged into ours and it is the same as previously, but I have noticed if DC do not do the recommended islands the scores go down somehow, regardless it seems, of performance in the Atom mock tests.