11+ 2025 support thread

[AquaPeer]

Hi all,
I really enjoyed reading previous 11 plus support threads and I think we’re probably ready for a new cohort of year 5s start their prep?

so I thought I’d set up one for next year. All welcome!

we are trying for dame Alice Owen. DD currently has group tutoring once a week but we are looking to increase to twice a week before Xmas.

i am trying to get her to do a cgt GL 15 min tests a day very unsuccessfully! This half term is going to be all about embedding routine 😀

look forward to meeting other parents preparing

Phew, second mock test results in (under exam conditions) 83.75% VR and 67.5% for maths. VR has improved massively so we’ll try the same process above with maths and English. Just goes to show how much things can change in a few weeks 😃

Phew, second mock test results in (under exam conditions) 83.75% VR and 67.5% for maths. VR has improved massively so we’ll try the same process above with maths and English. Just goes to show how much things can change in a few weeks 😃

So we've been sitting mocks that focus on just Maths and English as these are his weakest areas and the results haven't been great. Maths really improved by 20% but English dropped with comprehension being the main culprit. I think it may come down too luck on the day 🤔

@Tiredlady1 I think it will be luck with comprehension on the day for us too. It's the one section he just doesn't improve in. I think his brain just sees a load of text and freezes 😣We will keep practising over the summer but I'm hoping the other areas will keep his marks up enough for a pass!

What is the best material to practice comprehension for HBS exam? Is there any certain type of text which is considered in setting HBS exam as I see in EPP practice papers, the texts are always very complex and difficult to comprehend as compared to other school papers.

In all honesty, I find many of the comprehension questions , ambiguous and challenging. I'm even more annoyed that so many of the Maths questions are topics that they are yet to cover at school; these tests are full of privilege !

We are having a last minute local school panic (admissions criteria mean our excellent local schools are not guaranteed - 0.7 catchment or banded plus catchment with top bands catchment c.0.6... and sept 2025 top band places going to siblings only!). As such, looking into grammar which means we're about 2 years behind everyone else 🫠

DS is very capable and we've just had an intro session with a tutor who ran through some 11+ questions with him. As expected, he was fine with the maths ones, and needs some support with some specific English ones - although we know he scored 137/141 in a nationalised test last year in reading comprehension so broadly comfortable with his basic ability.

Anyway, we refuse to hot house him over the summer but will do some practice papers and 1 hr with the tutor a week over the summer. We'll do vocab revision and I intend to bribe him to read more widely 🤷‍♀️ (graphic comics or factual books his current preference - appreciate novels will be useful!).

I realise this is a huge amount less than just about everyone else 😬 and probably an empty gesture to make me feel like we have some more choices.

My main question is about yr 6 maths curriculum. He's going to do the Sutton test and I just wondered if there were specific things likely to be covered that he won't have been taught yet?

Also, which payable online practise test site is most useful pls? We have some old st olaves ones to start with.

Thanks in advance.

If you know what area it is you can just go online and buy the tests. A lot of people on here like atom, for me my child needed IRL so she attends a group.

Looking across most curriculum it's normally probability and ratio.

Thank you @Tiredlady1 , appreciate the reply!

Hello! Can I join please.

my DD10 will be sitting on entrance exams for several independent schools in the autumn term of 2025, and we’ve not even started prepping yet. Have I left it too late, she gets 120+ in most of her state school standardised tests.

what do I need to do to get prepared? We have a couple of months! Thanks a lot.

Where are you based and how does your daughter perform at school? It's not too late depending on her exisiting abilities but you may want to put her into a Summer intense school. There are also 6 week timetables online.

We are in Surrey.

Looking at St George’s Weybrudge
RGS guildford
Reeds Cobham
Haliford

I think RGS Guildford and Reeds are both boys only until A level, I could be wrong though.
However from what I've read, standard scores of 120+ stand her in good stead for acceptance into a selective school.

@shopping616 , have you been to the open days as these are single sex boys schools at 11 apart from St George's?
Do you have a ds or dd?

Does anybody have an indication of the raw scores required for these exams. Everywhere mentions a past mark of 80% is almost a guarantee but fail to mention the raw score of the standardised school.

Hi What’s everyone doing over the summer? Ds is doing a paper every other day and an hour of tuition a week when we are here.
He is consistently scoring over 80% and got 86% in his last mock. The sensible part of my brain is saying that’s fine and enough. But the slightly hysterical side is worrying that everyone seems to be doing summer schools and intensive tuition.
I’ve been pretty chilled so far but all of a sudden I feel like it’s right around the corner and my anxiety levels have risen. I’m heaping on the praise and saying just do your best to ds but inside I feel like there are snakes in my tummy!

Im in Trafford.

@troppibambini6 Trafford here too and also have that horrible feeling that it's very close now (6 weeks on Monday?!).

DS' tutor does longer sessions over the summer for all children about to take the exam (4 hours per week instead of the usual 1) so we have that, plus whatever I'm doing at home with him. I can't get him to sit and do ful papers with me so we are doing bits of them in sections and then I am going away and creating more questions based on the ones he seemed to struggle with. It doesn't feel like much and it doesn't help hearing about other children in his class who are doing proper mocks every week plus summer schools and formal tuition pretty much every day. We did a proper mock a couple of weeks ago and there was a clear difference in scores between those who were doing ridiculous amounts of learning and those who weren't (four of DS' friends scored over 96%).

He is working hard though and not moaning like I thought he would so I'll be proud of him for trying his best whatever the outcome.

My husband made a valid point, that the children taking mocks are probably the elite children (as there parents are pushing them harder than most) . So where your child scores in the mocks should be contextualised with this in mind.

@IsThatYouPamthat sounds like a crazy amount of competitive tutoring, you must be Sale/Alti way as I’m not aware of any prep like that the other end of the borough! Maybe I’m oblivious, but I know a lot of local mums.

From what you said you are doing, it sounds like more than enough. Last year we did 3 mocks total between June - August, 1 hour per week formal tuition and like you sections of tests at home rather than full papers.

My son starts Urmston next month, I’m intrigued to see how clever these kids are in practice when away from intense amounts of tutoring. I’m glad we didn’t overdo it, as I feel confident he will manage there.

@troppibambini6those marks are definitely ‘enough’ if he can maintain that level. Deep breaths and stay calm ✌️

I don't have a child sitting this year but have been through the process for Trafford three times! Definitely don't overdo it would be my advice. With each of mine we did two or three mocks between June and end Aug and just the usual one hour tuition each week (with breaks when we were on holiday). Focus now should be on the types of questions where they perhaps struggle more. Good luck!

Thanks everyone that’s exactly what I needed to hear. Deep down I know what I’m doing is right but it’s just so hard when I hear of these parents doing weeks of summer school!

@yoshibluehope your ds is looking forward to starting urmston? My (older ) ds is so excited to start at Ambrose.

Thanks @peacypopsi remember you from last years thread. You are right I just need someone to hit me over the head and remind me what I’m doing is right.

Random query on stationery for the exams

With DC1 his tutor was adamant on the type of pencil and rubber my DC should take into the exam - something about certain pencil types being easier to rub out than others, also some rubbers being better than others.

Of course, none of us can remember what was recommended. Anyone have any suggestions?