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

I still don't know how to place Dd's progress. On mocks she's sat at home or on atom learning she's getting 95% plus on maths and VR, but a bit lower on English and NVR. I thought she'd be sound for Latymer on the basis of these scores even if her english was not quite up there but on the only external mock she's sat she scored a chunk lower across the board and said there were question styles she's not come across before. So I really think we are in the territory of the unknown.

Yes same. DD is doing her 4th (and last) external mock under exam conditions at the weekend she’s improved each time and god am I glad we did it as first time she had no technique at all- she ran out of time, used the answer sheet incorrectly etc. it’s got steadily better so it does help a huge amount. But we’re “only” up to 84%.

I don’t judge her home mocks as they’re just so variable with interruptions, time taken etc. I can see that she averages 76% but some of them she’s finished in 30 mins when they’re supposed to take 50 etc.

Just a few positive words of advice having last year seen the back of 11+ rubbish. All these children end up where they are meant to be, be that a grammar, independent or state comp / secondary modern. Not getting a place at your preferred school based on one test on one day might initially seem like the end of the world, but it’s far “kinder” than scraping into a school and then having to leave because they can’t keep up.

Being PREPARED for the exams is the clincher, not endless soul destroying tutoring. Do they have good exam technique? Keeping an eye on the clock, missing questions out and coming back to them (if test format allows), using a process of elimination to get rid of obviously wrong answers and then making a guess between the remaining ones if need be etc. It’s also really important they are used to the exam format - one of my DDs friends came unstuck in the Bucks 11+ as she’d only ever used Atom online and the test is paper based.

Our old head was adamant that tutoring could only add about 10 marks onto a grammar 11+ score so it was beneficial to those kids who are borderline but not those with a big gap to make up. This was based on his 15 years as head of the school.

You are all fabulous parents who want the very best for their children. It’s just exceptionally easy to get caught up in all the prep frenzy at this time and remember your children can just “be”. 10 minute tests, one or two timed full papers and concentrating on exam technique is all they need now. Taking days off regular school to practice etc is detrimental and puts more pressure on the child to succeed as you are inadvertently saying “this is more important than school”.

My kids results? Both passed the Bucks 11+ with ease and got into their other independent choices. Apart from my youngest never got a place at one school due to a minor learning support need. It was never the right school for her as a result. It was jarring as they never even spoke to her old school about her needs (basically none, just some small adjustments in aural exams). It’s their loss though as she got into Wycombe Abbey and got an academic scholarship to the school she now attends. Curve balls come at all points.

Thanks @RatherBeOnVacation

i recall DDs tutor saying last year on allocation day that she reflected on who had got their first choice, and she said it seemed to be children who started in year 5, slowly building up to the exam and gaining knowledge and experience.

its hard to remember that when you’re stressed hearing others are doing hours a day and have competed year 6 maths curriculum by January of year 5

Hi, where might I find external mocks? We are in Surrey. Thank you

Hi, we have a familiarisation test booked for 27th August. Is this what you mean by external mock? I can share details if you like.

You really need one that will test your target school format- ours is GL, and we are using a company called MTT but they specialise in GL for south west Herts.

it is hard to find these things, it’s quite an exclusive process. Our tutor recommended them

DS just did a full Marie Redmond mock for Bucks and came up four marks short of their hypothetical pass. I'm hoping that a bit more practice on the question types he slipped up on, plus some late-spring-baby age standardisation, will just be enough to get him over the line but it's all feeling a bit real right now.

Given the stated aim of grammar schools is to let more academic kids reach their full potential it seems insane that a child who has scored 19/20 on pretty much every maths and English assessment he's done since reception could miss out because he hasn't been trained in spotting patterns in rotated shapes.

We did one run by elevenplusexams in Harrow but I don't know if they've finished now.

Yes , thank you.
We are in targeting St George’s weybridge, reeds cobham, maybe RGS Guildford and Hampton.

left it late!
no prep yet at all

Awful mock result 🙈 I guess we’re getting to the desperate end. Not much more we can do now, just keep plodding on

Sorry to hear. I keep googling mocks but think I'm going to hold off as it is too late really - the scope for just demoralising her without being able to do anything about it feels too high.

Yes this is her third, so she has better results to reassure her.
Agree it’s hard to do anything about it- we’ll
go over what she didn’t do well but at this point 🤷🏼‍♀️

plus she’s not consistent- shes getting varied marks
Ie for “complete the sum” her mock marks have been paper 1 4/5, paper 2 4/5, paper 3 1/5 - they’re all like this, no consistency and she’s clearly capable of doing most of them as she’s previously been fine. So what to do?

@AquaPeer Just take a step back. The pressure may be getting to her. You want her to go into the exam feeling confident about her abilities and feeling calm in the exam environment.

It’s clear she knows how to do everything. Just keep things ticking over by doing some 10 minute tests but otherwise just big her up. Unless you have identified an area where she specifically needs extra help that is.

How did you find them? I'm thinking of doing one with them, more for the exam experience refresher as daughter's last exam was a while ago

I guess useful, though it's a bit hard to say, as I'm still none the wiser as to why she performs better at home, even under timed conditions etc. She was pretty wiped by the end of a full day but has rallied and says she's glad she did them.

Btw does anyone know where to find English papers a bit like the Latymer ones, ideally for free? Or even just similar creativie writing prompts "continue the story in the style of...". She's done the 2 on their website

Did she find them harder than ones she does at home? I think in the comfort of their own home (even if timed), the stress/pressure isn't the same?

Yes her timing was a bit off and she seemed to struggle with the NVR.

I can't stand NVR!

@BeFairSloth just wanted to say we’re in the same situation - younger DD desperate to go to the same grammar as her older sister - she feels under a lot more pressure than her sister who wasn’t too bothered whether she passed or not! Hope your DD makes it through these last few weeks and gets the outcome she wants. I think it’s especially hard for the younger ones now that there’s all the back-to-school excitement of getting uniform and school supplies for their older siblings - my younger DD has been watching all week as I’ve been helping older DD get prepared and it’s been really tough on her just longing to be doing the same thing. Sending lots of good wishes and positive vibes to you and everyone else who is doing this a second time round!!

Thanks you’re right. She has a 2 day maths workshop and a mock test Friday 🫣 but we can dial down after that.

she’s tired now too. The workshops are really taking it out of her

Not free but we use Kate Heaps developing reading skills books- the classic literature one.

i think dame Alice Owen have some free familiarisation papers on their website x

Luckily one of our two target schools doesn't do it.

Hi Just catching up on the thread. My god I feel for you London parents it’s sounds so hard!
I thought Trafford was bad….. At the end of the day we can only do our best and keep everything crossed. We are nearly there!!

We are away in Spain and ds bless him is getting up and doing a paper most mornings. He’s been very good and just cracking on he’s earlier wobble seems to have gone. He consistently scoring well but every so often he likes to scare the hell out of me by get the odd dodgy score 😆
We are back at the end of the month in time for a mock on 31st…. His last one before the really thing which I feel a bit sick about to be honest.