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'm glad that some of this stress is removed for us as DS is at a Bucks primary so will just sit the test shortly after 9am as part of the normal school day (while in his PE kit as he has football later). But now I'm off down a rabbit hole of "should he have breakfast at home instead of going to breakfast club as usual so that he can have slightly more time in bed and we can make sure he eats the right stuff OR should we stick with the tried and tested routine he's had every day for seven years (pandemic notwithstanding) so he's relaxed and because athletes never try something new on race day..."

72 hours to go and I can stop driving myself mad.

@teachermumsecond what @IsThatYouPamsaid.
Ds sat at Alty boys last year and was similar. You queue down the road outside the school there are a ridiculous about of people there as you can imagine. As you go into the gates they shout pupils this way parents kept walking there is no time to say goodbye so make sure you say anything you need to say before you walk in the gates! It’s very efficient but quite cold. A couple of parents were crying as they walked away 😩

I feel like I keep saying it but I just can’t wait for it to be over now.

Sorry feel like that sounded really negative. On a more positive note they sit the exam in classrooms in groups of an about 30 which I thought was good. Ds said he felt like it was school rather than a big scary exam.
We collected from the playground remember the number on your form as you need it when you pick up.

@IsThatYouPam@troppibambini6thank you so much. On the letter it just says to enter from “entrance X” so not much clarity. DS is sitting the exam at stretford grammar, just one week left.

The snack in the pencil case is a good idea, will do that!

I am with you @troppibambini6I can’t wait for this to be over, it’s been a long year!

My oldest did it in a hall so in a big group but they had made sure all the schools were sitting together so he was surrounded by familiar faces.

@troppibambini6 also feel like I'm just saying 'I can't wait for this to be over' on repeat. Not even sure what to do with ourselves this week - last push or just take it easy now and wait for it all to end?!

Thank you. I was thinking if he takes his water bottle and snack where will he put it while he does the exam 😂 should he put in his lunch bag and take that or just hold it. Clearly have nothing better to do as I’m sweating the small stuff. On our letter it said bring 2 pencils and an eraser. I’ll be putting it in a clear pencil case

@teachermum26we were ‘lucky’ with a SEN time slot, but my friend the hour later said there was about 800 parents/kids there!

I would certainly warn your child that it will be very busy and he may see the odd children upset. I think it’s better for them to have that knowledge up front.

Have any tests scheduled this week been rescheduled due to the tube strike?

Oh wow that’s a lot of people!! I will definitely have a chat with him beforehand, thanks.

@IsThatYouPam it’s hard to know what to do for the best isn’t it?!
Ds is doing a paper Wednesday and one on Friday and a few minutes bond online here and there. He’s happy with that. He’s also doing lots of sport as usual…. Think it’s so important for him to move his body and also do something he loves.
We will be done a week on Friday as he is doing Ambrose too (first choice 🤞)

Confirmed now that it’s SHADING for us (Sutton). Other schools will be different so please don’t stress.

Also read the full instruction again and there will be a manual check after the OCR reader, hopefully this will spot any misses

This has kept me up 5-6am today. I need to stop my brain!

Sutton provide an example sheet showing exactly how to do it (and how not to):

https://www.suttongrammar.sutton.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ANSWER-SHEETsample.pdf

Interesting. I have asked chatGPT and it says we have to put a clear line through it

The key thing is that on the day the children will be told how to mark, so they should pay attention and ensure they listen carefully, not assume.

How are you spending the last few days... my daughter comes home exhausted from school, bit o feel nailed there's only a few days left and she should do smthg. But I don't want to push her right near the end either.

We had planned to do a little this eve/tomorrow eve then stop, but she is not a bit interested - too tired - so think we'll just leave it from now! Bit of a shot in the dark for us (went back and forth for months and finally decided we wanted to apply quite last min) and don't want to pressure her.

@SFV Forgot to tag - see above! Do you know many applying?

Same here... she did a but of NVR and that was it. We know about 6 girls applying. Historically, it's been about 300 girls - not sure if that will increase this year due to the VAT now payable on private fees. Even if it increases, I can't imagine there'd be more than 400 girls - nothing like the numbers applying to HBS, Latymer etc.

It's the unmarked, half-length "practice test" at DS's school today. He wanted to do everything exactly how he'll do it for the actual test on Thursday, so of course he arrived at school this morning and realised he'd not brought his pencils or rubber 🙄

We were Stretford last year (and previous years). There were two entry points last year as so many children. All clearly signed and you have to leave your child at the gate to be taken in. It's all very well organised and I think children from same primary schools are in the same rooms. Best of luck as I know how nerve wracking a process it is.

Hope it went well!

@SFV Thanks, he seems happy with it though we'll never know for sure as it's never marked! After getting home he took himself off to his room and, without being asked, did another NVR practice paper that produced a pretty solid score. If self-motivation counted for anything he'd be a shoe-in.

That sounds good @DolphinOnASkateboard !

DD said the practice went “fine” for her this morning. She’s a bit in the doldrums today - she’s finding Y6 a big step up, and they’ve doubled the homework, so she has the grumps.
Just trying to keep her on an even keel until
Thursday! Then I’m sure she will get into the swing of things soon

The worst part at this stage with children who've done lots of preparation, is preparing for them to learn the lesson aged 10 that sometimes even if you work really hard that it doesn't always pay off. Obviously that's something we all find out at some stage - but usually a bit later in life! I really didn't want DD demotivated at age 10 by having put in so much work and still not having managed it. Fingers crossed for everyone going through it in the next few weeks.