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

So my DD missed 4 questions on NVR in total... 2 from each paper so I don't think there's any chance of a round 2 for us. I don't know why - but my 11+ "notes" (sad I know!) say HBS reaults are 29th Sept... not sure where I got that from.

I think my DD missed 3 or 4 from one section as well - she said she didn't hear properly about the timings. She completed the other. So I think unlikely as well but feels harsh that it all comes down to one 4-minute section

Yes the letter said "by 29th" but it looks like it was 24th last year

I've noticed through the mocks that if a well prepared child has a timing issue or finds the paper difficult then the whole peer group tends to have the same issue. Hopefully this means that the cohort will be in the same boat and you DC will have passed.

Well my daughter is happy enough but only managed to answer 60% of the NVR questions so I don't think she'll have done enough. She said all the other papers were OK. It was timing problems. Very weird, she's normally brilliant (& v fast) at non-verbal. She was thrown by the format of having it all in individual sections rather than one big paper as they've been practicing. Gah. This is Bucks.

Twins were disappointed that the Kent Test was so easy - I don't know if that's a good or bad sign...

DD said that about the maths at Latymer and how she was worried everyone would do well. Her sister said "that's such a you problem to have". Which I think was the best response, though I know what she means as it puts a lot of pressure on a silly mistake

This was the same for DD at HB. She had done a mock a bit like it so wasn't totally thrown but it must be annoying not to be able to manage timings your own way or get in the zone. I'd hate it. She found Latymer much easier in comparison because it was 30 mins per section

My DD missed 3 off the NVR as well, she said the timing was weird- rest of papers ok, maths was easier than she thought- so we'll see!

Has anyone got any info on the Bucks test today? Can't get anything out of my DC due to DH saying not to ask him any questions.

Were there any new question types? Was the comprehension and maths hard?

My daughter said comprehension and maths were easy, NVR was hard

Aghhhh NVR is our Achilles heel.
Oh well it's done now.

Also just realised, I shouldn't have asked as there will be DC taking the test at a later date due to illness etc

Which school was this? Henrietta Barnett doesn't have maths in first round. Sounds like NVR is everyone's bete noir though.

Well done everyone for getting it over with.

DS came home happy from his Bucks test. Possibly too happy, I'm now worried he's being over-confident! But didn't have any problems, didn't get stuck on anything, and said that "even the NVR bits were all my favourite NVR stuff". It's frustrating that he could absolutely smash it and yet still fall short of 121 thanks to standardisation but I'm relieved that he hasn't come home in tears thinking he's blown it. And now we wait...

Our last test is 20th September. I feel like I keep discovering new topics. DS struggles with comprehension , it's sometimes 90% and other times 58% . Im not sure to go with reading full passage first or 1st question then whole passage or something else ! What did you all go with?

I think I'd do full passage then questions but comprehension is such a difficult one as they're so ambiguous sometimes. DD talks about finding "evidence" a lot, which might be a concept your ds prefers? But sometimes it's more about mood and inference.

Sounds like the bucks crew did well! I'm with you on the waiting. Apparently Latymer unlikely to be out until October 😬

My DD is currently at the St Michael's exam... dropped her at 8:15am. Long wait until she comes out at 2:30pm. It seemed relaxed though. I don't think there were more than 300-400 kids in total. Fingers crossed!

Good luck SFV! Last lap?

I was marking one of DS's comprehension practice papers and found some of it very subjective - "What is the main point the writer is making in this paragraph", for example, where there was nothing wrong with the "incorrect" answer he gave.

Afternoon of 10th October for Bucks results. Going to be a very long month!

Good luck @SFV - We left super early as had to navigate the strike, then realised the Northern line opened earlier 🙄 So she went in at 8ish. Long day! Fingers crossed for both of us!

Good luck to you too! Were you travelling from far?

Thank you! Almost... just need to see if she makes round 2 DAO :)