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 don't really understand the standardised scores. I know 141 is the highest score for HB and Latymer (or something like that) and several children seem to score that on at least one paper, but then the next highest score is often something like 137 and they drop quite quickly after that. What happens to 140, 139 etc?

I'm refreshing in earnest now we are in the week of 22 September. Though am also v worried about my mum so am a bit of a state all round.

The standardised scores are more spaced out at the top end and then cluster together more towards the average. It’s all a bit of a mystery but it’s typical that top end scores may be something like 141, 135, 128, 124 etc.

@Magnificentkitteh I’m sorry about the multiple stresses… 11+ anxiety is more than enough to contend with!

Anyone else going for the Radley Keys Award? It’s aimed at state-educated students from lower-income backgrounds, we’re sitting the first round on Saturday. I have to say that by the time we’ve forked out on trains, taxis and hotels costs will have come in at around £200 just for the first round - and there is a second stage as well - we’re OK, but I can imagine this would be prohibitive for some families especially if they’re trying for multiple similar awards at different schools. 🫤 It would be worth it to be lucky enough to be awarded a place (or in our case as we have twins, places) though!

Then we’ll be all done with first-stage exams and waiting hopefully to hear back on Radley, St Olave’s and the Kent Test. Eek. I don’t think it a coincidence that I found my first grey hair hours after the first-stage St Olave’s.

How’s everyone holding up?

I went to a school open day this morning. Couldn't really imagine putting it on the form even though it was perfectly nice really. It was Catholic, which we are not, and has only recently started taking girls after falling roll numbers. I expect it is at risk of closure despite doing well under a new head. I have another thread about potentially moving my older DD's school and basically everyone has said all my options are terrible which hasn't helped my angsting about dd2's results, though I think people might be painting an overly dramatic picture. I can't in all seriousness send dd2 to dd1's school though as it's clearly in a death spiral, but there's a reason I picked it for dd1 and nowhere else is grabbing me. I find it a bit stressful when you ask for feedback on specific schools and people suggest a different one that you have no chance of getting in.

But it's a distraction from my mum's predicament anyway. Am off work today so about to go for a swim but did not sleep well.

That sounds hard, @Magnificentkitteh - and to be honest, we'll be in a similar position with these two if they don't score a selective place (and I don't know what we'll do with the little sister that probably won't be a selective candidate). I guess moving area isn't an option? I've pondered this extensively myself and we really, really don't want to do it. What year is DD1 in, any chance she'll age out before it dies a death completely?

I hope you get wonderful news for DD2 and it turns out that all of the fretting was for naught. Wishing you a marvellous, clarifying swim.

Hi, hope your mum is doing better.

I can't remember what Latymer email says about when we hear back about the top 700... is it this week? I think HBS will drag it to next Monday!

Thank you that's very kind! Dd1 is in year 10 so yes she has options to move in a couple of years and just needs to focus on getting her gcses. I'm sure it won't die completely before then, but it's now or never re moving her and I don't know if it's worth another roll of the dice or just stick it out where she is.

I don't think moving house is an option really and I also would feel ridiculous considering it as it's a very North London mindset that all my options are dreadful. I don't think it's true really. People just have very high expectations. I need to close my ears.

I think it said by 30 September? Though last year it was late and I looked back at dd1's results emails from 2021 and it was 4 October for Latymer and 24 sept for HBS. She was miles off getting through round 1, even though she's a very bright kid, and had done a few practice papers, so I don't know what chance dd2 has really. She's done lots of atom learning and practice papers and she has a different mindset to dd1 without the same SEN, but I think they both have similar underlying intelligence.

Someone just popped up on the Y5 WhatsApp group asking if anyone knows when the Bucks 11+ results get released and all I could think of was HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THIS ALREADY, WHY IS NOT ETCHED IN YOUR BRAIN, WHY HAS IT NOT TAKEN OVER YOUR LIFE and honestly I think I need a lie down.

That's too funny :)

My bet is they know but can't help asking!

Do we know when Trafford results are released or will we be notified somehow? 😬

The last two years it's been the week before half term, so maybe about 4 weeks to wait.

I think you get a notification from Applicaa when they're ready to view and you log in through there to see. I think the schools give a bit of notice before they release them so we might find out the date nearer the time.

Latymer 1st round is 30th Sept and then mid Oct for the final one.

Ok thanks... the waiting feels like an eternity! We're hoping for St Michael's but they won't release results until 24th Oct!

@SFV so true! Now that everything is over and we have all the time; it’s the results that keeps going on in my mind!! Can’t wait for Oct to get over!!

You have DAO this Saturday too? My DD is just in fatigue mode and not getting much done at all!

@SFV Yes, the last lap! Though we already feel so light as all the others are over. My child is also fatigued. Sept’s been really tough for them as well as August. They are desperate for the break..

Good luck! I'm not pushing her at all, as I think that with her 1st round rank, the chances of her getting through after round 2 are slim. So I'm trying to balance the workload with the realistic chances of actually getting in - if that makes sense. But by the same token, I want her to give it a decent go! Such an awkward position. So at the weekend we did 2 English papers and 2 maths papers - nothing more. And now during the week, I'll see if she's up for doing 1 paper after school - either maths or English.

I keep getting waves of anxiety.

Parents are FULL of stories about every school. My husband came home chatting the most poop about the backup plan School for DS after speaking to a parent about how a naughty child from the school had been sent to her school. He then continued to say that maybe we should check out the ultimate shithole in our area, and I completely snapped as literally only 8% of children at the school received grades 5 and above. He had to retract his dumb suggestion, but I was so angry that he even suggested that crap that he spent the night in the spare room.

For me saftey is first (sad we have to think about that), the mentality of the children and adults and stability.

Some of the places we have applied to have just said week commencing versus a specific date, so that makes it worse. It's also going to be a rush during the half term to get the applications in. I dont think I'll be able to open the results.

Gosh yes this is what I meant about closing your ears. Someone will always pop up with an alarming story about wherever you choose. A lot of it must be bollocks right? I once looked up my old school (state comp) on Mumsnet and it said "I wouldn't send a dog there never mind a child" 😂. It wasn't my favourite place but I did well and it's got a rowing club and sports fields. Not quite sure what was unsuitable for dogs.

I feel the exact same way, our local comp is also not an option unfortunately. I have been considering independent schools as a backup but the increased costs and more prep work for entrance exams is putting me off.

I hope everyone is getting some rest! I can’t sleep been googling local state schools in the area which are shockingly bad. I feel I need a backup incase DD doesn’t pass. In our neighbouring borough the schools are decent but I don’t think we will get accepted - should I still put down you think? I also don’t understand how catchment areas work if I’m being honest so I need to do some research. The government website gives a different distance from my home to the state schools but google maps gives a different one plus the catchment checker on the boroughs website gives a longer distance! I’m confused which one to go for as the school in next borough according to .gov website from my home is 1.51 miles, on google maps it’s 2.86 miles and on the boroughs website gives me 3.1miles! I’m so confused. The school’s admission policy says kids will be admitted if they live within 1.80 miles. So I’m really confused.

Hi @Sai35 definitely put schools that are a bit of a long shot on your form in the order you would choose them, it won't affect your chances at the school you put beneath them as long as at the bottom place on the form you have a safe fallback option (if such a thing exists). Otherwise you'll be allocated your nearest school with places left at the end of the process which could be awful AND some distance away. But we have 6 places on our form and I'm going to fill them with long shots with dd1"s school last. Because you do get randomness or movement on waiting lists. Though you can also be asked to be added to waiting lists after offer day.

Also have a look at all the stats on DfE. There are loads and you can filter them by high achievers etc to get a better chance about how your own child would fare.

Finally, I do think there's some anxiety around that's infectious. The truth is picking a school is only going to weight the odds a little - other factors like their own values, resilience, parental support, reading age etc are going to play a massive part.

Do you know where their friends are putting as fallbacks? Dd2's friends are a bit cagey about this which makes me think private or moving but there'll be at least a few at our local comp.