11+ 2025 support thread #2

[AquaPeer]

we are on the home run now! Continue to support, love and share in this thread

link to previous

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/5200929-11-2025-support-thread?page=40&reply=147336748

continued good luck to all x

Heckmondwike also used Future Stories and returned their results over a week ago, so not sure what the delay is at Crossley. Perhaps its due to those that couldn't make the sitting due to illness etc and waiting for these results before the final rankings are made?

I assume more kids sit Crossley/North Halifax than Heckmondwike so they have more exam papers to mark?

Just left a meeting with our head teacher, who seemed even more shocked than we were at DS's results. His pre-test ranking was a 1:1, which is as good as can be hoped for, and he's promised a glowing prediction for where he'll be at the end of Year 6. So now we have a couple of days of compiling evidence, write a letter, press send and wait until FEBRUARY for a response.

@DolphinOnASkateboard you've been on my mind these past few days, I'm so sorry the result was disappointing but pleased to read that your head teacher is as supportive as can be. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and your son!

Thank you, that really does mean a lot.

Glad you have got such strong scores and support from the head teacher. I have everything crossed for you x

Have you had your meeting with the head already? How did it go? Fingers crossed for you x

@Ahmawa I'm not sure how many sit Heckmondwike. I know their exam was 5 days before the Halifax exam sitting.

The kids sitting the supplementary test are sitting it in November, so I don't think that's the hold up.

I think they have to wait for the English/maths papers to get back from Future Stories so they know which of the creative writing papers that they need to mark. Then the teachers do loads of creative writing marking. Then the results will be uploaded to applica and we get a notification email.

The delay has been frustrating as we had built last Friday up in our heads as "it will all be over by 10th" and now, who knows.

Thankfully, DD has not asked about it. It's just me and DH who are stressing.

@SFV I'm here 😀

Results day still feels a lifetime away doesn't it? I've got it in my head that she won't rank just to mitigate disappointment! She has a decent chance at Grey Coat Hospital based on previous years admissions data but if she doesn't get in there (or St M's) I'll be so gutted. Is St M's still your first choice?

Good luck to everyone else still waiting, and sorry to those who have had bad news - so much pressure for their age!

That sounds positive @Dolphin I'm not sure what 1:1 means but I know you said it was what was needed. February sounds so long away. Do you have things to keep you distracted till then?

My DD has just headed off on her y6 residential. Missing her already!

Mamakiwi did the twins have their interview?

Personally I feel sad in the pits of my stomach for those that have just missed out, it feels so cruel that we put kids and parents through this. Sure there needs to be a form of selection but if it all boils down to sitting one exam to determine the course of your child's future surely there needs to be a better way?

It would be great if we could improve all secondary education, so there is no mad competitive rush to get into the most selective of Grammars.

@DolphinOnASkateboard do you have anyone IRL that has gone through the review process and was successful? A mum friend with an older DC. It would be worth contacting them

On the meaning of 1:1, this is from the Bucks council website:

Headteachers of state funded Buckinghamshire primary or Partner schools are asked – before the test results are known – whether they would recommend your child for a grammar school. They also provide information about your child’s attitude to learning. If your child attends any other school, your child’s headteacher will have the opportunity to add their recommendation as part of the Headteacher’s Selection Review Summary Sheet.

The headteacher can give a child’s grammar school suitability recommendation as:

(1) Exceptionally able so very highly recommended, or;

(2) Very able so recommended without any reservation, or;

(3) Recommended with reservation, or;

(4) Not recommended for grammar school.

Your child’s attitude to learning will be described as:

(1) Enjoys a challenge and is a highly motivated independent learner, or;

(2) Consistently hard working and reliable, or;

(3) Output varies, or;

(4) Lacks self-organisation, requires support.

This information is valued by the SRP, because it gives them an idea of the context in which your child is working in school. It can also help to show if a child’s result was unexpected when compared to their recommendation.

Yes, fortunately. Plus the head has said he'll speak to someone who succeeded in similar circumstances last year if they'd be willing to have a chat.

Just rechecked my email from DAO for the date and it says Fri 24th October - 5pm! They literally couldn’t do it any later could they? There were only 325 to mark too. Oh well.

@DolphinOnASkateboard am glad the meeting went well. I hope it turns things around for you and you stop getting stupid comments soon. I hate it when people say “oh he will thrive anywhere” or even worse “if he doesn’t get it then it wasn’t meant to be”. I think that there probably is a best suited school for each child and it really hurts to miss out on the place you know your child will be happiest. Wishing you all the luck.

We're just back from an open morning at one of the Bexley grammars-results are going to be out 9am tomorrow apparently. Top 180 minimum scores are going to be high this year according to him.

@Magnificentkitteh the twins did interview - thank you for asking! They took themselves from London to Oxfordshire on a train and a taxi all alone because I had a work conflict; I was so proud of their maturity and independence and a little relieved they didn't get stopped by GWR as despite being nearly eleven they're absolutely tiny (still wearing age 7-8 clothing) and seem very young! I sent them off with a signed letter from me outlining the reason for their journey and stating my permission for them to travel just in case anyone thought they had run away from home.

There was a series of workshops in which they played logic games that relied on pre-existing knowledge (ie that there is no oxygen in space), Banangrams in pairs and did some maths. Twin A's interview seemed focused on data analysis, using a chart that ranked countries by happiness and then speculating as to why - he discussed politics, war and social support. Twin B was asked to debate the relationship between money and power and to decide who he thought was more powerful: Trump, Musk or Taylor Swift (he chose Musk).

They had a fantastic day! Radley remains their top choice by far, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a Kent Test pass to the local grammar as back-up.

Do you think the general pass mark will be higher this year too if the Top 180 pass is?

That's amazing, MamaKiwi, good for them!
I feel like parenting websites are disproportionately full of anxious parents (for obvious reasons) so it's always good to hear about kids being independent and rocking it. DS has started getting the bus home from primary school this year and he loves it.

The head seemed to think the pass mark would be 212. . . not sure how that compares to previous years mind you!

Is anyone waiting for Wirral? I'm torn between counting down the days and reminding myself that not knowing may be better than knowing it's a "no" ....

A little lower. I think it’s been 212 once before but previously 214,216 and 218.

I'm over the water in Liverpool waiting for Blue Coat.

Thats about average when my ds did it in 2022 pass was 214 top 180 247 or above. That was under cem last year of cem and you got a breakdown of the results in vr nvr and numerical reasoning

anyone got news about Trafford consortium

Hey hey! Yes, St M is our first choice... yes, the results might just mean more waiting because if she ranks 128-170, she probably gets a place but we wouldn't know until at least March! Ugh... When do you find out about agree Coat?