11+ Support Thread 2026

[Elevenseconds]

Hi all

Am I going mad? I'm sure we had a thread to discuss those current Y5 who will be taking the exam in September. Has it disappeared, or am I having a moment?

Hi did anyone’s son sit the Reading test this week? How did they find it? A similar level to familiarisation book or harder/easier? Any surprises?
obviously not looking for discussion on individual questions but more an overall feel

How is everyone’s summer going? I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel - six weeks is a lot less daunting than six months!

It feels good as well that we’ve covered the curriculum, so there’s hopefully nothing new to learn - there are some topics she still struggles with (hidden shape, hole punches, word problems involving conversion of units). But I do finally feel we’re at the consolidation stage.

How are things for you?

Yes, similar. Although I feel like summer learning is more hit and miss with lots going on...she's not quite as attentive now the routine is more random...there are the odd gaps still, esp around 3D cubes/nets, which we'll try and focus on, but ultimately they're not going to get 100%, are they? Have to trust in the process that got you here, and not stress too much about it. Or at least not convey that to them!

We did an at home mock which was a disaster from a different provider. This has knocked DDs confidence but I wish I had found the provider sooner because of the level of feedback given and it being specific to our exam.
We are currently on holiday so no prep has been done but we are going to have a timetable in place for the rest of the holiday.

I will be glad when it's all over. DD is doing an 11+ summer camp next week - intensive 7 hour days x 5, so hopefully this will fill any gaps. Whatever the outcome I am so impressed at her effort and focus, it's a good life lesson on trying your best without any guarantees, and not giving up when it gets hard/boring. I will be proud of her whether she passes or fails.

We have an intensive week of tuition the last week of August.
It has been a good learning experience for DD and I am so impressed by her perseverance to go for something she wants.

Love this 🥰.
Children who make a conscious choice to try their best and do extra work which they don't have to do, to persevere even when it gets hard, will go on to do well in life, whichever school they end up at.

It would be interesting to track those who didn't pass, or passed but didn't gain a place, to see if they did better than those who didn't go through the process.

The wordy maths problems are driving me mental. DD is really good at maths but will she read the fucking question? No she will fucking not. If it asks you to work out how much change Asam will get from £20, you can bet your arse she’ll answer the total he’s spent. Over and over and over.

I’ve got her to underline the important parts of the question - on marking she immediately understands what she’s done wrong (and often works out the correct answer in her head). But will she read the bloody question? No she will not.

Ironically, her comprehension scores are fantastic.

Rant over.

This could have been me a couple of months ago! DD also assumed that any amount given in a question was 100%!

We got the Cgp 10 minute maths word problems to practice them little but often.

Ugh - I wish we could take the exam right now and be done with it. She's doing absolutely fine - and doing very well at the mocks she's done. But obviously we don't just want to count our chickens, so she's marching through the set homework, but it's all so repetitive.

In some ways the stakes are lower with DD2 - she has a more naturally outgoing personality and I think she'd shine at an Upper School. However, in other ways they're higher - she wants to join her sister at the grammar (and I would rather like the 2-week October half term if they both get it!).

Hi came upon this thread and although I don’t have one sitting this year I want ed to wish you all luck!!

I have had 4 dc all sit and pass for the grammar school they wanted to go to ( we are in Trafford)

The last one is about to start in Y7 and I remember last summer very clearly. It was so hard not knowing if I had done enough? was I doing too much? were dc going to hate me forever? 🤣

They have all said they are so so glad that they did it and even though they didn’t love the summer of year 5 it was so worth it. So just wanted to pass that on to you all…. The end is in sight!
One of the mums on our group booked a spa day after the exam and I can highly recommend a holiday/ weekend away in October half term after results are out.

@troppibambini6 thanks for your positive message
When you are deep in it you are thinking is it worth it, are they going to feel too much pressure on them. How are they going to feel putting in all this work if they don't pass? The last one is my biggest fear.

DD has worked so hard, and I know she will do well wherever she goes and be an asset to any school - she is a strong all rounder. But I think it might crush her if she fails. It's such a horrible system, and I can see why so many areas got rid of it.

@Bushmillsbabe I told mine that if they didn’t pass it meant it wasn’t right for them. The exam is just an indication of which school would suit them better. All the work isn’t just to pass it’s to make sure that are they very best they can be starting secondary school no matter where they end up.

I know this is easy for me to say sat on the other side though. The other thing we did was take them out for a celebration after the exam to celebrate how hard they had worked rather than celebrating the pass.
It’s a shit system it really is. We had so many tears from dc4 even though he passed as his two best mates didn’t. One went for appeal and he was hoping and praying he got in but unfortunately he didn’t.

We are on the home stretch!

But DD answered yet another question today adding up the amount Erica had spent rather than the change she got and it took all my strength not to bang my head against the wall. When I pointed it out, she calculated it in her head perfectly far more quickly than I could have done. Gah!

Mine are actually quite motivated now with a few weeks too go. Still playing and enjoying holidays but less moaning about doing work. We arent tutoring but im just going through books in between work.

We are trying some indies later in the year, plus one grammar which is one of the top ones so quite a stretch. My biggest fear is if we get nothing. In my mind it will feel like all this for nothing. Currently in an indie so will just remain if nothing comes up.

We did the last external mock on Saturday. I am hoping it is better than the last few we have done at home because we have had a real dip in scores. Which has then been affecting her confidence.
DD has an intensive week of tuition this week which we hope will increase her continuous writing speed.

I still don't know if she will pass as she hasn't passed any of the mocks. If she doesn't then I will need to start looking for tutors to supplement the local comprehensive (30% get 9-5 in English and maths). I am also looking at independent schools but the likelihood of being able to afford them is slim.

We were struggling to motivate DD in June, but this month she has worked so hard and her mocks scores reflect this. We are hoping she has peaked at just the right time. The fact it's only 2 weeks away has really focused her.

Still think it's a shit system though. And it's especially rubbish that the local privates are boasting a 95% pass rate, vs the state schools are more like 15% - the children in private have been so intensively coached that they will take places from brighter state school children. There should be a thing like the universities, where you get a contextual offer based on several factors, but sadly there isn't.

@GrammarSchoolJourney we go back over the questions line by line and see where the issue is, then set tasks on those. It feels a bit never ending but I remind myself that they are only young so won't be too much in terms of volume in reality at this stage. I know we have worked a lot and its never going to be perfect.

Are you south Bucks? We have same situation with our local comp, which adds to the pressure. The grammars are great, our catchmented comp is terrible, so it feels very high stakes

No we are in Essex. Most in our area don't attempt the 11+ as the grammar schools are over an hour away but all 4 local comps have similar or worse results.
We would need to move towards the city to get better comprehensive schools which just isn't possible.

Ah ok. I'm not sure if that's better or worse 😁. It's such a huge things for Bucks kids. On their transition day for year 6 (where they spent a morning with their teacher for next year) they all had to wrote something they were excited about and something they were worried about. Out of 28 children, over 20 wrote '11+' on their papers which went in an anonymous box to be read out. Only about 8 I would say are seriously going for the 11+ (tutors, doing mocks, home revision etc) but that worry has clearly rubbed off on many others in their class.

If only a few doing it wouldn't be such a big thing for the class, but on the plus side it gives DD moral support that her close friends are going through the same thing

@Bushmillsbabe i think thats terribly sad about those feeling stressed about the 11 plus. Im stressed myself and am really trying hard not to put in on my DD however i do think my negative comments about their current school's academics has rubbed off - and i regret that now in case we have to stay.

We have one child in class who put the 11 plus into the worry box and i really feel for her - her parents are super smart and lovely but the little girl has SEN so feels things very much and will be distraught if she doesnt pass. Its such a tough process.

It really is tough, and totally unfair for a 10 year old to have to go through. DD has her heart set on a specific grammar, otherwise we wouldn't have started this process. If we had our time again I think we would have moved to a non grammar area from London, but DD was 5 when we moved and we didn't really understand it.

In many ways I think it's worse than gcse's as it's just pass/fail. If someone is aiming at a 9 for example but then gets an 8, then thats fine. And it's multiple tears across multiple areas.

Hello, is anyone going for the Kent test? DS is doing intensive workshops this week and I’ll think that’s us done with prep.

I’ve heard some tutors have access to past papers and a few of their students got full marks in the past. I’ve always thought they don’t release past papers so seems a bit unfair. Any thoughts?