failed 11 + worried

[fugley]

son failed 11+ for private school near us, its the only one nearby and the only one we applied for. His current prep school goes up to 13, so we still have chance to go for the 12+ to get the option of then being allowed to do the 13+. This school has a high academic standard, and my son is somewhere below average, but certainly nowhere near the botton ranking in his year - approx top of the bottom third.

At 13 there are few places left, and I can think of only one other school as back-up, for 13+, although it is a good long way away.

Im getting worried, he may fail the 12+

Any experience of this? Can head teachers interven for you, if you are left without a place?

when you say he failed the 11+ for a private school, what exactly do you mean?

I thought 11+ was for a state education and common entrance for the private schools.

Isn't it a common entrance exam for private schools at 11?

If he's not been offered a place then this means that it's not the best school for him. Are there others that you can look at? Not every school is an academic one, some are more nurturing, some more sporty. I wouldn't put an academic child in a sporty school as they would just be miserable. Have a think about what his qualities are and find the right school that can meet his needs, the school should be right for the child not the other way around.

Talk to his current school. They will know best what his chances are and what the alternatives are for him if he doesn't make it.

If this is the only private school nearby, and it is very academic, then I think you really need to consider the state options in your area. The fact is that a selective academic school is not the "best" school if your child is not up to the academic standard - even if you could find a way to get him in, if he'd be struggling the whole time it's not going to give him the best education, is it?

Oh and the idea that private school will be bothered about you/him being "left without a place" is really not the way it works - only the state sector has a responsibility to find a school for every child.

What did his current school say when he failed - were they surprised or was it a mismatch ? tbh if he can't pass 11+, and it wasn't just due to an off day, then he is unlikely to secure a place at 12 or 13+(Common Entrance) without serious tuition. Private 11+ exams are usually school specific ime. But if he needs that then it isn't the right school and perhaps you need to have a plan b . Even a headmaster with good connections won't support you try to shoe horn your child into an unsuitable school. They have their own reputations to maintain. Your ds is less likely to be left without a place if you follow the guidance of the school and pitch your ds towards one better suited. What has been their advice thus far ? You may need to be more flexible, consider the state options too.

my current school didnt really give any advice. I let them know I was trying for the 11+ exam, I think until then they had assumed it was going to be wait until 13 but I thought it might be good to try at 11 when there were more places. I am not sure if anyone knew he would not get in, we knew there was a chance he wouldnt though. I will be having a word with them soon, and I may try some tuition, although I honestly thought I could tutor him myself, as I understood the curriculum but maybe I ought to. He failed by a few marks on one of the papers, I talked to the school and apparently you have to pass all the papers to get in. If they had taken an average of all his papers he would have easily crossed the pass mark, but thats how it works. I want that school mainly because it is convenient and his friends go there, it has a good reputation, and I think he could keep up, I do not think the school is beyond him and I would like to give him that chance. Thing is now, even for a school further away there are fewer places at 13.

I think the fact that it's convenient and his friends are going there shouldn't be a factor in whether this is the right school for him. If he's not an academic child then it's unfair on him to be placed in an academic school. The entrance exams are designed to make sure that the child can cope academically, this is why they are so strict with who they offer a place to. If they offer places to the top 30% then the ones that are under this bench mark will really struggle. The school he's at now could have done some prep for him though, they should know what standard he needed to be in to get a place and could have given him some practice papers to do.
You could always contact the school you want him to attend and see if there's still places for September and ask if he can resit the exam as he was borderline.

In that case, get a tutor (a reputable one who has got children though the exam before), and try again next year.

Did your school actually prepare him for the 11+ properly or did he sit it cold with a bit of help from yourself? Is there any chance that it was simply exam technique which let him down? There is a huge difference between saying doing creative writing in class and doing an essay under timepressure. One of the risks of some prep schools is that unless you are applying for one of their favoured schools then if you opt for 11+ rather than 13+ entry then you are on your own.

Ime head teachers can intervene if they feel that the result was unjust, but usually they will only do so if you had followed their advice to date in terms of which schools to sit for. If you've chosen a school where your child will struggle then I wouldn't expect your current head to put his neck out. If it is just a matter that he missed out by a couple of marks then get him tutored for next year. 13+ spaces are fewer, but then so are the number of children chasing them, and few get no space at all in the private sector.

Well I read the OP as saying that her ds's existing school was the one with the high academic standard. So top of the bottom third probably means fairly bright.

Fugley as he only missed by such a small amount I would think his chances of success later are quite good.

You are right to be concerned about the reduced number of places at 13+ - in my area this year was terrible at 13+ as all the schools had way more applications than normal.

At ds's school a quarter of the scholarship class and a third of the other class didn't get places and parents were left scrambling around trying to find new schools. The headmaster was useless - like a rabbit caught in headlights!! Thank goodness several have now managed to get places.

At 13+ you need a Plan B and a Plan C.

11+ performance depends a lot on performance on the day, and schools putting a lot of children forward expect a few real disappointments - and some good surprises. This does not make it any easier for the parents and particularly the child involved.

I think if he had been in a school which focussed on 11+ you would have been advised to have a dead cert fall-back and to ensure he was up to the mark on his weakest subject.

Disappointing as you will be there is an opportunity and time to rethink your plans. Is this the right school for your child. What are alternatives. And if it is the right school what do you need to do to ensure that the school is confident enough that he is the right child for them and will not struggle academically.

I am not sure, without knowing your child, whether repeated attempts (eg at both 12+ and 13+) and potentially repeated failure would be the right approach but this is for you to consider.

13+ is usually a different sort of exam which tests what a child has learned rather than their potential. The school will be able to tell you whether your child is likely to do better at this stage. It does not sound as if his performance was so off standard that he would be ruled out from a second attempt. You should also discuss what your child needs to do over the next couple of years, how best to motivate him and how the school will support.

I agree though that the reduced number of places at 13+ can make this entry point more problematic. Take the chance to think about your child and where he might thrive. Who knows, your plan B might end up being more attractive than the original Plan A.

Good luck.

Finding this hard to understand - is this all about private schools, or are you talking about 11&divid; entry to a state grammar school? If you're talking about private schools, then I don't think his Head's intervention would help much - if you're talking state schools then the Primary Head does have some locus in the appeal process. But I think we need a bit more information before anyone can be very helpful.

I'm amazed that there doesn't seem to have been any kind of dialogue between you and the school about this child's options.

At my DS's prep school some boys go at 11 but most stay till 13. They make sure the 11+ syllabus is covered in time for exams, but most effort goes to preparing for CE at 13+. HOWEVER since year 5 there has been a constant dialogue and assessments done with a view to guiding us towards a senior school that is SUITABLE. THey guard their 100% record of getting into school of choice jealously. IN reality it is not a choice as such but a very strong recommendation based on theor experoence and knowledge of the child of where they will a) get in ie pass the esam with relevant pass rate and b) thrive given their academic skills, sports, drama, whatever else

I thought this was standard for prep schools - it is what they are FOR isn't it?? It does no good for your prep school if they can't say that they get all children in to schools of choice does it? I would be beating the door down for a meeting with head of year at the very least and have an honest discussion - and be prepared for them to say this senior school is not right for your child.