Not good news!!

[eileen]

Thanks Um for kind words, another 3years will be going through this again with son, can't wait!!

[GuidingStar]

Congratulations to all parents who have good news.

To others, nothing to dispair or be hopeless. One of my nephew didnot pass any 11+ tests few years ago and went to a his very bad performing local school, this year he passed his GCSEs with 12 A* and 2 A (14 total). Another boy who didnot pass his 11+ and went to a local school but now doing a PhD at Cambridge Uni and always get bombarded with numerous job offers from the City banks. In contrast, I have seen a few KE boys getting just average results- some even dropping studies after 16 or 18. Sometimes failure at an earlier age can make you more determined and put you in fighting mood for future success, whereas being in too-good surrounding can make you lazy and complacant. So stick with your kids, my exp tells me its the parents continuous support and motivation that matters more than just being in a good school.

Cheer up!

[eileen]

Hi everyone, last couple of days have been awful, we have had family friends and neighbours all asking about my daughters result. As posted before she is 320 qmh and 201 Birmingham. I have told everyone that she's not got a place. Yesterday daughter started crying at school, we all thought she was going to get in. Trying to stay strong and put on a brave face. I know she will look back and think i was not good enough for grammar. Really worried about how she will get on at local comp don't want her to fall behind.

[UmSusu]

I think with a 201 she will be perfectly fine. That is a good score against some of the brightest children. There have been quite a few shock results this year : there are at least 2 boys who were very high flyers at my DS's school who did not even make 200 and one who was bright but never outstanding that got a very high score for CH - I am not trying to take from him anything as he got his score from the same exam as everyone else, but it is not a perfect exam and is looking for particular things that your DD only had one chance at doing. It does not define her or her abilities. One of the boys was ranked in the top ten at HGB but did not qualify for KEGS. Another was around the 100th rank and got FW.

I think it is the public discussion about results that children and families find the hardest. One of the mum's at our school has a son with a very good score but has been literally hounding every other parent to see what they got - I stopped collecting my DS2 after the first incident as even though my son passed there were 2 mum's who were clearly upset and didn't want to talk about it. I don't know how they felt but I was offended for them. She will probably go off and say everyone is just jealous

I think this has been the drawback of the new system: that in schools where a lot of children go for the exam there has been a lot of comparisons of scores amongst the children and quite a few tears. Whereas in the past you were simply told your allocated school. I still prefer that I know how things stand before the form goes in but I have witnessed the unpleasant side too.

UmSusu

[eileen]

Thanks UmSusu, it will take somtime to sink in, they say time is a great healer! I hope so.

[HappyRobot]

Congratulations to all parents who have good news.

To others, nothing to dispair or be hopeless. One of my nephew didnot pass any 11+ tests few years ago and went to a his very bad performing local school, this year he passed his GCSEs with 12 A* and 2 A (14 total). Another boy who didnot pass his 11+ and went to a local school but now doing a PhD at Cambridge Uni and always get bombarded with numerous job offers from the City banks. In contrast, I have seen a few KE boys getting just average results- some even dropping studies after 16 or 18. Sometimes failure at an earlier age can make you more determined and put you in fighting mood for future success, whereas being in too-good surrounding can make you lazy and complacant. So stick with your kids, my exp tells me its the parents continuous support and motivation that matters more than just being in a good school.

Cheer up!

That's a great message. DCs can do well wherever they go, especially if parents give them the right support.

[DIY Mum]

dd2's class mates thinks she's failed because she won't tell them her score Thankfully, she is over the mark but what if she wasn't...not very nice to rub salt in the wounds another minus point for the new system.

Eileen, keep your chin up. It's not the school but children's hard work that ensures their success. I know that for certain. I come from a family of 7 and my parents couldn't speak any English initially. Anyhow, my dad used to work night and day to pay for my elder 2's independent schools. Couldn't afford it for the younger 3 dc (myself included) and we went to our local comp. But you know what? The younger 3 came out with higher hon degrees (2.1 and a 1st class) whereas the eldest didn't. We also went to achieve Master degrees as well from the Russell Group Univs.

Schools do help but they can only do so, if the child works too. I know of a tutor who tells me constantly of how there is very little correlation between what her pupils have achieved at 11+ and later on in GCSE's etc. So looking at the bigger picture, it is possible to do well and not go to a gs.

[MSD]

Completely agree DIY mum!

[morgu]

Eileen, that breaks my heart.
When you get disappointing results it is all too easy to think of it as 'failure'. But please, please bare in mind, that only the most able sit these tests, and with a score of 201 your daughter did better than most of them (with 200 being the average score). Lets say the top 10% of the cohort sit the tests, then your daughter is in the top 5% of this cohort!
She will be one of the most able in her new school, which can be a real confidence boost, while many children who start grammar school have to get used to not being the best any more.

All the best to you and your daughter.

[eileen]

Thanks alot for kind words, really helps to have support of you guys at this difficult time, wish i had registered with fourm early.