2017 takers - how is it going??

Eleven Plus (11+) in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Wrekin

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Petitpois
Posts: 1440
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:44 am

2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by Petitpois »

DD2 started first tuition couple of weeks ago. Only doing two sessions a month at the moment. Anyone else doing more. We know people doing 2+ sessions a week at this stage. I think that is too much for now, but the additional tuition does bear fruit...

DD2 seems to be making good progress in English (synonyms etc), less so on maths, but then we shifted effort to English comp and VR, plus reading following the first campaign for DD1.

Not sure you when to ramp up tuition! May leave it till summer hols.

I feel it would be a mistake to go more than once a week. The homework on top of school homework gets a bit much.

How are others ramping up their campaign?

PP
helen0209
Posts: 739
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:17 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by helen0209 »

Hi PP

DS2 is going once a week - his tutor alternates the English side and Maths side, so basically he does 2 of each a month. He does the homework they set each week - 20 questions of each Maths, VR, NVR and Reading / comprehension but nothing extra at the moment.

Results vary; between 65% - 100% (think that one was a fluke)! But generally around the 70% which we are happy with. I don't want to do more than once a week at this stage as there is still so far to go and don't want burn out too early on.

Will keep the tuition as once a week, but come Year 5 will do our books as well as their homework. If BV / KEA was 220 this year, I am imagining minimum 225 for 2018 intake which is a worrying concept.

We are trying to do a lot of reading, and have our own flip cards with words and their meanings which he doesn't understand / know the meaning of from the stories. That way we can go back over them in the following weeks / months to ensure he has remembered them.

Good luck with your campaign.
Enjoyingthejourney
Posts: 122
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:44 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by Enjoyingthejourney »

Hi, DS1 is also going to a tutor once a week. I was actually quite suprised when you mentioned children going twice a week, PP, especially at this stage. Is that actually the norm for year 4? My son would quickly hate the process as he likes to be able to fit in his sports and he enjoys reading for pleasure, something I strongly doubt he would have much time for if he did more than once a week.
His vocabulary is better than I give him credit for (when I start having my little panics as I really do not want to have a vocab-cram, but do appreciate that a high standard is required). We do spend time doing maths based work, mainly, at home as he enjoys it.

Does anybody feel that the 11plus exam content may change due to the change in the curriculum? If they are expected to work to a higher level in year 6, will the 11plus also be harder?
Petitpois
Posts: 1440
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:44 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by Petitpois »

From what I can see all that has happened on the curriculum is that they are doing stuff earlier. I am not convinced that it will raise standards. They do talk about mastery an awful lot, but this might be getting lost in the rush to cover ground too early! That said DD1 hadn't really done volume or fractions till start of year 5, and the preps would have done this before Yr5. So may be the new curriculum will level the playing field a bit.

I can't see any reason for making the 11+ harder. What is going to make things harder is the rise in numbers. Baby boom now coming through, plus higher level of people giving it a go.

I am just keeping focussed on As much reading as possible and basic numeracy mastery, for now.

BTW some kids are doing are doing more than twice a week, but it is about keeping it in perspective too.

PP
helen0209
Posts: 739
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:17 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by helen0209 »

I think it depends on your focus. DS2 is one of the youngest (August birthday), so is still only 8. Going to a tutor once a week and completing their homework is sufficient for now (in our opinion). He is mastering the basics of understanding the wording of questions, differences between rotations / reflections, increasing vocab knowledge and speeding up his maths skills.

He needs to have a balanced approach to life and still enjoy being a child. Increasing tutor sessions and homework would mean sacrificing football, science club, playing with friends etc. which we are not going to do. I think he would start to resent both us and the 11+ work.

That said, this time next year may be a different story; we will certainly ramp it up and not take such a break over the summer as we did with DS1.

Each child is different, as is a parent's approach. It may be the wrong mentality, but we are not looking for a 250+ score or a place at CHB, just something which will enable him to go to a grammar in general.
Midlandsmom
Posts: 275
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:25 pm

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by Midlandsmom »

We focused on spellings and times tables from the start of the year. Since Easter DD has had 1:1 tuition weekly. Nothing high pressure, mostly maths focused, plus encouraging reading and using thesaurus etc for synonyms. I am thinking I'll let the tutor get on with it and we'll just do homework and school homework until around Xmas and then ramp it up a bit with our own resources from DS post New Year. Big mistake last time was letting things slide in the summer run up to the test so will definitely be keeping momentum up this time around!
helen0209
Posts: 739
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:17 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by helen0209 »

I think we are all agreed that reading is key in the 11+ preparation. I have checked out the recommended list of books within this forum, and have read some with DS2, but does anyone have any other recommendations?

I can say that The Invisible Man's Socks by Alex Shearer (is on the fore mentioned list) is really rather good. It has held DS's attention, has an unusual story which is written in a way that it captures a child's imagination, and has had a number of words which has stretched his vocab (staid, imperilled, curtly, aggrieved) etc.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Enjoyingthejourney
Posts: 122
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:44 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by Enjoyingthejourney »

Hi Helen, I got rather excited after thinking that the book you mentioned was by Alan Shearer (my son is obsessed with football, but thankfully he prefers to read about it than spend a regular 90+mins watching). I will look up the 'Alex' Shearer book anyway as he does generally enjoy reading.

At school, they watched a series called 'Roman Mysteries' which my son was always excited about. It turned out that it was based on a series of books of the same name by an author called Caroline Lawrence. He has since started reading the series instead as he enjoys the books so much. We have a (rather cruel, maybe) rule in our house where if a film is based on a book, then we must read it before we watch it. He has been kept away from the Harry Potter films for this reason and now is finally watching them, though he himself says that he is glad he read the books first since the films pale in comparison and he wasn't reading with prejudices.
But back on topic, the Roman Mysteries are also good for helping expand vocabulary.
booellesmum
Posts: 611
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:44 am

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by booellesmum »

DD1 loved the Roman Mysteries books.
Another great series for expanding vocab is A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.
nervousmom
Posts: 1687
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:38 am
Location: Warwickshire

Re: 2017 takers - how is it going??

Post by nervousmom »

Roald Dahl books - Danny Champion of the World, Matilda
Harry Potter & the Philosophers stone
The Borrowers
Wind In The Willows
Tom's midnight garden
Charlotte's Web
The Secret Garden
Holes
Goodnight Mr Tom
The Lion, The witch & the Wardrobe.

My daughter read 7 of the above over last summer.

She wrote down any words she didn't know, then looked them up in a dictionary.

It's a good idea them for them to write sentences using these new words.
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