12+

[Tolstoy]

Good Luck Kata girl and your DD - sending positive vibes your way x x x

Like Booklady the 12+ may be our path to follow next year; our catchment upper is ok and the OOC schools (different county, comprehensive system not selective) are not an option as they have performed even worse than DCs secondary catchment school! Our options are very limited.

The love you have for your daughter and your pride in her shines through, she is so lucky to have such a lovely, caring mum, and I wish you and everyone else taking the 12+ test next week all the best x x x

We have ended up in a similar position heartmum, I have DC now in Upper schools that are far better than the Comprehensive they would have had to attend had they not succeeded in their 11+ where we previously lived. That said the most important factor for success is attitude and motivation and although a child with these attributes will do well in any school a child without is less likely to succeed no matter how good the school (in our experience anyway). Also in our family one DC now he is at a school where he is academically one of the high fliers has vastly increased in motivation and if it continues will stand a much better chance of getting into his desired profession. I do have concerns that the teaching may not be as good as at his GS school but still prefer to have the motivation.

The move to secondary school can be distressing for many DC regardless of what secondary school they end up in and particularly if they were very happy in primary. I never settled into my secondary school despite its many attributes and know of many others who had the same problem. Had it been a second choice school I am sure I could have believed that this was the problem and a first choice would have been utopia.

All these DC who are motivated enough to not only work for a 11+ but also a 12+ and put themselves through a second test situation should succeed regardless of the outcome of the test. So good luck to them all .

[heartmum]

heartmum what about home schooling like me!

I lack the confidence, but I truly admire parents, like you, who decide to follow this route and from your DCs Ed.Psych. report you have been doing a fantastic job x x x

... plus DC only in Y6 is starting to have a better understanding of maths than me, whilst my older DCs if they need help in Maths/Physics - let's just say they know to ask someone else and not me

[Rags]

Good luck to you and your DD, Katagirl.

With involved, caring and aware parenting, she's got half the battle won, I believe, wherever she is. Here's to the other half of the battle.

[Dollydripmat]

Good luck everyone I truly wish you well.

I do find it extremely hard understanding the 11+ system. I was educated in an entirely different system. What I do worry about is the pressure our children are under at age 10. No system is perfect, whether it's a GS, upper or private, it's important to remember that starting Y7 is daunting and as parents to be positive with our children regardless of which school they will be attending. Life isn't perfect, life is full of diversity, our true calling is giving them the tools to deal with these difficult life choices. If we are negative about schools, they feed off this, if we are positive about situations (that deep down we are not sure of.....and life is full of those!) they will feed off this. Just my view. Dollyx

[Lillie]

I agree with you, Dolly. It is a very strange system and not one people outside of this area can get their heads round either.

It is also very difficult for DCs and families when one gets through and the other doesn't. I know this system splits families down the middle all over the county and that is damaging. Having one child go off to school in one direction and another in the opposite is a very stark reminder. And also tricky situations when well meaning adults gush over the child who has got through when other siblings are present who may not have qualified. It's just a constant reminder which young people do not need. I just feel as parents we have to manage the situation for our DC as best we can.

[Kata girl]

As promised I said I would return to post here. Key message is that a year and a half on this was much much tougher than the 11 + according to DD who is in top sets in Year 7. Numerical questions she had never seen the format of before, some confusing comp passages for Cloze tasks and antonyms but no specific synonym tasks. On paper it would seem she was more prepared, 18 months on, SATs under her belt, diy 12+ practice and 45 mins tutor each week for 5 months - to cover areas we couldn't. She was in the zone and calm on the day. Who knows maybe she is in for a nice surprise on the 27th but I think she feels that if she thinks realistically - she hasn't passed.

[MamaBear]

Good luck to you and your dd, kata girl. You've done all you can, your dd is lucky to have you.

[Kata girl]

Thanks MamaBear. Eccentric on a different section said her DD had a similar experience of the test - thought there were some tough questions of types that she hadn't come across which was what my DD had said. Anyway will update here results and next steps whatever the outcome.

[Eccentric]

I think that my DD would like to write a review of the exam and her experience would that be acceptible on here?

[Guest55]

There might be late testers so get her to write it down but save it.

12+ used to be standardised against a national cohort.