How are we all feeling with 3 months to go??!

[ToadMum]

The "minimum score" for in-catchment children, below which a grammar place will not be offered has been 303 for some years as far as I am aware, so I would assume that that year there was particularly heavy demand for SHSB from in-catchment boys, such that the 125th place went to a boy with a standardised score ten marks higher than the minimum "pass" (I also assume that we are talking about a "pass mark" of 313 far that year referring to the in-catchment places, since there are only 25 guaranteed places for out-of-catchment boys so the score achieved by the last one of them in would probably be higher anyway).

As far as I can remember from what the gentleman from the LA said at the meeting about transition we attended last September (at Hamstel, in case anyone else has a better memory of the event?) in recent years all in-catchment children acheiving a minimum standardised score of 303 have obtained a selective place, so presumably that year, boys in the range 303 - 312.999 got places at Westcliff / St Thomas More / Shoebury / Cecil Jones.

[Manana]

The "minimum score" for in-catchment children, below which a grammar place will not be offered has been 303 for some years as far as I am aware, so I would assume that that year there was particularly heavy demand for SHSB from in-catchment boys, such that the 125th place went to a boy with a standardised score ten marks higher than the minimum "pass" (I also assume that we are talking about a "pass mark" of 313 far that year referring to the in-catchment places, since there are only 25 guaranteed places for out-of-catchment boys so the score achieved by the last one of them in would probably be higher anyway).

As far as I can remember from what the gentleman from the LA said at the meeting about transition we attended last September (at Hamstel, in case anyone else has a better memory of the event?) in recent years all in-catchment children acheiving a minimum standardised score of 303 have obtained a selective place, so presumably that year, boys in the range 303 - 312.999 got places at Westcliff / St Thomas More / Shoebury / Cecil Jones.

Thank you. The meeting at our primary school (not too far from Hamstel!) was less than useful.


I just wish I knew how the change of priority catchment would affect things-passmarks etc! Dr Bevan et al at the Consortium meeting at SHSB seemed to think it would have no impact but I can't help thinking it will...

[Mutley]

My son will be taking his 11+ in sept 2012 with no tuition!! He already has level 5s across the board, with 5b for Maths.

If he passes he gets in, if he fails he goes to the local comp. No big deal.

I (nor he) will be losing sleep over it and I can't understand the pressure some parents put on their children - tuition is NOT recommended as it is not a real reflection on the child's ability.

Take the pressure off - kids will do well where ever they go - if they want to. Too much pressure and they rebel. Please relax

[First-timer]

My son will be taking his 11+ in sept 2012 with no tuition!! He already has level 5s across the board, with 5b for Maths.

If he passes he gets in, if he fails he goes to the local comp. No big deal.

I (nor he) will be losing sleep over it and I can't understand the pressure some parents put on their children - tuition is NOT recommended as it is not a real reflection on the child's ability.

Take the pressure off - kids will do well where ever they go - if they want to. Too much pressure and they rebel. Please relax

I understand and respect your stance, it's a shame you don't understand that of parents who choose to tutor their DC for the exam. I'll try to explain. It's an uneven playing field for a start - some prep schools incorporate 11+ preparation into DC's curriculum from year 2. Some primary schools are inadequate and even good schools do not cover the breadth of work required for the Essex 11+. Some children are required to reach different standards - an in-catchment parent can afford to be a bit more relaxed than one who is out of catchment. For some parents, the alternative comp is an extremely unsavoury option. Tutoring or having their DC tutored is understandable under a myriad of circumstances.

It's not necessarily synonymous with pressure, either. Lots of DC enjoy the work. Obviously, some parents will overdo it. That's unfortunate. The GS's are full of DC who have been tutored and they do well.

If your DC can get through the exam without tuition, that's great - and absolutely your choice. We are all just trying to do the best by our DC, and that rarely takes a one-size-fits-all solution.

Good luck.

[Reading Mum]

My son will be taking his 11+ in sept 2012 with no tuition!! He already has level 5s across the board, with 5b for Maths.

If he passes he gets in, if he fails he goes to the local comp. No big deal.

I (nor he) will be losing sleep over it and I can't understand the pressure some parents put on their children - tuition is NOT recommended as it is not a real reflection on the child's ability.

Take the pressure off - kids will do well where ever they go - if they want to. Too much pressure and they rebel. Please relax

Its one point of view. All I can say to it is that your local comp must be a lot better than mine. My DD wants to be a vet. The comp simply does not offer the breadth or depth of subject study to get her there so we would be into evening classes etc. Better to do some study now methinks. Of course she may well change her mind about being a vet but I want her to have options and the local comp does not leave her with many.

[Mutley]

Hi,

I understand all that has been said, however, I know a child who didn't get into the GS after about 18 months of tuition and she was absolutely distraught. Not because she didn't get in, but because of the fact that her parents pushed, pushed,pushed and she felt like she had let them down. She also told a friend that she was upset due to the amount of money had been spent on tuition and she still failed!!!

If children love to learn that's great, but too much pressure and training I don't think is a great way for kids to enjoy their schooling. Surely kids should enjoy their childhood without all the added pressure - enough of that later in life !!!!

[Chai]

I come from a country where we all had an exam similar to the 11+. It is called the Primary School Leaving Exam - PSLE. Competition for entry into good schools is high, where I come from. Our schools teach the children the same curriculum, and there are even mock tests held throughout the year in the children's respective schools, to help the children prepare for this exam. Our parents knew the exact syllabus and we could obtain mock past papers free from our school. We even had papers from other schools to practise from. Yes, we still had tuition or help at home, but at least our state schools covered the core syllabus, ensuring that there is a level playing field.

I find the state education system here very lacking and unfair to many children. I believe the problem stems from the fact that state schools ignore this 11+ system and don't inform the parents anything until it is very late in the day. To top it off, excluding VR, much of the 11+ syllabus is not covered in school in time for the child to sit the exam in September. And then there is the ridiculously difficult English language paper (the 2007 paper is a great example) that throws out questions with choices like "pathetic fallacy"....for 11-year-olds, some of whom have barely turned 10 over the summer. Many parents in the know (and nowadays, there are many) try to do their best by their children. I see nothing wrong in this. What can we do if the system will not help us and entry into a good high school depends either on your postcode or the 11+ exam?

[First-timer]

I've yet to meet a child who doesn't love to learn. Even if it's just tying their shoelaces or how to build a den.

Dealing with disappointment can be difficult. If parents handle it badly then it can be awful for DC. It is not, however, the natural sequelae of tutoring a child. Your friend's distress was not because she was tutored. Had she got in, she would have thought nothing of it. Families have to take great care to manage expectations and ensure they are not carping about the amount of time and money they have invested in the process. It is entirely possible ( and dare I say it, fairly common) for DC to find tutoring a positive experience, irrespective of outcome. My own DD enjoys the time we spend working together, as did her brother before her. They are in no doubt that I value their education and appreciate their efforts. More than that, they know that I think they are worth it. It's quite a powerful message. Their value lies in all that they are now - it's not contingent on the result of the exam, and because I think they are fantastic little people, I want to get in on the act and help them.

Tutoring does not equal pressure.

[CardyMow]

I feel nervous and like I might be setting my son up to fail!

How will you know if the marks your child gets are high enough to bother applying for CRGS?

[Lloyd97]

First-timer is right that it's not a level playing field to start with, therefore tutoring is just another thing that may or may not level it a bit. I also agree with Mutley that relatively savvy children with parents who care and support them through school will reach their potential, even at the 'local comp' - two words that seem to instil horror into some of the visitors to this forum! I have DCs at the 'local comp'. Contrary to what some might believe, and even though it's an average school, neither is taking drugs or hanging around with undesirables and both are happy and fulfilling their potential. I seem to remember someone telling a story about a 6th-former at a 'super-selective' holding an umbrella over her Year 7 child while they waited for a bus together, implying that this sort of behaviour is reserved for grammar school children - it's really not. So for anyone out there who is feeling desperate about the alternative 'local comp', have faith in your children and yourselves and don't assume that it's all down to the school. I'm not knocking grammar schools - they have their place - but assuming that someone who goes to the 'local comp' can't ever be a vet is a little bit dramatic.