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Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:06 pm
by capries
hi all,
Just want to have an idea from others.I am a newcomer on this website.

What do you think that a child in middle group of the class should go for preparing 11+ or not.Or is it just for the high flyers and top group children who will eventually pass the tests.Also to mention if the child is late summer born.

I am having a dilemma here. a mother who wants to try for 11+, but unsure if it is the right path or not. Especially when you look for tutoring your child for the test and spending a fortune on it.
Looking forward to the replies.

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:15 pm
by inmystride
A key part of your question lies in the remark " a mother who wants to try for the 11+".
Does the child?

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:26 pm
by Pumpkin Pie
Have you considered tutoring the child yourself as that would save you the expense of a private tutor. There is lots of advice on this site and I used it to help my DD, who successfully passed. Your daughter in the middle sets would be capable of passing the 11+ if she is prepared to do a little extra work. The children really do come on and gain confidence. :x

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:33 pm
by Reading Mum
It will depend a little on your area. An 'average' child might not be suited to a superselective GS even if you managed to get them through the exam. It depends on your child and whether you think they would rise to the challenge of not being in the top sets at a GS or whether being nearer the top in a decent comp would be a better fit. That also depends on there being a decent alternative to GS that you would get into

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:36 pm
by WOTMum
We were told by the current head when we first visited Tiffin Girls (nearly 2.5 years ago, our DD was just finishing Year 4) that unless your DD was in the top 10% of their form/year group she would not be able to keep up/manage the work. If your DD wants it as much as you then I would say prepare as much as you can in the time you have, but do factor in whether you think she could manage the amount of work/speed/difficulty were she to secure a place. I think so many parents don't think beyond the test about how they will manage, on top of travelling etc. I would also assume any decent tutor will also assess her capabilities before taking your money. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:42 pm
by cakemummy
My DS who is a premature summer born child has started at our local superselective grammar this September. From Y2 he has always consistently worked above his level and was in the top set of his class. We visited the grammar schools in our area and the headmasters did advise that children who were predicted to finish Y6 with high level 5 onwards should apply. We spoke to his teacher before putting him forward and she encouraged us to go ahead with it.

Now that he's started I can see why they do stress that DC who are of that level apply as that is the level they start working at for quite a few subjects. My DS is bright and very competitive but his confidence did take a knock when he started school as all of a sudden there were lots of other bright boys and not just him. He even came home one day thinking he was bottom of the class just because he got a 5b on an assessment instead of a 5a.

What I'm trying to say is that preparing a child for the 11+ is one thing but what you really need to think about is whether the child will be able to keep up once in. If you feel your DC can then great go for it, but if not then I would seriously re-consider grammar school as not only will they not enjoy it but I think they will find it quite hard and it will be an emotional rollercoaster for you too.

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:44 pm
by Looking for help
The thing is - in Surrey and Slough and Reading too, I think the numbers applying are huge - so yes in order to pass your child needs to be pretty smart. However once there, the weird thing about grammar schools is that they tend to follow the curriculum in the same way as any school - I've had three through a Slough school and while they were very borderline on entry they have done much better at GCSE and A Level than lots who got top scores in the 11+.

If I were you I'd go down the home tutoring route, and have a go - there are loads of resources available, so it needn't cost a fortune, and then there really is nothing to lose. And if your child passes, great :D

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:49 pm
by yoyo123
Looking for help wrote: If I were you I'd go down the home tutoring route, and have a go - there are loads of resources available, so it needn't cost a fortune, and then there really is nothing to lose. And if your child passes, great :D
and, even if they don't, you have given them a great start already for KS3, analytical skills, vocabulary, problem solving strategies ( and where appropriate) maths prowess..

go for it!

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 8:14 pm
by tiffinboys
capries wrote:
What do you think that a child in middle group of the class should go for preparing 11+ or not.Or is it just for the high flyers and top group children who will eventually pass the tests. Also to mention if the child is late summer born.
Yes. Our children can. Only, they should want it themselves.

Then you need to plan early, plan well and work hard. Summer born would usually seems to be average child in the year group, though actually not. But with good planning and early preparation in English/Maths, they could also become well versed enough in Reasoning papers too. We have many such examples at our local school. This year, August born girl scored 380plus at Nonsuch and also passed Tiffin stage 1 and Wallington tests.

Re: Can an average child pass the 11+????

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 3:59 pm
by ThreeKids
I think there are two issues here. The first is whether an average child would thrive at a grammar school. My personal experience is that they probably would not. Going to a grammar is not the be all and end all of life. The education and challenges there are different, and suit a specific type of child very well, but are not perfect for all as has been said above.

An average child is unlikely to benefit from a grammar education, which will be biased towards academic success. It's not exclusively biased in that direction but as a result subjects and opportunities which might broaden the horizons and identify other attributes in a less academic child will tend to be less available.

The second question that has not been touched on is whether your child is indeed average or brighter than average. Over some years I have generally only been surprised by which children have not got into the grammars rather than who does. However for a very long time my youngest was deemed to be very much 'average on a good day'. We now know that he is of selective ability which confirmed my personal view that there was not a lot of difference between him and his grammar school brother. This has not been achieved via heaps of tutoring. If you believe that your child is considerably better than average then I would go for it. If you think your child is in a particularly bright cohort and therefore the average is skewed, then again it is quite possibly worth it. If however you agree that your child is indeed around about average I would counsel against aiming for the grammars as it is a long haul and fraught with the possibility that your child will consider themselves a failure when there is no reason for a child that age to have to brand themselves in that way.