new mum to the 11 plus
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hi, and thankyou for clarifying that the tests will be multiple choice. Not sure if that's easier or just confuses them with the possibilities!
mm, yes, I know that tutoring the kids is the done thing for Tiffin and other grammars..
Luckily I have taught, in the past, so I'm not freaked out by the idea of tutoring him myself.
I dont want to put the level of pressure on him that going to a tutor involves, and I dont want to set up a hot housing atmosphere for him.
He's a bright child and has an aptitude for these kind of tests, so I'm going to give it a shot and have presented it to him as a fun challenge..
I'm aiming to avoid any notion of 'failiure' in his mind, if he doesnt get in, and presenting it as a game that you might get lucky in if you give it your very best shot.
Yesterday we were looking at a VR question in which you have to find a 4 letter word staggered across other words in a sentence. He immediately spotted 'twas' which wasnt the right answer, but is indeed a word. That puzzled me, from the point of view of flexibility of marking - would he get a mark because he'd found an alternative word, or lose a mark for not finding the obvious one?!
There's something a tutor would know!
mm, yes, I know that tutoring the kids is the done thing for Tiffin and other grammars..
Luckily I have taught, in the past, so I'm not freaked out by the idea of tutoring him myself.
I dont want to put the level of pressure on him that going to a tutor involves, and I dont want to set up a hot housing atmosphere for him.
He's a bright child and has an aptitude for these kind of tests, so I'm going to give it a shot and have presented it to him as a fun challenge..
I'm aiming to avoid any notion of 'failiure' in his mind, if he doesnt get in, and presenting it as a game that you might get lucky in if you give it your very best shot.
Yesterday we were looking at a VR question in which you have to find a 4 letter word staggered across other words in a sentence. He immediately spotted 'twas' which wasnt the right answer, but is indeed a word. That puzzled me, from the point of view of flexibility of marking - would he get a mark because he'd found an alternative word, or lose a mark for not finding the obvious one?!
There's something a tutor would know!
Hi Maxie,
Excuse me if I am being dumb, but "twas" a word?? I know it's used in everyday language, but it wouldn't surely be considered an actual word.
Anyway, that's by the by (which is another odd saying!) and I'm sure you will be able to keep the tutoring relaxed as you have teaching experience. I tried with my son but failed miserably as I just got frustrated with his silly mistakes.
From talking to others with boys I found this lackadaisical attitude of his quite common.
Good luck
Excuse me if I am being dumb, but "twas" a word?? I know it's used in everyday language, but it wouldn't surely be considered an actual word.
Anyway, that's by the by (which is another odd saying!) and I'm sure you will be able to keep the tutoring relaxed as you have teaching experience. I tried with my son but failed miserably as I just got frustrated with his silly mistakes.
From talking to others with boys I found this lackadaisical attitude of his quite common.
Good luck
Melinda... you are right.. I looked up 'twas' on dictionary.com and it needs an apostrophe before it.
I need to tell him to look for the most obvious word. and now he'll know about 'twas, as well..
lackadaisical attitude is spot on, it's a fine line to walk, to retain their happy go lucky child nature, yet to bring them to a point of feeling comfortable with periods of intense focus, on something other than Jackie Chan cartoons..
I need to tell him to look for the most obvious word. and now he'll know about 'twas, as well..
lackadaisical attitude is spot on, it's a fine line to walk, to retain their happy go lucky child nature, yet to bring them to a point of feeling comfortable with periods of intense focus, on something other than Jackie Chan cartoons..
Hi Maxie,
I found tutoring hard work with my son, so I opted for a tutor even though its still hard work however my son works better. He used to drive me up the wall with his laid back approach and I think even the tutor gets annoyed sometimes but he gets more out of him than I ever did.
Tutors are expensive and I feel the pinch financially but if you can teach yourself than go for it.
I found tutoring hard work with my son, so I opted for a tutor even though its still hard work however my son works better. He used to drive me up the wall with his laid back approach and I think even the tutor gets annoyed sometimes but he gets more out of him than I ever did.
Tutors are expensive and I feel the pinch financially but if you can teach yourself than go for it.
You must get a Tiffin tutor if you want Tiffin boys.
1100 boys that sat last years exam, bound to be more this year! You have to be well prepared to get one of the 140 places on offer, there's no chance of getting in on appeal.
I tutored my son for a year, as well as a recent graduate tutor, but it wasn't enough, you have to pay the extra for a Tiffin tutor if you want him to stand the remotest chance of getting in. No sure about the others, but you have a tough battle ahead of you.
1100 boys that sat last years exam, bound to be more this year! You have to be well prepared to get one of the 140 places on offer, there's no chance of getting in on appeal.
I tutored my son for a year, as well as a recent graduate tutor, but it wasn't enough, you have to pay the extra for a Tiffin tutor if you want him to stand the remotest chance of getting in. No sure about the others, but you have a tough battle ahead of you.
Thanks again to everyone for sharing your invaluable experiences. Its some relief to know there are a lot of mothers of boys in the same boat and some have done it.
About the application forms, can anyone advice on order of preference especially if you want to add a back up of comprehensives.
Thanks.
About the application forms, can anyone advice on order of preference especially if you want to add a back up of comprehensives.
Thanks.
Put the schools in the order you want them. The schools do not know where you have placed them and don't be swayed by Wallington implying they will guarantee you a place if you have passed well and you put them first. The equal preference scheme works properly. You can put the 3 grammar schools down in the order you like them and 3 comprehensives after if that's what you want to do.
Do look really hard at the distances the comprehensives offered to this year so you are putting realistic choices down for these.
Do look really hard at the distances the comprehensives offered to this year so you are putting realistic choices down for these.
Hi Surreymum,
I was swayed to put Wallington first exactly as you said because of the fact that the results come out before you fill in the CAF and I know for a fact that so many mums are going to do the same as they also feel that it is a guaranteed place. To tell you the truth I really don't know what to put as first choice. Sutton Grammer is my son's first choice but I don't know whether I am being realistic as to passing chances. Its a hard test.
However I don't want to lose Wallington G by putting third or second.
I was swayed to put Wallington first exactly as you said because of the fact that the results come out before you fill in the CAF and I know for a fact that so many mums are going to do the same as they also feel that it is a guaranteed place. To tell you the truth I really don't know what to put as first choice. Sutton Grammer is my son's first choice but I don't know whether I am being realistic as to passing chances. Its a hard test.
However I don't want to lose Wallington G by putting third or second.
I agree with surreymum, make sure you put the schools in the order that you want them, Wallington cannot guarantee places this year (& last) because so many kids take the test and so many pass it. This is soley due to the fact that they changed their test dates so as not to coincide with Sutton.
It used to be all kids who passed Wallington were guaranteed a place, but not anymore.
I too believed the heads when they say "put us first" it makes you think they will know what your choices are. But this is not true.
It used to be all kids who passed Wallington were guaranteed a place, but not anymore.
I too believed the heads when they say "put us first" it makes you think they will know what your choices are. But this is not true.
I'm back on the 11+ treadmill again with second child. Reading through this I must agree with Tinam. Tiffin is very hard to get into. Weekly tutoring and being in G+T groups at school is not enough, although fairly essential. The kids I know who got in were studying most days in addition to having a tutor. They need to have a wide vocabulary (encourage lots of reading), know their times tables and alphabet back to front (good for codes and sequences) and be trained how to approach the non-verbal tests.
There is nothing egalitarian about it. Your child is not competing for a place against 1200 average kids. He will be competing against hundreds of intensively tutored (and usually bright) kids.
Bon chance!
There is nothing egalitarian about it. Your child is not competing for a place against 1200 average kids. He will be competing against hundreds of intensively tutored (and usually bright) kids.
Bon chance!
