After some reassurance

[countrymum]

Hi Countrymum
DS attended State Primary where 11+ was neither prepared for or spoken of. We did not have him tutored, spent no money on preparing him other than buying the set of past papers from CSSE and did no prep whatsoever prior to the beginning of Y6. Not only did he pass 11+ but ranked first for super selective CRGS, the only grammar we listed.
So yes it is more than possible.

Wow!! What more reassurance would I need to
prove it can be done! Well done to your DS and thanks for sharing

[countrymum]

Hi, just wanted a little reassurance that it is more than possible for a DC who has gone to a little state primary and when up against prep kids who day in day out are being taught the 11+ methods etc can still comfortably pass the 11+. I am trying to be as realistic as i can be and want to encourage my DD as much as possible but don't want to build hers and mine hopes up too much either. Someone told me that with her coming from state primary ( and although doing well ) she really shall have to pull out all the stops to pass against prep prepared children

Would really like to hear your success stories of state primary DC's who have passed.

Thanks.

My DS came from a very small state primary school. We had no support from his school with regard to the 11+. His teacher said in Year 5 that he was capable of passing but that was it. He was one of eleven pupils in his year group and out of those eleven, two (including DS) got into super-selective grammar schools! Quite impressive I think.

So, please don't think for a minute that your daughter is 'up against it'. Don't be put off by what other people say. Not everybody has the opportunity to put their child through private education to prep for the 11+.

My son also got a place at CRGS but it doesn't matter whether you get the first or the last place. Each child has worked hard regardless of where they have come from.

Good luck to you and your DD.

Thank you moonlight, really helpful to hear your story. I think that is it exactly I have been thinking she is up against these children who much of their working day are taught from a young age the process of the 11 + . I am now after much reassurance from here of course realising that she is an individual and I shouldn't compare her to others regardless of how they have been educated. I get quite cross with all this comparing that is done from as soon as that first day at playground etc, 'Are they doing this, are they doing that' so am more cross with myself for doing it with my own DD regarding this situation.

Thanks so much. Think I would be lost if it wasn't for this place.

[Teacher020]

A child from a state school has as good a chance as any. Remember you can pay for a school but you can't buy intelligence. The only thing that gives the edge is the training for it. If you practice and maybe get a tutor to go through technique there is no reason why your child would be successful. Good luck!!

[inmystride]

My son also got a place at CRGS but it doesn't matter whether you get the first or the last place.

Quite. But when I had made the mistake of mentioning to others that we were not tutoring and hadn't begun preparing DS for the 11+, the first response was either "What is your plan B?" or "You might be lucky". I wanted to give Countrymum the reassurance she asked for, that it was possible, and possible to do it comfortably.