11+ tourism (aka using other areas exams as mocks)

[southbucks3]

Hopefully the bucks standardising 2015 will take into account that over 600 people will be declining places following our new status as cem mock test centre of the south east.
By the way, the absence notes on the Tuesday and Thursday will make rather creative reading as I am sure parents will try and take the Friday absent for dc too, for recovery and review of the "mock" before their real far more important test on the Saturday.

Back to cem tricks of the trade:

Lots on vocab..thank you sonasona any extra hints on maths and nvr, the practice material list by diy mum is superb btw.

Do 3d cubes feature often, along with nets they are the hardest imo.

[berks_mum]

SB3, sorry, I am one of those parents who will make DD sit bucks exam if we continue to live in berks. This is not just for mocks reason but DD prefers a CO-ED school over the single sex Kendrick option. If she does get into a good CO-ED school we will take that place.

[um]

Being surrounded by crying, sighing, fidgety fellow test takers in strange environments is worth 20 mum-mocks at home, IME.

That actually sounds a lot like my home

Ds1 spent a great deal of his 11 Plus prep with a 2 year old under the desk biting his knees (don't ask ) and a newborn wailing in his ear.
I now understand that this was actually helpful

[jabba7]

Hi Gideon, we obviously think very differently. I wouldn’t dream of travelling to Warks sitting in the car for hours just to sit a test for which we will not receive a result prior to the Bucks test. Also isn’t the purpose of a mock to get feedback and act on it?

It’s not the money that bothers me it is the time and stress. Is the test on a weekday, are you also saying we should takie them out of school?

[JamesDean]

No, Warks is on a Saturday. DS sat this year and it didn't even occur to me to take him to B'ham to sit a mock, let alone Bucks!!!

JD

[southbucks3]

SB3, sorry, I am one of those parents who will make DD sit bucks exam if we continue to live in berks. This is not just for mocks reason but DD prefers a CO-ED school over the single sex Kendrick option. If she does get into a good CO-ED school we will take that place.

I have nothing against someone who wants a genuine place and are happy to commit. Berks mum please check the allocation profile of the school you wish your child to go to. You must move to any new address prior to receiving results, for the address to be considered for the first round of allocations. Also make sure you do any journeys in rush hour from house to school to make sure you are happy for your child to commit that much time commuting if you do not intend to move.

I shall always like you berks mum we are forum friends on the same silly journey ...but i will also always strive to protect our in catchment ever lowering pass rate, cem or otherwise.

[gideon]

jabba7

A mock is also about timing and technique. These 11+ tests are nothing but speed tests. The child will learn format, technique and type of questions. It is an experience. It does not matter if you do not get the results. What is 100 miles one way, if you get a place? Bucks is different, they can score the minimum to get a place. It is not a competetive 11+ test and not difficult to get a place. Bham is a real competition, highest mark gets a place of choice, which it should be everywhere. Children do not aim to score the lowest mark. Catchment areas are nonsense and should only be applicable to non-grammar schools.

Absolutely take them out of school. What do they learn is school in one day? Surely you would have covered the entire year 6 maths syllabus before your child sits the test anyway. Many take their children out for 1 week before the test to practice. Oh poor child is sick at home... working. You can legally take your child out of school for a 11+ test anyway. After the 11+ year 6 is pointless.

[Fatnorville]

After the 11+ year 6 is pointless.

So let's clarify your point of view. School is all about passing exams. It is nothing about challenging young minds to get them to think, debate, discuss, research, challenge etc.

Additionally the 11+ has no content based around music, the sciences, physical education. Do you advocate that children should not study any of those subjects as they do not develop skills which may contribute to passing the 11+?

Did the renaissance not really happen in your little part of Coventry / Rugby?

[Optimist]

I can see Gideon ' s point. DS is bored in Y6. No fault of the school but he bored by the provision. He is doing the Level 6 papers but is not stimulated in the subjects and they are focusing mostly on english, maths and science. I will give him enrichment work and outdoor visits to rejuvenate his educational mojo. But if he had failed his 11 plus then
Y6 would have been important to us.

[Booklady]

But if he had failed his 11 plus ......

Please don't used the 'f' word - no-one should be made to feel a failure at the age of 10! Qualified or not-qualified - it is an arbitrary cutoff - as long as the DC has tried his or her hardest then that should be enough. Plenty of people do not qualify and still go on to do very well in life!!

And, for what its worth, I too wish that people would not dash all over the country sitting exams they have no intention of taking up a place from. The impact on pushing qualification marks up here in Bucks seems to be measurable. If you are just over the border and will put the school or schools on your CAF then thats clearly fine - but otherwise please think twice.

Year 6 for me is about having some fun in the last year of primary - not all about studying to a higher and hgher academic level. I have a DD in Y9 who qualified and one in Y5 who we hope will also do so - but in Y6 they spend time on school trips, doing fun stuff like the play or music, outdoor experiments etc etc. There's plenty of time for serious studying in secondary, let them be kids for a while longer - learning through fun!!