Simpler Days - does anyone remember their 11+ ?

[southbucks3]

We only had the 12+ ... at least we had a bit more learning (hohum not at my school) under our belt, so maybe I should say maturity instead of learning!

Sample question from our practice progress book circa 1978:

A had invited seven other girls to her party. They were B, C, D, E, F, G and H. They were to be seated at a round table and A had already sat down. When the others came to sit down D wanted to sit between F and H. C wanted to sit next to B but not next to G or E. E wanted to sit next to A and opposite F. H wanted to sit next to A on her left side. Put these seven girls in their places so that they will be satisfied.

Fun as it is to see the questions, my over riding thought is why on earth have you kept an 12+ sample paper for 37 years?

Assuming you have kept school and college stuff from then onwards may I suggest a much belated fab bonfire on November 5th!

[Albatross]

We only had the 12+ ... at least we had a bit more learning (hohum not at my school) under our belt, so maybe I should say maturity instead of learning!

Sample question from our practice progress book circa 1978:

A had invited seven other girls to her party. They were B, C, D, E, F, G and H. They were to be seated at a round table and A had already sat down. When the others came to sit down D wanted to sit between F and H. C wanted to sit next to B but not next to G or E. E wanted to sit next to A and opposite F. H wanted to sit next to A on her left side. Put these seven girls in their places so that they will be satisfied.

I have heard from a relative a story, most likely apocryphal, of a boy who answered a question like this with the words: "They should sit where they are told." History does not record whether or not he passed...

[yoyo123]

We only had the 12+ ... at least we had a bit more learning (hohum not at my school) under our belt, so maybe I should say maturity instead of learning!

Sample question from our practice progress book circa 1978:

A had invited seven other girls to her party. They were B, C, D, E, F, G and H. They were to be seated at a round table and A had already sat down. When the others came to sit down D wanted to sit between F and H. C wanted to sit next to B but not next to G or E. E wanted to sit next to A and opposite F. H wanted to sit next to A on her left side. Put these seven girls in their places so that they will be satisfied.

I have heard from a relative a story, most likely apocryphal, of a boy who answered a question like this with the words: "They should sit where they are told." History does not record whether or not he passed...

That boy will go far!

[southbucks3]

That is very very funny obviously he has become a teacher or maybe he is the speaker?

[BucksBornNBred]

We only had the 12+ ... at least we had a bit more learning (hohum not at my school) under our belt, so maybe I should say maturity instead of learning!

Sample question from our practice progress book circa 1978:

A had invited seven other girls to her party. They were B, C, D, E, F, G and H. They were to be seated at a round table and A had already sat down. When the others came to sit down D wanted to sit between F and H. C wanted to sit next to B but not next to G or E. E wanted to sit next to A and opposite F. H wanted to sit next to A on her left side. Put these seven girls in their places so that they will be satisfied.

Fun as it is to see the questions, my over riding thought is why on earth have you kept an 12+ sample paper for 37 years?

Assuming you have kept school and college stuff from then onwards may I suggest a much belated fab bonfire on November 5th!

I kept them as I love puzzles and every few years I would do them when I was bored!

Sadly, I binned all my school books the minute I left HS though I do somewhere have a maths textbook which I hope to be reunited with one day.

[BucksBornNBred]

Sample question from our practice progress book circa 1978:

A had invited seven other girls to her party. They were B, C, D, E, F, G and H. They were to be seated at a round table and A had already sat down. When the others came to sit down D wanted to sit between F and H. C wanted to sit next to B but not next to G or E. E wanted to sit next to A and opposite F. H wanted to sit next to A on her left side. Put these seven girls in their places so that they will be satisfied.

I have heard from a relative a story, most likely apocryphal, of a boy who answered a question like this with the words: "They should sit where they are told." History does not record whether or not he passed...

[BucksBornNBred]

I sat mine about 1982 with no prep or familiarisation whatsoever. .

I don't think we were prepped as such but we were taught techniques - which is probably why I managed to do Einstein's puzzle (bragging rights ) 37 years is a long time back (thanks for reminding me SB3!) but those methods have stuck and I always felt my DS was let down by not being taught simple techniques/formulae to help with 11+ questions.

[scary mum]

I was at a private school & so was taken out if school 2 Wednesdays running to sit the 11 plus at a local senior school. I never knew the result as my parents told me we would only find out if we needed to ask, which we didn't as I passed the exam to the senior school. I sometimes wonder if my parents were just saying that but my friend was told the same. Definitely no preparation although we did do a bit of VR in school as the school exam was also VR but I can't remember the relative timings although I think the school one was some months later. I do remember being told you had to get 97% to pass.

[KS10]

I didn't know what the 11+ was until I was 30+ .

[Tolstoy]

Ours was the same as the Kent tests. GL English, Maths, VR and NVR.

From around Y5 the school gave us sample papers about once a term I think and they probably used them to assess us. I loved the VR and the NVR Setting had only just come in at that time and I remember there were 5 girls in the top set who were expected to pass and a couple of borderlines in the set below. None of the boys were expected to and with hindsight one of those boys probably had severe dyslexia as he didn't learn to read until his last year at primary. Him and another girl were finally given peripatetic extra support in Y5. The progress he made in one year was incredible but not in time to pass 11+. He did go on to do an Art based degree on leaving school and got a first in the days when they were as rare as hens teeth.

The five expected to pass did. I had no idea about tuition in those days but my father did show me how to do long division the night before the maths test. We had a particularly bad teacher in the last year at primary. Thinking back to comments made at the time I think one of the girls was tutored but I suspect she didn't need it. I know a friend who passed from another school had been coached by her Aunt who was a teacher. I don't think it was the norm but looking back may explain some rogue results that happened occassionally.

We were given our envelopes the afternoon we returned from our end of year residential week. My mother got confused about mine and resorted to phoning my Aunt, an ex-Grammar girl herself, to cofirm.

There were two SS grammars and one secondary modern. The year after I started the Grammars turned to comprehensives. The boys grammar become a welsh school and our headmistress refused to let them join her school, despite the fact that the years below us would be mixed, silly women. They had to join the secondary modern and the boys who had passed in the year above me (one of which was quite brilliant and from an extremely bright family all round, cousin in our year got straight As at O'level) produced the worse set of results our village had ever seen.

There was an official 13+ where DC could move from secondary modern to Grammar and they could also join at 6th form as the secondary modern didn't have one. Both Comprehensives have now been combined to make one super school. It did seem strange once they became comprehensive to have seperate sites seperated by a sports track and fields.

Our head wanted to see the last of 'her girls ' out but had a nervous breakdown before we left and took early retirement. Must have been them pesky boys that did for her I had no sympathy as her attitude blighted the academic opportunities for a number of boys forced to attend a school ill-prepared to cope with their needs. We also lost some of our best teachers as discipline broke down in our year and those that followed.

When a new head replaced her the school improved again but for many years the Welsh school was seen as providing the best opportunity for success and all future Oxbridge candidates from our village (a very small number ) have attended that school regardless of home language.