should I give it a go or move?
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dunemigrating
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:58 am
should I give it a go or move?
Hi, I'm new to this forum and I'm finding it very helpful so far. However, I'm wondering whether I should start the gruesome 11 plus process with my 8 yr old son or move house - yes, our local comp is not good to say the least. Our story is a little different to most in that we emigrated to Australia in 2006 and moved back to the UK in May last year. The education is very different over there and my son was nearly 2 years behind his English class mates on his return. He is currently in year 4 and we have just received his sats results which are 3b in writing, 3a in spelling and 3b in maths. We are very pleased with these as it goes to show he has caught up nearly 2 yrs work in one year. However, some of his class mates are well above this and it frightens me to think that he will be 'competing' against other schoolchildren who have much higher grades when he is an 'average'. I know he's been through a lot in the last year but I wanted to know if you think it's possible to get up to a competitive grammar school entrance grade in another year or is that too much to ask of him?
I think if a tutor saw the grades, she/he would say no.We would be considering the bexley and kent tests if we did go through all this. Thanks in advance.
I think if a tutor saw the grades, she/he would say no.We would be considering the bexley and kent tests if we did go through all this. Thanks in advance.
Re: should I give it a go or move?
Maybe I'm not the best person to comment here because I'm only a mum who is currently going through the eleven plus process with DD and I'm not a tutor etc...
Imho there is no reason to assume he would not pass based on the grades you quoted.
In our Primary and this is echoed by a lot of other parents, it are not necessarily the top achievers at school who pass the test. Almost every year, when the results are published , eyebrows are raised when people find out that child X did not pass despite being a top achiever in most subjects, whilst average children passed.
Unfortunately, here in Bexley it seems to be a case that primary school children who attend a state schools have the odds stacked against them when it comes down to passing the eleven plus. Assuming that your DS attends a normal Bexley primary you will need to decide if you will prepare your child for the test. We are finding it rather stressful and some parents decide it is not for them. I had my daughter assessed when she came to the end of year 4 and based on those results we decided to give it a go, but as I said we are finding it stressful. We do not have a tutor, but again that is personal choice.
( Just to be clear I'm not saying that all children who passed are tutored. )
If you decide to have your child assessed be it by a tutor or at a centre, it may be a good idea to get someone who comes recommended. Also a tutor can not guarantee that a child will pass, there seem to be a lot of parents out there who end up disappointed because they spent a fortune on a tutor and assumed this would be their ticket to a grammar school place. But if you can find someone who can give you an honest opinion as to where abouts your child is with regards to the eleven then maybe this could help you to decide what is right for your situation.
Imho there is no reason to assume he would not pass based on the grades you quoted.
In our Primary and this is echoed by a lot of other parents, it are not necessarily the top achievers at school who pass the test. Almost every year, when the results are published , eyebrows are raised when people find out that child X did not pass despite being a top achiever in most subjects, whilst average children passed.
Unfortunately, here in Bexley it seems to be a case that primary school children who attend a state schools have the odds stacked against them when it comes down to passing the eleven plus. Assuming that your DS attends a normal Bexley primary you will need to decide if you will prepare your child for the test. We are finding it rather stressful and some parents decide it is not for them. I had my daughter assessed when she came to the end of year 4 and based on those results we decided to give it a go, but as I said we are finding it stressful. We do not have a tutor, but again that is personal choice.
( Just to be clear I'm not saying that all children who passed are tutored. )
If you decide to have your child assessed be it by a tutor or at a centre, it may be a good idea to get someone who comes recommended. Also a tutor can not guarantee that a child will pass, there seem to be a lot of parents out there who end up disappointed because they spent a fortune on a tutor and assumed this would be their ticket to a grammar school place. But if you can find someone who can give you an honest opinion as to where abouts your child is with regards to the eleven then maybe this could help you to decide what is right for your situation.
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dunemigrating
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:58 am
Re: should I give it a go or move?
thanks dani for that advice.
I think I am probably going to try it out - maybe with me tutoring first in the summer hols, then maybe with a tutor from September onwards.
I think you're right in that the grades for the sats don't always reflect on the 11 plus results - it is a lot to do with the child, the pressue, exam technique etc, etc
So here's wishing me luck and no doubt I'll be on this website for the next15 months!!
dunemigrating
I think I am probably going to try it out - maybe with me tutoring first in the summer hols, then maybe with a tutor from September onwards.
I think you're right in that the grades for the sats don't always reflect on the 11 plus results - it is a lot to do with the child, the pressue, exam technique etc, etc
So here's wishing me luck and no doubt I'll be on this website for the next15 months!!
dunemigrating