to tutor ot not to tutor

Eleven Plus (11+) in Dorset

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bustwinks
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:51 pm

to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by bustwinks »

Just wondering how parents out there in Dorset have paid for a tutor to get their child though the exam?
Doblinski
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:21 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by Doblinski »

We're way over here in SW London bustwinks so I'm not sure how relevant this will be to you, but almost no-one we know round here has attempted to do any 11+ 'cold' with no tuition of some kind. It's either DIY and there's loads of advice here about that with lots of success (but rather depends on your relationship with DC); or it's a tutor / combo of the two.

Our local grammar is notoriously difficult to get into (1200+ girls for 120 places) so everyone preps a great deal before-hand (I sometimes think this makes the playing field rather uneven). I have encountered older GS pupils who took the 11+ 8ish years ago who just did a few familiarisation tests from WH Smiths before the test, but I reckon there's very few chancing that nowadays making it difficult to get in unless you follow suit. But any really bright child could get in with little or no help even now. I supose it's a bit like a driving test though. Yes some do pass after 1 or 2 lessons, but most cant naturally do this and need to know all the rules of the road to make the test understandable and passable.

Perhaps ask other parents who are going for that option what they're doing and take it from there. Good luck
bustwinks
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:51 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by bustwinks »

Thanks for your reply, my daughter sat the exam last Saturday, without tution......we did lots of online practise papers, and she nailed the VR down to a fine art! She has always been it top set for both Maths and Literacy, and got 5b/c in her sats in Year 5.

It seems bizare to me to think that some kids would of had 2 years coaching for this exam, when all we really did was a couple of months pratise papers.

Ok so maybe now I am thinking she wont get in because of all the extra tuition most of the kids would of had.

It just crossed my mind that if you need 2 years of coaching....is Grammer School the right place to be?

I know for sure that dd younger has no intention of going to grammer school....he is bright but not as bright as his sister...and there is no way I would put him through that much pressure!

But I guess we are lucky down here as we have really outstanding Comps.
:D
Sorry to go on! :D
Doblinski
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:21 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by Doblinski »

Best of luck with the results when are they out?
bustwinks
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:51 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by bustwinks »

Hi Doblinski, thanks for your post...we dont hear anything until March 2rd :evil:
dutchess
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:38 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by dutchess »

Hi we didn't tutor specifically as I like to think you shouldn't need to be tutored to pass, you're either good enough or your not. We did some practise papers so that she wasn't going in blind so to speak. We know of a girl last year who got in without having a tutor so it can be done.
My DD yr5 teacher said she didn't think tutoring was necessary for DD, and her teacher this year wasn't worried that we hadn't tutored, in fact we sent her in some practise papers to look through and asked for feedback where she thought DD might struggle and she couldn't find anything, just the layout of the questions and just advised to practise a few so DD knew what to expect.
It would be interesting to know the % of kids that get in without a tutor and % kids who have come from state sector... but then I'm nosey like that :wink:
bustwinks
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:51 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by bustwinks »

Hi again Dutchess....our school was not interested in the 11+ at all ! :roll:
We know of a girl last year who got in without having a tutor so it can be done.
Only one girl.....oh no :shock:
dutchess
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 4:38 pm

Re: to tutor ot not to tutor

Post by dutchess »

No our school was not interested at all, however I help in DD class every week so have built up a bit of a rappor with her teacher, plus the fact I spent the whole of parents eve talking about it, my DH thinks I was being a very pushy parent :oops: So her teacher was very helpful, the head wasn't :roll:
As for the girl who got in without a tutor, that's the only girl we know in the entire school. But if it makes you feel any better a friends son got into Poole grammar a couple of years ago without being tutored. So that's just 2 that I know about, they'll be plenty of others I'm sure :D
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