How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

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CardyMow
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:53 pm

How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by CardyMow »

I can't afford a tutor, but he is getting some tutoring through the school (I know that's not strictly legal, but they are dressing it up as preparation for the level 6 SATS papers, but it is definately diercted at the 11+!).

The tutor tells me he is consistently getting 100% in VR and Maths past papers, and roughly 89-96% in English past papers.

We went to the Open Evening this week, and he loved the atmosphere there. What are his chances, realistically, of getting in? His end of Y5 report gives his NC levels as level 6 in Maths, 'High level 5 with elements of level 6' in Science (not that that is anything to do with the 11+, mind you), and 'Secure level 5' in English, which is his weakest subject.

I have done work from Bond books with him with a view of maybe doing the 11+ since the start of Y4, and I have registered him with the CSSE, but I am really worried about setting him up to fail. I have dressed it up to him as trying the test, and we have a very good Comp locally if he doesn't get offered a place.

I do know that when he was in Y3, the school SenCo did a Verbal Reasoning IQ test thing that put him at 132, when he was 8yo, and it said he was in the top 2% of the population, but I didn't really know what was meant by that, except he was right near the 'high' end of the bell curve on the chart.

Given all this, is it likely that he would get a place at CRGS (the only Grammar school in travelling distance)? And do CRGS accept pupils on Free School Meals?
Chelmsford mum
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Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by Chelmsford mum »

He sounds very able and those are very good scores.You have nothing to lose by entering him.All state schools must provide an education for children who meet their admissions criteria regardless of whether they are eligible for free school meals .
laluna
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:50 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by laluna »

Hi Mardy. Your son does indeed sound as if he is doing very well. I think the question you raised sums up what is so difficult with the 11+; they can achieving at high levels and suited to a grammar environment but, at the end of the day, it all rests with what happens during those 3 hours in september. I am sure we all know pupils who were a dead cert. at gaining a place when in fact they did not.

My DD is currently preparing too; in terms of effort (along with many other children) and what she is achieving in practice papers, she deserves to get a place but it is in the lap of the Gods. What I find hard is explaining to her that whilst usually, attainment is determined by the effort put in, this isn't necessarily so with the 11+ because we just dont know what will come up on the day. If she has an off day, that's it. We can never can predict their success.

Good luck.
MrsB
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:02 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by MrsB »

They won't know about the free school meals when you apply, and it is entirely irrelevant.

The results that the school tutor reports are very encouraging and he sounds very bright and extremely well suited to GS.

To put your DS's results in context, our DS who got in to CRGS fairly comfortably, was getting consistently in the 90s for VR and maths, but lower for english - 75 to 80 on CSSE past papers. Your DS's results are better, and it sounds like he stands a very good chance, particularly if these are the CSSE past papers the school is using, and particularly the more recent years (eg last 4).

You can expect a lower performance in the real thing of course but that's the same for everyone so not to be concerned about.

Given the tutoring is via school, and there will be a break over summer, if you can afford it, consider getting the visuteach materials which you can buy on line and which are most similar to the CSSE ones.

But if you can't afford it, I would not worry too much. One cheap way to help on English is to get a few classics from the library, read a few pages together and discuss the meaning.

Handling the risk of disappointment is hard and I don't know the answer!
CardyMow
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:53 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by CardyMow »

The papers ARE CSSE past papers. Don't know how old they are though. The school is going to bring the tutor in for two full days, one a week, in the last two weeks of the holidays.

Where would I find Visuteach materials?
Moonlight
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2010 1:20 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by Moonlight »

My DS had some tuition for CRGS which was okay but he was very under-prepared for the English paper. He hadn't practised any classic texts at all so, when it came to exam day, he just worked his way through that particular paper as best he could. Luckily he did well enough with the VR and maths to make up for this and got a place.

We felt a bit let down by the tutoring because of this so I would definitely recommend practise with some classic texts over the Summer holidays. This standard of English is just not covered at primary level and is a good deal above what children are taught in Year 5. The maths exam is obviously at a higher level too but English, in my opinion, is more likely to catch students out.

Anyway, good luck for September and hope all goes well for you both. :)
MrsB
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 11:02 pm

Re: How likely is it my son will get a place at CRGS?

Post by MrsB »

CardyMow wrote:The papers ARE CSSE past papers. Don't know how old they are though. The school is going to bring the tutor in for two full days, one a week, in the last two weeks of the holidays.

Where would I find Visuteach materials?

Google visuteach - that's the name of the website - and look for the essex english rather than any other. There is a free sample I think but if cash is tight I wouldn't bother given the tutor is going to come in as well. I imagine what they are doing is starting with the easier ones and building up.

If you want to do something, perhaps just look at classic texts to help vocab and also understanding meaning /nuance etc plus spelling of tricky words - physique, physic - that kind of thing.
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