2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Eleven Plus (11+) in Essex

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pg19
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:45 am

2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by pg19 »

One more year to go,and we will be facing the result day.how r mums and dads for current year 5s feeling?
R u comfortable Diying or tutoring?please share....
MacPac
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:05 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by MacPac »

I'm feeling a sense of dread! Got DS1's results yesterday so now I feel even more pressure to get DS2 through!

We're DIYing. I was worried I wouldn't be capable but I've proved I am :lol: I'm still shocked!

It's actually quite an enjoyable process.

How are you feeling?
pg19
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:45 am

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by pg19 »

pg19 wrote:One more year to go,and we will be facing the result day.how r mums and dads for current year 5s feeling?
R u comfortable Diying or tutoring?please share....
Hi Macpac,
My Ds1 will b appearing next sept.HE IS OKAY,but not yet motivated enough .May be after the open evenings in march ,make him more serious.
Diying so far.....english is his week point...wgen did u start with ur DS1?how long did u diy?
pg
MacPac
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:05 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by MacPac »

pg19 wrote:
pg19 wrote:One more year to go,and we will be facing the result day.how r mums and dads for current year 5s feeling?
R u comfortable Diying or tutoring?please share....
Hi Macpac,
My Ds1 will b appearing next sept.HE IS OKAY,but not yet motivated enough .May be after the open evenings in march ,make him more serious.
Diying so far.....english is his week point...wgen did u start with ur DS1?how long did u diy?
pg
English is both my sons weakest subject. I am still surprised DS1 did better in English than maths. He's a level 5 in English and almost a 6 in maths. It's hard to say when we started prepping for the 11+ as I've always done extra bits of work with them. I'd say we started to increase the workload around about this time last year. We started doing mock exams once a week at home from the start of the summer holidays to get him used to how tiring it is. Going to the open evenings helps with the motivation. It's also handy to have a copy of the prospectus so every time the get fed up you can remind them why they are doing it.

I haven't started DS2 properly yet who is sitting next September. I'm struggling to find my motivation!! Luckily after DS2 I'll have a year to recover before starting DS3! I'm hoping to start properly next weekend and I plan to do 2/3 hours a week. In the holidays we will do about an hour ever other day. With DS1 we stopped all prep once the summer holidays were over and he was back at school.
Manana
Posts: 710
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:22 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by Manana »

Slightly nauseous!

DS is now in Y7 at grammar and now this year's results have come out, it's dawning on me that is us next (again!).

I am doing exactly the same with DD as I did with DS-I had written down everything we did each week, what he struggled with and what marks he got, so it's quite easy to compare them. I'm not sure that's a good idea as they are so different!

With DS, I was very worried that he didn't read enough, but really that didn't make a difference at all! His reading was always good, he just didn't realy enjoy it. His maths was stronger (got a L6 in SATs) whereas DD's isn't as secure. They are also very different in their approach-he used to get upset and cry if he didn't want to do it-she is far more dramatic and will have strops! Equallly trying!

We do a bit of maths/comprehension and VR each week and I'm trying to work on her vocabulary and spelling as that isn't great. I only wish our catchment alternative to the grammars was better :roll:

At least I'll have a few years after this before attacking it again with DC3-she's still tiny!!
push-pull-mum
Posts: 737
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by push-pull-mum »

Anxiety levels have been climbing since this year's Year 6s sat 11+ in September (mine, of course, not oblivious DS's)
DD is year 9 Comp-ing it now and doing well but I worry that DS isn't self motivated enough to thrive in the same environment. DS is ahead academically on where his sister was a year before the test but his Comprehension is lagging behind and it is difficult to get him to read "good books."
So far we've only been doing one session of 11+ prep before Saturday dinner. I know I need to start making more time for DIY-ing but I'm struggling to get a timetable together.
Genuinely can't remember how I worked it all out 4 years ago. 11+ prep must be like labour. Hormones mess with your memory to blot out the pain.
Manana
Posts: 710
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:22 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by Manana »

push-pull-mum wrote:Anxiety levels have been climbing since this year's Year 6s sat 11+ in September (mine, of course, not oblivious DS's)
DD is year 9 Comp-ing it now and doing well but I worry that DS isn't self motivated enough to thrive in the same environment. DS is ahead academically on where his sister was a year before the test but his Comprehension is lagging behind and it is difficult to get him to read "good books."
So far we've only been doing one session of 11+ prep before Saturday dinner. I know I need to start making more time for DIY-ing but I'm struggling to get a timetable together.
Genuinely can't remember how I worked it all out 4 years ago. 11+ prep must be like labour. Hormones mess with your memory to blot out the pain.
I agree re the hormones! Can I ask if your is DD happy at the comp? Is it a Southend one?
push-pull-mum
Posts: 737
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: 2014 sitters,how are you feeling?

Post by push-pull-mum »

DD is happy and in line for all As and A* at GCSE so no regrets. Not Southend - North Essex.
Sadly, the first Comp didn't meet expectations in A LOT of areas so we made a change but DD is thriving now.

DD would want me to make her speech at this point. :D

"Taking 11+ is always worth it even if you don't get into a grammar school. Just doing the work puts you way ahead when you get to secondary school and when all your friends are getting stressed about SATS it will be easy and won't seem important at all."
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