Current QE boys students

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ummh74
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

Current QE boys students

Post by ummh74 »

Hi,

My son is currently in Year 5 and I am preparing him for QE boys as my heart is really set on that school. I went to the open day last year and really loved it (and so did my son).

I would like to get in touch with parents whose son(s) already go to QE boys just to have some inside info about the school and to make sure that I am not making a mistake about considering that school for my son.

I will extremely grateful if anyone could come along and reply to my post. Thanks in advance.
:)
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

You will find lots of enterntaining material in this thread starting from September onwards titled as "First week at QE" "Second week at QE", etc.

My opinion is that it is a wonderful school and my son fully enjoys it. The amount of homework can be tough sometimes, but is in many cases interesting and sometimes thought provoking. My son is the same happy, fun loving child he was before he attended QE, and the only thing that has changed is the speed with which he learns new things and the fact that he is actually taught new things each and every day
sj355
ummh74
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

Current QE boys' students

Post by ummh74 »

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your reply, I really appreciated it. What you wrote really comforted my position about the school and I shall read a bit more about it in the section you advise to look at.

Is your son in Year 7? Do you live very far from the school? We live in West London and we're thinking of moving to North London this summer because I was told that in case of a tied score, the school would take on the student who lives the closest to the school. Is this true?

What advice would you give me regarding preparing him? I hope you do not mind all my questions but now that I have found a QE parent I am ready to let you go... :P

Hope to hear from you soon.
ummh74.
ummh74
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

Post by ummh74 »

Hi sj355,

I meant I am NOT ready to let you go...... :wink:
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Re: Current QE boys' students

Post by sj355 »

[quote="ummh74"]Hi,

Thanks a lot for your reply, I really appreciated it. What you wrote really comforted my position about the school and I shall read a bit more about it in the section you advise to look at.

Is your son in Year 7?

Yeap!

Do you live very far from the school?

I live in North London, but I am about to move even closer to the school (to Whetstone) as our family hates having to wake up early or travelling distances first thing in the morning!

We live in West London and we're thinking of moving to North London this summer because I was told that in case of a tied score, the school would take on the student who lives the closest to the school. Is this true?

Yes, first in terms of SENs and then by distance. I would move only if my child did make it to QE, not before! Distance would make a difference only if your son nanaged to share position 160 with someone else, or in the case of a waiting list if he shared a place with someone else in the last number to be called.

What advice would you give me regarding preparing him? I hope you do not mind all my questions but now that I have found a QE parent I am ready to let you go.

NFERs, the Haberdashers' maths papers (they post their past entry papers in their website). If your child can manage those he can manage anything. Prepare to teach him a bit of square roots, simple powes and formulae forming. If he manages the Maths test of HABS, the maths paper at QE should looks easy. Oh and for the first round lots and lots of VR and NVR papers!
sj355
ummh74
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

Post by ummh74 »

Hi sj355,

How are you? Thank you for your last email, i 've been ill so I couldn't reply earlier.

I went onto the HABS website and downloaded the papers, you were right , if my son can manage them he should definitely manage anything and everything.

I have also read 'First week at QE' etc..., interesting info I found.
We have started doing some VR and NVR and also some Maths and English. Did you prepare your son yourself or did you get a tutor?
Did you start in January or earlier? Thanks for letting me know.

Regards,
ummh74. :P
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

I have also read 'First week at QE' etc..., interesting info I found.
We have started doing some VR and NVR and also some Maths and English. Did you prepare your son yourself or did you get a tutor?
Did you start in January or earlier? Thanks for letting me know.


We started on January of Year 5. I got an English tutor for 1.5 hours per week. She did not do any tests with him though, right until 2-3 months before the first QE test (I did those with him, both Maths and English, VRs and NVR). But she gave him lots of homework, story writing and comprehensions. 2 months after he started with the tutor, his English shot from below average right through to the top of his class! I then also hired a Maths tutor for an hour a week but soon he gave up on the tests (I did the HABS tests with him) and they started doing GCSE Maths together! [Still to this day my son has been adamant to continue with the latter, so they are still at it and have just started ..A level Maths. He was very bitter about stopping the English as he really loved his English tutor as well!].
Were the tutors that good? With hindsight yes they were (he adores both of them and getting along and having fun while you are at it is crucial) but it was mainly that his primary was that bad. (In terms of teaching, socially was and still is a dream!) Also we do not speak English at home (more specifically, my son does but we do not!!)If your son is good and your school is doing a good job teaching him, then do the papers with him. I was confident doing the VR, NVR and Maths (the latter is part of my job after all) with my kid, but I was nervous about the English as I am not native speaker and this is why I got the tutor. If you feel equally confident, have the time and energy, and you like what you are doing (I enjoyed the tests, bar the English comprehensions!) then go ahead and DIY!

Good luck,

Regards
sj355
ummh74
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

Post by ummh74 »

Dear sj355,

Thank you very, very much for your email. My son read it too and found you very kind to share so much info with us.

He started doing the Bonds in Maths, English, VR and NVR and is getting between 75% and 90% and I also do some extra English with him too. I just need to do more comprehensions and story writing with him. Are there any you could recommend me? Which ones did your son's tutor use? Thanks.

My son's school is good and he is in the top 3 of his class and he is amongst the youngest but as you know the 11+ is another league all together.

What do you do if you do not mind me asking as you mentioned in your last message that Maths is your field? I, myself teach languages so I can teach but teaching your own child is different from teaching other people's children.Don't you think?

Thank you for keeping in touch.
Speak to you soon.
Regards.
Ummh74. :P
sj355
Posts: 1149
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:07 pm
Location: Finchley - Barnet

Post by sj355 »

He started doing the Bonds in Maths, English, VR and NVR and is getting between 75% and 90% and I also do some extra English with him too. I just need to do more comprehensions and story writing with him. Are there any you could recommend me? Which ones did your son's tutor use? Thanks.
I think he is doing excellent if he is already achieving this marks in Bond! Yes, his tutor did some Bond staff with him (VR and NVR), but in English she was using some comprehensions from an unknown source (secrets of the trade?!) which required not only answering questions, but also critical questions on the piece read and then writng his own story on some lossely related topic
My son's school is good and he is in the top 3 of his class and he is amongst the youngest but as you know the 11+ is another league all together.
My son was also the second youngest (late July born)!
What do you do if you do not mind me asking as you mentioned in your last message that Maths is your field?
I teach Economics at the University but also do Mathematical Economics and my first degree was in Stats.
I, myself teach languages so I can teach but teaching your own child is different from teaching other people's children.Don't you think?
Not if you both enjoy your subject. It is contagious!! The mutual love for Maths is a major bond between my son and me!

Have a nice day both you and your boy,
sj355
optomsun
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 2:35 pm

Post by optomsun »

This is a really hard time ! My son sat the entrance this Jan and got into Habs ,qe and john lyon. His own school prepared him really well for the exams.Bond and Nfer past papers are great to practice on.Good luck!
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