tiffin exam
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hopefulmum
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 1:44 pm
tiffin exam
I was wondering how everyone is getting on with their preparation for next month. There seems to be little in the way of postings for tiffin. I am interested in what others feel is a suitable raw score to aim at in the 2 papers out of a possible 160.
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JaysDarlin
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm
Hello Hopeful Mum, it was nice to read your post.
Yes the Tiffins forum is a pretty quiet one this year, I'm not quite sure why! There are few of us though!
I think last year, all students who got a score of 125 got in... I'm not sure if I'm posting the correct thread, but I think it's in this one.
Apparently, a lot of children didn't get through the first allocations, but they got in on the waiting lists, please someone correct me if I am wrong.
DS sat his Langley exam yesterday and now we have one month left to go for our next, and final Tiffin exam. Langley's NVR was quite hard, but I think that was supposed to substitute for the fact that this year they have stopped doing the Maths 11+ exam and so had to compensate for it making the NVR harder.
But having said this, Tiffins is meant to be much harder, esp the NVR, so we will still be plodding along this month doing all we can.
How are you coming along with your prep?
Yes the Tiffins forum is a pretty quiet one this year, I'm not quite sure why! There are few of us though!
I think last year, all students who got a score of 125 got in... I'm not sure if I'm posting the correct thread, but I think it's in this one.
Apparently, a lot of children didn't get through the first allocations, but they got in on the waiting lists, please someone correct me if I am wrong.
DS sat his Langley exam yesterday and now we have one month left to go for our next, and final Tiffin exam. Langley's NVR was quite hard, but I think that was supposed to substitute for the fact that this year they have stopped doing the Maths 11+ exam and so had to compensate for it making the NVR harder.
But having said this, Tiffins is meant to be much harder, esp the NVR, so we will still be plodding along this month doing all we can.
How are you coming along with your prep?
I think the original cutting -off mark is 229 for Tiffin boy 2008; 225 for Tiffin boy 2007. From 2006 to 2008, the Tiffin Girls original cut-off mark are the same:230. Good luck to you all.-
JaysDarlin
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm
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sunnymummy
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:59 pm
tiffin exam
Hello other Tiffin exam parents. Yes, the forum is a bit quiet, so I thought I'd join in. Actually exam prep. here ambles along.
Little boy is resentful and sullen, which leaves me wondering quite what to do. Should I try and instill in him a desire to succeed? How? If I really promote tiffin, will he be gutted if he doesn't get in? Am I a bad person putting him through all this if he doesn't seem keen? Yet how can I leave the decision to him when he is only 10? Wouldn't that be an abdication of responsibility? I am far older than he is and to leave it all to him is to put a burden of decision on his shoulders that he does not yet have the life-experience to carry. My parents used to do that to us as kids, in theory in the name of autonomy, and I am sometimes very curious as to what they were thinking.
I can just about get him to do a bit of practice but actually getting him to do papers with anything like the commitment to complete those papers or complete them well is ... . And yes, I have tried monetary incentives.
On another front - how do I stop myself getting fat? I find the whole experience a bit stressful and tend to self-medicate with chocolate. Suggestions for alternative displacement activities welcomed. P. S. - I've tried obsessive house-cleaning but it's just not me ... .
It's all very odd. I vowed that, whatever happened, I would not allow this to become a stressful experience or something that interfered with/altered my relationship with my child. Sigh. It's not quite that straightforward, though.
Little boy is resentful and sullen, which leaves me wondering quite what to do. Should I try and instill in him a desire to succeed? How? If I really promote tiffin, will he be gutted if he doesn't get in? Am I a bad person putting him through all this if he doesn't seem keen? Yet how can I leave the decision to him when he is only 10? Wouldn't that be an abdication of responsibility? I am far older than he is and to leave it all to him is to put a burden of decision on his shoulders that he does not yet have the life-experience to carry. My parents used to do that to us as kids, in theory in the name of autonomy, and I am sometimes very curious as to what they were thinking.
I can just about get him to do a bit of practice but actually getting him to do papers with anything like the commitment to complete those papers or complete them well is ... . And yes, I have tried monetary incentives.
On another front - how do I stop myself getting fat? I find the whole experience a bit stressful and tend to self-medicate with chocolate. Suggestions for alternative displacement activities welcomed. P. S. - I've tried obsessive house-cleaning but it's just not me ... .
It's all very odd. I vowed that, whatever happened, I would not allow this to become a stressful experience or something that interfered with/altered my relationship with my child. Sigh. It's not quite that straightforward, though.
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JaysDarlin
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm
Hi Sunny Mummy,
BIG HUGS TO YOU, I feel for you. I am also one of those mums who gets over stressed from time to time, but just need to have a bit of grounding every so often - by dh, and also friends on this forum.
Your questions are also ones that I have mulled over - and here is my outlook - for what its worth.
* I don't think my son is capable of totally autonomy yet. Some decisions need to made for him.
* I have explained to him that the world is his oyster and he has the opportunity to do anything he wants - to reach for the skies. We took him to all the open evenings, except to Dr Challoners in Bucks, and regretted it, because he never got to see such a top class grammar school. And told him to look for signs of well grooming - attitude towards learning, dress codes, the way the children spoke, and pointed out that this was all about standards one sets for himself.
* We stressed that Providence opens certain doors for us and closes certain doors for us, depending for what Providence has in mind for us. What we can do is to make sure we are prepared for any door, be it the state school or the grammar school - we should try our best from our side, to do what we can.
* We should always do our best in any circumstance that brings us to a cross roads in our life, and then be happy with the path we end up taking.
* If we don't get through the 11+, and end up going to a school not-so-good, then at least we will know at the bottom of our hearts that we did our best when we had the chance, and that it is for our better welfare to be in the circumstance we are in NOW. (Power of Now and all that jazz
)
Hope this helps? If not, just ignore my ramblings!
BIG HUGS TO YOU, I feel for you. I am also one of those mums who gets over stressed from time to time, but just need to have a bit of grounding every so often - by dh, and also friends on this forum.
Your questions are also ones that I have mulled over - and here is my outlook - for what its worth.
* I don't think my son is capable of totally autonomy yet. Some decisions need to made for him.
* I have explained to him that the world is his oyster and he has the opportunity to do anything he wants - to reach for the skies. We took him to all the open evenings, except to Dr Challoners in Bucks, and regretted it, because he never got to see such a top class grammar school. And told him to look for signs of well grooming - attitude towards learning, dress codes, the way the children spoke, and pointed out that this was all about standards one sets for himself.
* We stressed that Providence opens certain doors for us and closes certain doors for us, depending for what Providence has in mind for us. What we can do is to make sure we are prepared for any door, be it the state school or the grammar school - we should try our best from our side, to do what we can.
* We should always do our best in any circumstance that brings us to a cross roads in our life, and then be happy with the path we end up taking.
* If we don't get through the 11+, and end up going to a school not-so-good, then at least we will know at the bottom of our hearts that we did our best when we had the chance, and that it is for our better welfare to be in the circumstance we are in NOW. (Power of Now and all that jazz
)Hope this helps? If not, just ignore my ramblings!
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sunnymummy
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:59 pm
tiffin exam
Jaysdarlin - Yes, that really helps.
I think you've reminded me about the bigger picture, while I had definitely lost myself in the little details. You're very emotionally literate. The fact that "doing your best" is actually all about how you walk a path through life and encouraging your child to take their path bravely, and to the best of their abilities, is so true and so incredibly important - but I don't think I could ever have articulated that to myself so clearly.
a.) I think that approach works best with my son b.) It reminds me of what I want to achieve as a parent.
Seriously, your message is so helpful. I am so glad I posted now.
Thank you for replying.
I think you've reminded me about the bigger picture, while I had definitely lost myself in the little details. You're very emotionally literate. The fact that "doing your best" is actually all about how you walk a path through life and encouraging your child to take their path bravely, and to the best of their abilities, is so true and so incredibly important - but I don't think I could ever have articulated that to myself so clearly.
a.) I think that approach works best with my son b.) It reminds me of what I want to achieve as a parent.
Seriously, your message is so helpful. I am so glad I posted now.
Thank you for replying.
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JaysDarlin
- Posts: 548
- Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:34 pm
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AnnaSophia
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 11:41 pm
I have been lurking on the Forum for a bit now, but this is my first post. I would like to say what a great group of parents you all are. During these very stressful times it is very reassuring to read such informative and supportive posts.
DS is taking the Sutton Test tomorrow, but our first choice (and his) is Tiffins. Preparation is very stressful as you all know...the heat is on!
DS has an aptitude for Maths and is doing ok with his preparation generally. However is prone to making silly mistakes!!!
We live in the Borough of Wandsworth and on the 27th Nov all kids who study here who are on Year 6 will sit the Wandsworth Test (which is used as an admission criteria in some secondary schools in the borough) which comprises of VR, NVR and abstract reasoning.
So, test tomorrow, 27/11 and 09/12 for Tiffins. My poor DS. His attitude is generally positive and he is working really hard. At the end of all this, I tell myself that if we are unsuccessful there will be some very important lessons learned -- that of patience, perseverance and hard work. Which will come in handy in life! Corny, I know but it helps me keep a check and achieve a balance between facilitating him to do his best and pushing him too hard!
I'm sure we will all get to know each other more in the coming months. Best of luck us all!!
DS is taking the Sutton Test tomorrow, but our first choice (and his) is Tiffins. Preparation is very stressful as you all know...the heat is on!
DS has an aptitude for Maths and is doing ok with his preparation generally. However is prone to making silly mistakes!!!
We live in the Borough of Wandsworth and on the 27th Nov all kids who study here who are on Year 6 will sit the Wandsworth Test (which is used as an admission criteria in some secondary schools in the borough) which comprises of VR, NVR and abstract reasoning.
So, test tomorrow, 27/11 and 09/12 for Tiffins. My poor DS. His attitude is generally positive and he is working really hard. At the end of all this, I tell myself that if we are unsuccessful there will be some very important lessons learned -- that of patience, perseverance and hard work. Which will come in handy in life! Corny, I know but it helps me keep a check and achieve a balance between facilitating him to do his best and pushing him too hard!
I'm sure we will all get to know each other more in the coming months. Best of luck us all!!
Maybe it helps to see Tiffin in perspective. It's a good school, but there are others. My friend has one boy at Tiffin and one at Teddington and both are doing equally well. Also, the emphasis at Tiffin now is very much on independent learning - very different from the meticulous exam preparation and spoon feeding of some of the top public schools. Independent learning suits some organised and motivated boys, but not all (not mine for one). Those boys who CAN get to grips with independent learning will not only be the ones who'll do well at Tiffin, but would probably have done just as well at any school, even a not so good comp. And if you / your son really want Tiffin, there's always a second chance for the sixth form, so long as he has done well enough in his GCSEs. I know it may seem easy for me to say now, and I really do know how you're feeling. But I also know that if I had another son of 11+ age, I wouldn't feel so stressed about it this time. Really!