Eleven Plus School Selection

When looking for a school for their children, parents always place for quality of teaching, a safe environment and good student care at the top of their list, no matter what type of school they are looking at. However, with the eleven plus exams, it could be assumed that when a school is that selective the level of teaching is going to be high, and student care is the school’s priority too.

The advantage to finding a school, or drawing up a shortlist of schools, is that every school is different, making choosing between what feels comfortable and what looks like a living nightmare somewhat easier.

Find out the open days of schools you are considering. This gives you the opportunity to talk to the head teacher, the rest of the staff and also current pupils. You’ll be able to gain a feel for the environment of the school and perhaps even look at some of the work other pupils are doing/ have done to get a good sense of the level of work produced in the classroom and how it will suit your child’s temperament and abilities.
Have a look at whether or not the school promotes extra-curricular activities or sports events as opportunities like these help your child develop in a positive way.
Make note of the working environment of the classrooms to see if they’re cheerfully presented with student’s work, and if that work reflects the standard appropriate for the grade level.
Is there a fully equipped library? How much of a role does technology, such as computers, play in teaching and learning, what is the student to computer ratio?
Are the building and its grounds well maintained? Things like the toilets and changing rooms should be clean and have everything in good working order, and the grounds should be safe.

However, there are times during an open day where everything can seem a little overwhelming because there are so many things going on, and a large number of parents means it is difficult to gain anything more than an idea of the school.

Here’s a list to help you see the broader picture

Look through the school prospectus, it will tell you more about the school’s expectations of their pupils as well as its own aims and usually its mission statement.
The prospectus will also outline rules and regulations, telling you about the strictness of the school and what they expect about appearance, behaviour, standards etc.
Ask other parents what they have heard about the school as this will help you determine its reputation, though watch out for any bias.
School league tables and Ofsted reports (www.ofsted.gov.uk) also give a good measure to the school’s standard – results speak for themselves.
If you really like the look and sound of a school, arrange to go and have a look when there are actually classes in progress – and when the school is not totally over-run with parents and being show cased!
Now, you not only get to see the school, but the interaction between pupils and teachers. See how the teachers keep their students motivated and stimulated, and the behaviour of the students to their teacher, to each other and as they move around the school.
The school traditions and motto also become visible throughout the working day, adding to the atmosphere and helping you to decide further whether this is the school for your child or not.

To make your visit to the school a successful one in terms of being able to gain all the information in order to make a decision, it would prove helpful to draw up a list of questions and points to raise when talking to a member of staff or head teacher. Here are a few examples:

Is there a particular philosophy or mission the school adheres to?
How are students’ academic performances monitored?
What method is used to determine student placement in class?
How does the school approach student discipline and safety?
How does the school keep parents informed of what is happening at school, and on students’ progress?
Does the school expect a high level of parental involvement? For example with monitoring homework or participating with the Parent Teacher Association.
What guidance does the school provide to students to prepare them for making those academic decisions that will define their high school career and beyond?
Does the school place much emphasis on what opportunities are available after they leave school, such as university preparation?
Does the school have any work experience programmes?
What kinds of learning resources are available to students?
Does the school have a particular academic focus, such as languages or technology?
How diverse is the student body? A mix of ethnicity encourages positive attitudes in children, which are essential for all our futures.
How does the school deal with bullying?
Is there a homework club at the school?
What are the after school activities at that school?
What percentage of the students went to Oxbridge last year? ( Oxford or Cambridge )
What is the level of staff turnover?

These are some valuable pointers but the list is by no means exhaustive as there may be other special factors that affect your child or you as a parent such geographical, logistical, siblings etc. which you also need to take into account.