How Bright?

[ABJ]

Thanks for all the replies so far... can't believe how many people read and replied already!

I have bee told by many that we wont stand a chance without a tutor. I do pay for extra curricular activities so am not majorly adverse to tutoring, but was hoping not to go down this route. Yes, we are not well off and so could do without it, and I do really enjoy sitting with my child and going through all the things we need to learn.

My daughter absolutely loves the NVR activities as these are new to her and is so enthusiastic about them. She would do this all of our study time if she could!

My main worry is that we are punching above our weight. I run a children's sports club which hosts many children from Sutton and surrounding areas, some of which are independent school attendees... their results this week have been very high, 250+ which has increased my doubts. After speaking to these parents though they have assured me that although their children were tutored, they did most of the work themselves at home.

Even if you have tutoring you will need to help your child with the preparations as only once a week tutoring lesson is not enough.
The right mentoring helps the child to work and focus on the right areas needed for these sort of cem style exams.
The children who are in indi prep schools are always in advantage as they are pushed with their maths and literacy levels compare to a comp school.
As said earlier if you think you got the knowledge and awareness of the format of exams go for it !!!
Also do remember lot of parents don't or will not like to say that their child was tutored and make it look this has been easily done and their Dc has scored 250 +....
So plan it properly as their is only one chance whichever way you want to do it ..

[worldcup14]

Late August, no tutor, lots of hard work at home, first choice school. Some people will discourage you to reduce the competition. I will be disappointed if you don't try!! Good luck.

[Petitpois]

I have been told by many that we wont stand a chance without a tutor.

My main worry is that we are punching above our weight.

Even if you have tutoring you will need to help your child with the preparations as only once a week tutoring lesson is not enough..

ABJ makes some valid points here. However once a week tutoring is more than enough, if you have the right set up. Indeed you don't even need tutoring - there are some kids at my DD school that will have scored higher than her with no tutoring I would definitely tutor over the summer hols and budget for some mocks.

ABJ is right and you know yourself what you are up against with some of the atrocious inner city primaries. However even the worst inner city primary will find it hard to destroy a parent child partnership that has a love of learning as one it cornerstones. This is why I suggest you do your own bond placement. Look at the results carefully. You will easily see where the gaps are from the school - you don't need an over paid tutor to tell you this. Indeed you will make a better buy / DIY tutoring decision if you do.

You can over do tutoring so aim to peak at the right time. Many kids will and do burnout.

Punching above your weight? We'll have no more of that talk please. You sound like a wonderful and very concerned parent to me. Start thinking how good it would be if other parents measured up to your standards and the investment that you are making in your child. We have been to sports competition all over the Midlands and seen the lardy dah brigade in full force. Even better when your DC smashes the **** out them in fair and open competition of course.

One of the biggest struggles that I see regularly is parents whose first language is not English. They blindly go to others in their community, mistakes often get reinforced, because of a lack of external challenge to the group mindset. To use your sports analogy. It is a bit like a player that only will play with people from his own club and never goes to away games. You can train and improve, but you can only be as good as the best in your club and you never test yourself against other teams.

Make sure that normal homework comes first 100%. Your at year 5, so I would be looking carefully at the bond placements scores and if not near the 85% mark would be thinking about a plan. You must start daily reading (30 mins). Aim to complete a clear plan of books and do do get that Grammar dictionary - it really is wonderful how it gives examples of verb, noun usage etc. Understanding the rules of grammar is a brilliant supplement to reading.

[enema]

Don't be daunted by not having a tutor. We were in your position a year ago and basically allocated the first 3 months of Y5 ie Sept to Dec to doing Bond 9-10 age books, Jan to March to focus on 10-11 age CGP, Bond, Schofield and Sims level 3-6 papers, and then April onwards 11-12 age Bond books. The old 'third papers,' 'fourth papers' books are just as good as the more modern editions.

From June we started doing GL practice papers, plus many of the free downloadable VR/NVR papers to get familiar with format and practice speed.

If you do DIY, I wouldn't spend long on the 8-9 age books, they are a useful basic introduction to question types but level wise, move up quickly.

[enema]

Would also add I had a couple of negative conversations with tutors I initially rang in which they expressed as we hadn't booked onto a waiting list from y3 or 4, we stood no chance. One was also openly disparaging when she realised DD was not at a prep school. Don't let them put you off!

[OldTrout]

Very much agree with what petit pois posted.

I'd just add what a friend who gave little fish some hand me down books in summer 2013 said - the 11+ basically is looking for children who have already mastered the y6 curriculum before the start of year 6 - have a good look at ks2 maths/ English (don't worry about SPAG) requirements on department of education ks2 curriculum. Make sure your child can do that and you're genuinely most of the way there.

i don't completely buy this line that the only way to get in is with a tutor but do take the point some are making - it is competitive and to a high standard so best not to pretend otherwise. Stickies at top of this region really helped us!

[ABJ]

[Edited by moderator]

Are you allowed to put tuition places names in this forum ??


Nervousmom's post has been reported as breaching forum rules.
It has been removed.
Moderator

[PamB]

I would agree with most of what had been said. We are also in a primary where most parents would never consider GS for their DC. We did get an experienced tutor for a few months, but she dumped our DS because she didn't think he was going to make it. We were completely shocked as this was so unexpected. DS had made enormous progress, loved the tuition and had set heart on GS. From then we home tutored for last 9 months, but I think the initial tutoring helped us know what to do. Agree Schofield &Simms were really useful, as were Bond 10min tests and longer Bond NVRs. There is so much advice and material around - and I think with some initial guidance, and hard work by parents to keep motivation going, it is possible. Our DS did well and likely to make it to top choice GS.

[ABJ]

Also one thing don't waste your money on mock tests as some charges silly money upto £200 per test which is just extortion in my opinion.
If you really want to give your dc practise of exam don't go for mock costing more than £30-£40 as that's what they are worth for.

[kenyancowgirl]

Lou82

If you have an ounce of intelligence and the wherewithal to sit down and hunt out resources (this forum is a good start), a small amount of income to buy extra work books etc (from Amazon or WHSmiths or whatever) and your child will sit down with you, for an hour or two a week (even if this is split into 20 minute bit-size sessions); and you can encourage your child to read and understand a range of books and vocal - and you can read at bed time with them....then you absolutely do not need a tutor.

What you will then be doing is helping prepare them for the test yourself - and it is perfectly possible to do this very successfully. You might need to set aside a bit of time to read the stickies at the top of this section, learning what you can about the test and then work slowly and steadily with your child, increasing speed and accuracy, the closer you get to the actual test. You do NOT need to pay for a mock - I do not know anybody successful in our local GS who went through that process (and I have 2 boys there, so know a lot of parents!) so it absolutely is not essential - if you have a child who will be incredibly nervous walking into a big hall with other kids, maybe there is a benefit but it is not essential.

Finally those parents you spoke to telling you about their 250+ scores - honestly? They may well have done that well but, unless you see their child in the relevant school uniform in Sept, I wouldn't worry about it - they will be in the minority and may not be telling the truth - we know a lot of people from prep schools whose "verbal results" apparently put them high enough to get a place (but then "select" to go to the fee paying school instead), there is a lot of pride, secrecy, and dishonesty around the whole 11+ system, I'm afraid!!

You can't control what everyone else is doing. Focus on your child - their progress is the only thing you can help to control, so control the controllable and what will be will be.