Advice - best way to improve chance of grammar
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
Advice - best way to improve chance of grammar
I am sure lots of you have experience on ways to improve your childs chances of getting into a grammar. I would love my daughter to go to CCHS but realise it is so competitive. She is a bright child and just beginning to get into level 5's in her tests at school. However, she is not quite as 'sparky' as my other child who was successful getting into grammar, who picked things up extraordinarily quickly. How can I bring my daughters skills up or should I just except she is not quite as 'sparky' as other child and not put her through the 11+ process??? Does bright but not sparky mean grammar is out of reach???
If I tell her how clever she is I am worried that she will be really disappointed if she doesn't get in so I have been downplaying her abilities. Now you have put it like that I think I may be doing completely the wrong thing. Although I have told her she is very different to my other child and that not everyone gets in, she is already starting to draw comparisons between herself and her sibling and I don't want her to feel pressurised. I have already had people say things like 'you'll be next' and it just doesn't work like that. Just because one child has got in does not mean other child will get in. My other child does seem to be brighter than her and was showing much more ability at this stage than she has, so I think she will find it much more difficult. I guess my question is do the children that get into grammar NEED to show something 'special' which my other child did or will being bright get her in??? There seems to be levels of 'brightness', she is bright and doing well, other child seemed to be ultra bright and just picked things up so much quicker than daughter.
-
- Posts: 2113
- Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm
Can you also look at the Colchester/Southend schools. Many of us have children who are very different. DD is at the county high and I was told that she had little or no chance. She actually passed well and has thrived there. She is nothing like her KEGS counterpart, but then talking to many parents/teachers at both schools the teaching/learning styles are also very different.
DD is a hard worker, which will probably take her far in life.
I always try to find an area to praise that is not a strength of her sibling. Rather than downplay your DD's abilities I would recommend being honest and saying that access to the grammars is never a guarantee with so many excellent candidates and so few place, then she will not see herself as a failure in comparison with her brother. And have a good back up plan.
DD is a hard worker, which will probably take her far in life.
I always try to find an area to praise that is not a strength of her sibling. Rather than downplay your DD's abilities I would recommend being honest and saying that access to the grammars is never a guarantee with so many excellent candidates and so few place, then she will not see herself as a failure in comparison with her brother. And have a good back up plan.
-
- Posts: 2113
- Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm