11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi All, hope your ds/dd are all ok. Having a fun full on weekend of 11+ revision in our house

Is anyone wearing school uniform to the test... We have been recommended it helps concentration - anyone with previous knowledge of appearances/uniform at test centres?

Good luck to everyone, nearly there

Most children wear something they are comfortable in... jeans and a t-shirt. A few wear full school uniform, but most are in casual clothes.

The vast majority do not wear school uniform. The few who do tend to be in prep school uniforms. I am sure the letter we had from the CSSE when ds was doing his 11+, said that it was unnecessary to wear uniform.

I have given my DD a choice and she said that she would feel more focused in school uniform. I would let the child do what they are comfortable with.

KM wrote:The vast majority do not wear school uniform. The few who do tend to be in prep school uniforms. I am sure the letter we had from the CSSE when ds was doing his 11+, said that it was unnecessary to wear uniform.

It's in the Q&As on the CSSE website every year, and probably reiterated in the letter, too (this will be our third go but for some reason the precise contents of the last two letters escape my memory ). DS2 like DS1 and DD before him will allow himself to be shoehorned back into uniform a couple of weeks later to assist the King John School in their entrance test child-herding activities, but on the 21st, also like them, will be quite happy to take up the CSSE's invitation not to bother.

If your DC has a particularly unusual uniform then I would advise against them wearing it, as they can stick out and become the focus of some unwanted attention (sniggering). They need to be comfortably dressed for the temperature, with a jumper/top that can easily be put on/ taken off as required. DD was in a school gym which she said was freezing, whereas DS was in a classroom with the sun streaming in and thus was too hot!

I personally think everyone should just be wearing cloths that are comfortable. I have heard of some prep school headteacher advice their pupils to wear school uniform which I think it probably have two effects 1)to give prep school pupils more confidence and 2)to let others especially state school DCs and their parents to notice them and start thinking the prep school DCs are likely to be better prepared for the exam???? Please don't take any notice and be yourself. Just remember not all prep school DCs get a place for GS.

Good Luck to every DCs who are sitting for the 11+ this year.

Thanks - will see what my ds says on the day.

Good luck everyone

I think the key is if your child is going to wear uniform at least give them the heads up that most children won't be in uniform so that they know what to expect when they arrive at their test centre. Some children could feel very self-conscious being one of only a few in uniform which could unsettle them unnecessarily. Other more confident children will take it all in their stride and be fine either way.

Best of luck to everyone taking the exams this year!