How are the new year 7's finding grammar school life so far
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jazzteddy
how are this years new year 7 settling in at school
our youngest son started at crgs this september. He has really enjoyed every day at school so far, although the travelling for fourty five minutes each day took a while to get used to.
He had so set his heart on crgs, after attending the open evening, having seen the science dept where all the boys, dressed in their science gowns where busy blowing things up, setting fire to cheese puffs, separating iron from cereals!! It was wonderfull to find an enviroment where the children where so well mannered, interesting and willing to show all the visitors how great their school was.
The way we looked at our sons desire to sit the 11 plus was that it was an opportunity and an experience. Even if he had not been offered a place he had made the deciscion on his own to give it a go.
The day of the test afternoon, dawned and at the end of what seemed like a very long wait all the boys came spilling out of the school, to a spontanious round of applause. It was incredible. All the parents so relieved that the boys had come out unscathed.!
My son and i hugged and he said, mum whats a threshing machine?
I knew at that point that he may never have seen the elegant facade of the school again. But it didnt matter I was so proud of him.
I wish all the girls and boys taking this years test, the very best, I am not so sure that I would be so brave. It really is worth the practise and the nerves on the day as if you are one of those to get offered a place at the school you like.
good luck
He had so set his heart on crgs, after attending the open evening, having seen the science dept where all the boys, dressed in their science gowns where busy blowing things up, setting fire to cheese puffs, separating iron from cereals!! It was wonderfull to find an enviroment where the children where so well mannered, interesting and willing to show all the visitors how great their school was.
The way we looked at our sons desire to sit the 11 plus was that it was an opportunity and an experience. Even if he had not been offered a place he had made the deciscion on his own to give it a go.
The day of the test afternoon, dawned and at the end of what seemed like a very long wait all the boys came spilling out of the school, to a spontanious round of applause. It was incredible. All the parents so relieved that the boys had come out unscathed.!
My son and i hugged and he said, mum whats a threshing machine?
I knew at that point that he may never have seen the elegant facade of the school again. But it didnt matter I was so proud of him.
I wish all the girls and boys taking this years test, the very best, I am not so sure that I would be so brave. It really is worth the practise and the nerves on the day as if you are one of those to get offered a place at the school you like.
good luck
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GillyGillyOxenPepper
CRGS
In reply to "jazzteddy" my son is now in Year 9 at CRGS and has loved every day since he started. It's a great school and I hope your boy will be just as happy there. My second son is taking the 11+ this year and so we're keeping fingers crossed for him that he can join his big brother next year.
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Green Fingers
My son is now in year 11 at CRGS and is still enjoying it. He was probably one of the boys in the science department blowing thing up when you visited on the open evening, as he's attended every one since year 7. Although he's not over keen on the homework (what 16 year old is?) he says he is so glad he worked to pass the 11+ as he wouldn't want to go to school anywhere else.
Good luck to all those taking the 11+ in November.
Good luck to all those taking the 11+ in November.
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jazzteddy
re crgs boys
good luck with your sons 11 plus this year (GillyGillyOxenpepper). I understand that there are many other families with more than one son at crgs. It is also nice to hear of other happy pupils and this will hopefully encourage new 11 plus applicants to give the test their best shot in order to gain a place.
Also interesting to hear of the older boy who was part of my sons surreal harry potter science inspiration. All the boys at the open evening were a credit to crgs and this year the science dept was just as exciting ( i sneaked a look on the way to picking up my son to take him home). My son was in the french dept sporting a bow tie, moustache and a terrible lack of french accent. He really enjoyed it, being now one of the crgs boys and being able to show prospective pupils what crgs is like.
Sorry to ramble on but its a great school, the boys all get on well and its well worth all those books and practise papers.
Hope all other parents and 11 plusers will be inspired to give it a go and aim high, not just for this school but for all the essex grammers, they are outstanding places for our children to learn. Good luck
Also interesting to hear of the older boy who was part of my sons surreal harry potter science inspiration. All the boys at the open evening were a credit to crgs and this year the science dept was just as exciting ( i sneaked a look on the way to picking up my son to take him home). My son was in the french dept sporting a bow tie, moustache and a terrible lack of french accent. He really enjoyed it, being now one of the crgs boys and being able to show prospective pupils what crgs is like.
Sorry to ramble on but its a great school, the boys all get on well and its well worth all those books and practise papers.
Hope all other parents and 11 plusers will be inspired to give it a go and aim high, not just for this school but for all the essex grammers, they are outstanding places for our children to learn. Good luck
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Guest
My daughter has just started at Colchester CHS. She absolutely loves it, & I'm so glad that we encouraged her to sit the 11+ exam. She had a tough couple of final years at her state primary school, as there were a several children in the class with very 'challenging' behaviour, so she is really lapping up the opportunity she now has to learn & work without so many interruptions. The bus journey is quite long, but she enjoys having the chance to chat with her new friends. I would really recommend the school; it seems to have a good family atmosphere.
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Guest
Tip - Make sure your daughter doesn't spend too long on a question if its only worth 1 point, move on and spend more time answering a question thats worth say 5 points.
The English paper normally has a question at the end thats worth loads of points, and I have heard so many girls say they ran out of time so didn't do the last page. So, make sure she remembers to do the last question (the one where you have to insert all the missing punctuation marks, as thats worth lots of points).
Tell your daugher that yes the English paper could be really hard and maybe she wont completely understand it all, but just to try her best, they normally give the English paper first.
Once the English paper is done, tell her not to think about it anymore, to move on, I think a lot of the children that sat the last test thought well thats it, I've blown my chances, as the English was so hard.
Plan something lovely to do when the test is over, go out to lunch or something.
Dont forget a watch as there wont always be a clock in sight. And if its allowed take a snack. Make sure she has breakfast in the morning, that will help her concentration levels.
I wish you loads and loads of luck, Im sure she will do very well.
The English paper normally has a question at the end thats worth loads of points, and I have heard so many girls say they ran out of time so didn't do the last page. So, make sure she remembers to do the last question (the one where you have to insert all the missing punctuation marks, as thats worth lots of points).
Tell your daugher that yes the English paper could be really hard and maybe she wont completely understand it all, but just to try her best, they normally give the English paper first.
Once the English paper is done, tell her not to think about it anymore, to move on, I think a lot of the children that sat the last test thought well thats it, I've blown my chances, as the English was so hard.
Plan something lovely to do when the test is over, go out to lunch or something.
Dont forget a watch as there wont always be a clock in sight. And if its allowed take a snack. Make sure she has breakfast in the morning, that will help her concentration levels.
I wish you loads and loads of luck, Im sure she will do very well.
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Guest
Anonymous wrote:Tip - Make sure your daughter doesn't spend too long on a question if its only worth 1 point, move on and spend more time answering a question thats worth say 5 points.
The English paper normally has a question at the end thats worth loads of points, and I have heard so many girls say they ran out of time so didn't do the last page. So, make sure she remembers to do the last question (the one where you have to insert all the missing punctuation marks, as thats worth lots of points).
Tell your daugher that yes the English paper could be really hard and maybe she wont completely understand it all, but just to try her best, they normally give the English paper first.
Once the English paper is done, tell her not to think about it anymore, to move on, I think a lot of the children that sat the last test thought well thats it, I've blown my chances, as the English was so hard.
Plan something lovely to do when the test is over, go out to lunch or something.
Dont forget a watch as there wont always be a clock in sight. And if its allowed take a snack. Make sure she has breakfast in the morning, that will help her concentration levels.
I wish you loads and loads of luck, Im sure she will do very well.
I agree with the comments above. The English is the first paper they sit, is usually very difficult and can knock their confidence. I told my daughter (who is now in year 8 a Chelmsford C High) to read the extract twice, answer what she could then turn to the back page and do the last portion (which is the grammar correction etc) as she was very good at that. I told her to finish that (as it is worth something like 12 marks) then go back and finish the rest of the paper (I also told her that if she really didn't know the answer, guess, as it was better to put something down if she had time). I also told her that even if the English paper was really difficult and she thought she had not done well to just think to herself that she had 2 more papers to do and to concentrate on doing well on them (plus their nerves are probably less by then!). Good luck!
