11 Plus Exams Forum

It seems the grammar schools have open day only one day a year. Did/will you take your child to show the school in year 4 or 5? Are there many year 4 children on the open days? And is it a good idea to attend the head teacher's speech with the child? Thanks for your advise.

We went in year 4. If you have the time I think it is a good idea to go in year 4 to have a feel of the school without the pressure of 11+ exams in the following few months. You can always revisit if you are not sure which school to choose in year 5?

Year 4 definitely . You need to light the spark of wanting to go in your dc

Ditto what Araucana girl said! Year 4 for sure and maybe year 5 just to remind them of why they are doing all that work!

Sorry I think Year 4 is FAR too early - Year 5 is just right as exams are about a year away. Do go round during a school day not the artificial evening 'show' events.

Depends on what time of the year the open evenings are. DDs school was in September when we were looking, so we went in year 5 and again in year 6 just before the exams.
Now her school have open evening in May, so going in year 6 would be too late, so the option is year 4 and then year 5 just before the exam a few months later.

Now that the GS open evenings are all before the summer holidays - by the way, watch out for your local comprehensive doing this as well - I would say it was fine for you to go round in year 4 initially. We had no experience of our local secondary schools, having both been educated in other parts of the country, so with DS1 and DD we went round in both year 5 and year 6. By the time we got to DS2, though, he had tagged along with his siblings so many times and also been to various events at several local schools that he only went to SHSB in year 4.

On the subject of taking your child in to the HT's talk, please only do this if they can be trusted to sit quietly - I'm sure this is so . When we went to the WHSB talk, DS2 and his friend were horrified by the number of people talking - and by those just getting up and walking out whilst the talk was going on . I have to say that the acoustics weren't good to start with, but this sure didn't help! BTW at SHSB the HT's talk was for parents only and the boys were taken off for their own session elsewhere.

I went by myself in year 4, then took my boy in year 5. I only took him to schools I thought would be suitable for him.

We went in yrs 4 and 5. Worked for us!!

Thank you for replies, much appreciated.

Guest55: which schools take viewers on normal school days?