The closer it gets, the worse I feel, as I fly out to Ireland on Saturday morning for a family occasion. It was booked before knowing the test date. DD says she’s ok about it but she’s sad I won’t be there. I’m actually considering cancelling the trip (flights were very cheap) as I don’t want it to be a distraction for her.

I honestly can’t wait for it all to be over so 11+ prep can be forgotten about. I never thought I would stress about it so much, but here I am.

DS will be sitting this Saturday. I feel much worse than I did when DD sat CEM and CSSE a few years ago. He is so much more unpredictable, knocks practise papers out of the park at home, completely fluffs mocks, randomly writes total rubbish but is capable of writing really good stuff. He has the knowledge, he has the skills, but can he keep it together on the day? He seems so much littler and more vulnerable than my DD did at the time.
Of course - I'm being very calm around him, from his point of view he will be genuinely fine at which ever school out of our top 5 he is allocated in March. Lots of reassurance and confidence boosting going on and he is choosing his favourite meal to celebrate on Saturday night.
Good luck everyone.

You should put your choices in the your order of preference. If Eastwood is your first choice then put it first. If you arent allocated a place then you will be assessed against entry criteria for Belfairs in exactly the same way as if you had put it first choice. Meanwhile you will be on the waiting list for Eastwood.

If you do it the other way around and you get a place at Belfairs you wont get assessed against entry critera for any other school on your list.

Actually, your application will have been, as it's all done in parallel, rather than in series. But your LA (in assuming Southend, from your username, unless you are right up in the top left hand corner, so to speak?) will only offer one place; assuming that you could be offered more than one, you will get a place at the school you ranked highest, whether selective or non-selective .

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Yep, daughter is taking the exam, as an OOC'er, on Sat.

She's been doing well on mocks/practise exams, with her maths scores being slightly stronger. She's quite chilled about it & we've told her not to worry, going with the whatever will be, will be, mantra.

We're still looking at local comps, so even if she gets 330+ its not guaranteed we'll be going with either WHSG or SHSG. Lots more to think about, with the travelling/timing/strain on her still being considered.

I’m in catchment so once we know the score it it is pretty certain for us thankfully

Is it the maths or the English paper first?!

Best of luck to all your DC’s- dropped my own bag of nerves at WHSG this morning and now home fretting over a cuppa! Roll on this afternoon! x

How did everyone find it? Obviously we aren’t allowed to discuss the contact, but my Dc reports one paper as being much harder than the other!

DD said both papers were easier than the ones we’d practiced at home. I’m not sure if that’s because we had covered everything well or if she’s missed the point- the latter is always a possibility