11 Plus Exams Forum

My DS1 will be sitting the grammar test in November. Not sure what level he's at really, so planning to tick the boxes to be considered for Pates, Tommys and The Crypt.

As I understand it, he'll be able to sit the test at any of these schools. Does anyone have any advice/recommendations as to which school he should do it at? I think he might freak out if he's put in a huge examination hall. Do any of the schools do the exam in smaller classrooms instead?

Also I'm a bit confused from reading earlier posts about what information you get about your child's results from each school. Is there an advantage (in terms of the feedback you get) from sitting it at one school rather than another?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

At Crypt they sit it in the hall I believe. Both my DS's didn't fancy this. In fact I think the thought of it has put DS2 off The Crypt completely, he didn't like the hall for some reason, and he is refusing to even consider going there should he not get in to Tommies .

At Tommies they sit the test in a class room. There are two boys per table and they will try and sit them with someone they know. Two boys sat it from DSs school and they were together. This year only DS2 will be sitting from their school but we are hoping he will be with his friend who is also sitting it but moved schools.

No experience of Pates but I am sure I read on this site somewhere that they also sit it in the classroom with pupils from their schools, if poss.

Far more sit it at Pates, so it will be busier I should imagine, and last year there was an issue when one child went to the toilet and wasn't given extra time which they were given at Tommies if they needed to go.

Pates will tell you have passed if you come in their top 160 which equates to a score of 240. Otherwise you get given a combined score of both papers in the 200's.

Tommies will tell you if you have passed but this does not mean you will get a place. Although in previous years everyone who passed got a place this year they changed the system and not all the passes got a place. They have gone over their PAN though as a couple of boys got in on appeal. In March you are given a score for each of the papers sat, bit late by then really unless you intend to appeal .

Crypt give you a mark which is a combined score of both papers standardised to give a score in the 100's. They tell you what score would have got you in the previous year so you have a fair idea if you will get a place or not.

DS1 wanted Tommies last year so we ticked Pates as a way of gauging his chances. A high Pates score makes for a confident Tommies place.

Hope that helps as it is far too complicated a system, perish the thought that they should make it easy for parents .

Hi. A good question.
DS1 sat it at Pates because it is nearer to us and I was panicking (what? me?) about getting there on time. He was in a classroom with all the other kids from his school who had entered (about 18, only 3 of whom passed, although 15, I think, ended up going to glos grammars).
This time, as DS1 is at Tommies, and therefore we "know" it slightly better, DS2 will sit it there. He won't care about being with anyone knows because a) he is like that and b) doesn't much like the boys entering.
The important things are, really, that no weight is given to your decision where to sit - Pates aren't going to get huffy because you chose to sit it at Crypt. What does seem important, as Tolstoy says, is to tick your interest in all 3. If you don't get Pates, you do get the marks, and the marks for the Crypt so you can start your "has he / hasn't he" fretting, prior to the March find-out, with a little more info at hand.
When DS1 took it, his friend (girl) didn't tick that she wanted Pates. So, she found out that she had "passed" the test, but had no idea at that stage of a relative score. So it made for a long wait. Although the Pates mark or Crypt mark isn't the Tommy's mark, it does give you an indication of relative placing, ie a scrape or a clear pass.
Ain't this stressful? DS2 downstairs watching Bourne Identity, utterly oblivious! (YES! I know it's a 12, gentle snarl!!)

Tolstoy wrote:At Crypt they sit it in the hall I believe. .

I do believe they use classrooms and the hall at Crypt for the test.

Thanks everyone. Very helpful.

Here's a thought Cairo- tick the Marling box as well. I know for a fact that they always divulge the score at the outset (in December, whereas you won't get Tommie's score until after allocation day in March), and whilst all the scores that you receive from each establishment will not be the same, it's better to have as much info as possible so that you are in a better position should you be in the awful situation of having to go to appeal! Believe me- I know!!

I've done that, hetty. In fact my biggest fear at the moment is that I also ticked for Denmark Road

:lol

but possibly not a problem unless it is the place you opted for him to sit it, I am sure he would take umbrage at having to dress up as a girl.

Great one for appeal though.

'Awfully sorry sir but I think the reason he failed to do his best was due to his knickers being too tight, had to borrow them you see.'

Don't!!!

It would also, as far as I'm aware, be a first at an appeal. And of course we'd take it seriously (but just listen for the guffaws just after you've left the room).

Just to reassure you, panels wouldn't penalise a child because the parent made a mistake. We'd possibly mutter about the parents in private, but it's always the child that is the focus of an appeal, not the parents