11 Plus Exams Forum

My ds has done a lot of prep now for the consortium school tests and covered a lot of areas of maths that have not yet been covered by the National Curriculum in Year 6. However, he is now bored to tears in school because they are just starting to cover stuff he covered last year. His Y5 teacher was great because he was always being set challenges and targets but the Y6 teacher seems to be focussed on getting the majority up to Level 4/5. I am worried in case ds gets turned off school at the ripe old age of 10 and gets labelled disruptive.

Any ideas? It is parents evening next week and I want to have something up my sleeve when I discuss with his teacher.

Cheers

Rosie

My son mentioned that in class yesterday his teacher handed out a maths sheet to be completed during the hour. After 6 minutes, one of the girls finished, and shortly after several other children finished, too... They were given some extension work, but that was pretty boring.

I think you've highlighted a problem with preparing our children for the 11+. It divides the class into those for whom the work is old and boring, and those for whom the work is new and challenging. This is particularly true for Herts, where the schools are these superselectives, and people seem to tutor for longer, perhaps.

I don't know the answer to your question, though. I'll be interested to see the replies.

I think this can be a real difficulty for some children in year 6.
My Ds found year 6 very tedious and as you mention disruptive behaviour can set in
We had a chat about what he was finding " boring " and with his teacher discussed this and agreed he would be given extra not always extension work if had finnished.
He was always able to take his reading book and an avid reader he would quite happily sit and read.
In my childs School the children in ICT were able to design a web page and he was able to work on this independently at times which he enjoyed.

Hoping you are able to resolve this soon.

In our school, it's not that we are ahead, having prepared for 11+. Rather that the work seems to have gone backwards. For instance, last weeks homework was all based on the 10 times table. This weeks - which numbers are odd, which are even!!! DS2 in year 2 is doing the exact same work at the moment.
I cant understand teaching to the lowest in the class - surely there must be a happy medium. No wonder children are disruptive (not mine though )

DD2 went to a prepschool for year 6 and after she had passed 2 x11+ exams we demanded flexi-schooling for the remainder of year 6. She attended school for 2.5 days each week and although bored on these days at least we had the rest of the week together as a familyThink outside the box and let your poor child have a break!!

Im afraid theres not much you can do. My daughter always used to make hideous mistakes in her maths work and her teacher thought she didnt understand stuff! Wen really she was so bored she was doing the work switched off.
I think you just grit your teeth and put up with it. Havent they abolished ks2 sats yet?
I know a lot of kids find year 6 really dull.

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions. I will ask if he can read his book if he has finished tasks.. I just don't want him to get "turned off" this year - he adores school and is a great kid but is at risk of getting so bored he will tune out.

Already he has been shouted at for finishing his work too quickly in class and last week's homework was colouring in prime numbers - no wonder he was rolling his eyes!

Rosie

I forgot to mention that it can be a good time for dc to develop their personal talents outside of school. They and you have more time to focus on say music, so for them to have a lesson outside of school and be able to practice it more, on other days. My dd managed to do a grade exam in the summer term in year 6. Normally it would have been quite difficult to progress that quickly.