Newbie! Looking at Spalding Grammar - advice please

[orione16]

My DS is in Year 5. He has always been top set and done well at school. We live in Gorefield, near Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire, where there are few options for secondary schools. Our catchment school is Thomas Clarkson Academy which has a very poor reputation. He would like to go to another secondary school which is the other side of Wisbech, over the Norfolk border, but they are always over-subscribed. I know several children who didn't get in this year, who live in Wisbech, and we live further away, so I don't hold out much hope.

We are now looking towards Spalding Grammar. It looks like an excellent school. DS is very into sport and good at maths and science. It is only about 25 minutes away from us, so not too bad in terms of school run.

The 11+ is the only thing I'm not sure about. It was not an option when I was at school and my DH didn't take it. I don't know anyone in my family who has ever sat the 11+ so not sure what to expect. I have looked at a couple of English past papers quickly, and it doesn't seem to be anything my DS couldn't cope with. I guess it's the time element more than anything?

He is quite resistant to homework lately so I will need to work on this with him. But I've shown him the school prospectus and he seems very keen. I know that for him to put the work in, he needs to want it.

Any advice in terms of prep? Is there anyone on here who travels from Wisbech-way to Spalding? What is transport like? And any experiences of the school? Thanks!

[scary mum]

I don't know anything about your area (just dipping in to the forum over a coffee!), But this page https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... re-11-plus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; may give you more information? Someone from the area will be along don, I'm sure. One thing I noticed is that there is no mention of English papers, just VR & NVR, so it might be worth double checking?

[orione16]

I don't know anything about your area (just dipping in to the forum over a coffee!), But this page https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... re-11-plus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; may give you more information? Someone from the area will be along don, I'm sure. One thing I noticed is that there is no mention of English papers, just VR & NVR, so it might be worth double checking?

What is a VR and NVR? I thought that was just the names for the oral and written parts of the test! Is it not English and Maths they are tested on? Told you I know nothing about 11+!

[scary mum]

Verbal Reasoning & Non Verbal Reasoning (shapes & stuff!). Look at that link or Google & you will find lots of information.

Edited to add: also here https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... um.php?f=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And here https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum ... um.php?f=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[hermanmunster]

Need to also get some info from the school or LEA re the scores for out of area children for the last few years (and indeed how many OOA children have been admitted for the last few years)

[PettswoodFiona]

I don't know anything about your area (just dipping in to the forum over a coffee!), But this page https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/schoo ... re-11-plus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; may give you more information? Someone from the area will be along don, I'm sure. One thing I noticed is that there is no mention of English papers, just VR & NVR, so it might be worth double checking?

What is a VR and NVR? I thought that was just the names for the oral and written parts of the test! Is it not English and Maths they are tested on? Told you I know nothing about 11+!

Non-verbal reasoning is nothing like curriculum maths. It is meant to build on maths skills and identify potential in that area but if you have never seen an NVR test then familiarisation is key prior to the tests. Verbal Reasoning is often about using English skills, but again not actual English like on the curriculum. There can be different types like missing letter or finding the synonym or the antonymn for a particular word, plus a host of other types of VR. Get some of the ten minute tests from your local bookshop and it will give you a better idea of what is involved.

For any of the tests you usually register in the spring, the test is taken in the September and you get your results before CAF submission date so you have an idea of your DC's chances. I don't know your specific area so can't advise.

For us the key for DD passing was that she wanted to do it (a visit to the school was key in this) and she already had a very good level of vocabulary and read widely as well as being good at maths. However we couldn't have just turned up and she sat the test, I think even she would have struggled. We did some home familiarisation for an hour a week in the year prior to the tests, but this was for a superselective so if the school you are aiming at just requires a pass it probably doesn't need so much prep and near us the ones that just require a pass I know children who have got in with just some familarisation and Bond practice books over the summer holidays.

[Alex]

Welcome.

If you look at the 11 Plus Regions section under the Schools tab at the top of the page you will find a section on Lincolnshire which tells you about the tests and also gives a link to the bookshop pages which have material relevant to the Lincolnshire tests. The tests changed from Standard to multiple choice format a couple of years ago so choose the multiple choice format for practice books where there is a choice.

Spalding Grammar allocates on score order outside of the feeder parishes so you would be aiming for a higher score than the basic pass.

Do ask questions as they arise - plenty of help available here!