Is Tiffin realistic ?

[bessiebunter]

Thank you mynameisbond. Having started the process of applying for Tiffin with great enthusiasm I have started worrying whether we are doing the right thing.....your feedback is invaluable. The open evening at the school was packed and it was almost impossible to ask questions etc. It is great to hear such positive feedback from someone who is there! Fingers crossed!

[GSWaiter]

I have a son in y7 and one in y9 at Tiffin. I cannot help you with anything to do with scoring as it was all a bit of a mystery to me! All I know is that my eldest scored over 258 and my youngest (summer born) got in on from the waiting list. However, both are doing well at the school and really enjoy it. They both went through the same well-known Kingston tutor route for a year before the tests and apart from their usual primary school homework, they did no other test papers. They both read a lot and were deemed 'good' at maths. The only other thing that seemed to help with the Tiffin test was that they were both fast workers and got to the end of the papers.

Up to now, they have not got loads of homework and are supposed to review their work each evening. Mine don't. This level of homework does mean that they can do Scouts and other activities during the week and we all get a life at the weekends!

My advice would be to go for it as you never know how he'll perform on the day. I worried that my youngest might struggle having got on from the waiting list and he hasn't. It's a good school and I'm glad they both worked hard and did enough to get themselves in.
Good Luck.

[Bilu]

Hi, i have a boy in yr 7 at TBS, and my dd has just got in from the WL at TGS.

No two dc are equal or comparable in their abilities, my ds is sept born and conseqequntly very mature for his age, he naturally found practice tests consistently easy and seemed quite academic very early on. Whereas, my dd is July born and a little more sensitive requiring significanty more( and i mean more!!) effort in understanding particularly maths & science, as she naturally tended towards more artful things(including dodging!)- as a conseqeunce, for some 11+ test she scored very highly in abstract NVR. For VR which also contains elements of mathematics dd found more trying. It is imperative that dc understand basics of mathematics and are able to apply them in a consistent manner.

Tiffin is definately doable, but you need to understand your dc's strengths and weaknesses, allow yourself enough time, and perhaps work consistently without trying to alienate them. I think by the end with dd i had become a little too intense and she became frustrated. I always news her weakness was VR, so we spent the best part of a week prior to the test just on VR( opposites, synonyms, antonyms, etc..). I also gave her a bit of a pep talk to boost her confidence as she went in to the test(rather like a prized fighter going into the ring ready for the fight of his life!).

At the end of the day i think your dc needs to feel that this matters alot you personally and is also the best for them too.
When we got the results of our 11+, i felt dissapointed and my dd could see that i was, and she started to cry, perhaps i should have waited to see where we were in the WL before making my feelings known, as we hand only been offered our 5th choice.
In the end it all came together, but was a difficult and emotional journey for all, but we were both committed throughout the process as we went through the rigours of test paper after paper. Ultimately, i think my dd will benefit hugely from the experience, not least being in the presence of bright individual where she will feel the urge to also be in a learning frame of mind.

[brentfordmum]

Hi Bilu, Congrats to your DD.

My son is now in yr 5 and is preparing for TBS. We are now doing the DIY route but are looking into tutors. Any advise would be very much appreciated; is it too late?

What books/ practise papers are recommended? Of course all children are different but on average how many hours of practise may be required each week?
Is the DIY route realistic or is it necessary to send to a tutor?

Please advise.
Thanks

[Bilu]

Hi Brentfordmum,

As previous posters have mentioned finding a tutor at this stage may prove difficult, however you still have 6months till test and i believe this is enough time, knowing wher you need to concentrate. I can recommend a tutor but he is in the Norwood Green area, PMme and i'll let you know details

There are many advantages of being in a tutor group.

1. Children learn in a conducive environment and even become competative which is quite important.
2. Many tutors, particularly, one my DC used are specifically geared up for TGS(two dd's at the school) & TBS, they prepare their own paper packs running into 20-30 given to children during end of terms/half terms for them to practice. Tutors also have their own mock tests just prior to tests which highlight areas for improvement.
3. Although historical TBS/TGS papers are not available, children are invited back to the tutor post testing for them collate as many of the questions they can remember- particularly in VR. This allows tutors to tailor practice papers accordingly.
4. For NVR i reccomend Bond 5th Papers & More 5th papers as to the quality of NVR capabilities dc should have, cover at least twice leading up to November.
5. Naturally, on DIY basis i beleive you will lack expertise in some areas, but starting with Bond, Susun Duaghtry etc.. is a good idea. In general i think quality of papers available in market place are not always the best. Starting with one/two(max) papers a day is ok, that's just over 2 hours committment including marking and going over wrong answers can be ardous on a parent. Suggest teaching technique one day testing the next, at least 3-4 days per week. Lots of reading in case of VR is necessary to understand word context.
6.Question techniques taught by tutors is necessary/advanatgeous, short techniques whereby some code questions can be approached in reverse order, save time during tests, this you will miss out on when DIY.
7. DIY is doable but will require a lot of time, and tutors always have all the books they need to teach technique, and come up with tailored question packs(very important).
8. If you dc is getting upto 85-87% consistently that's good enough for TBS, make sure you do the rounds for all GS places even if you dont intend going there just to get used to test environment.

Hope this helps!

[brentfordmum]

Hi Bilu,

Thanks for your kind detailed reply; really lots of help at this time.

Congrats for DDs getting to TGS.

Looking at a nearer tutor; will contact you if it doesn't work out.