Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Eleven Plus (11+) in Surrey (Sutton, Kingston and Wandsworth)

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now
CoolParent123
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:12 pm

Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by CoolParent123 »

Congratulations to all Parents whose DS / DD successfully passed both stages of Non Such / Wally Girls / WCGS / Wilson's ... Sutton (Due to come in weeks time)

As we all knew without the contribution and guidance of parents.....children cannot achieve this milestone. Could be few exceptions though.

Could you please share your child's success story here? One or Two line answer to each one of these questions, you can add more and respond to them too.

It will significantly help the Parents of prospective children who are currently in Year 3 / 4 / 5 to plan and prepare for next year and so years to come.......

(1). Primary School Contribution, Did the primary school contributed? If yes, how?
(2). When and in which year you have started working with your child to achieve 11+ Success?
(3). How you have worked on your DS/DD weaknesses and how you motivated them?
(4). How many hours of preparation per week in Year 4 and Year?
(5). Any specific approach on First Stage (Objective Type) and Second Stage Test (Subject or Topics etc.)
(6). Tutored Yes / No - This is an Optional Question : Please don’t give any Tutor details
(7). Anything else that you think has helped your child to Succeed

Note : The reason why we choose the above 5 schools is because all of them are part of selective eligibility and a 2 stage selection process.

Thanks in advance for your contribution. Much appreciated.
Biggiesmall
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:46 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by Biggiesmall »

No tips to offer I'm afraid - other than extra tuition, as primary unlikely to prep them. My son only started to see a tutor 1 hr p/w a few months before the exam but I'm sure it helped.
CoolParent123
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by CoolParent123 »

Biggiesmall wrote:No tips to offer I'm afraid - other than extra tuition, as primary unlikely to prep them. My son only started to see a tutor 1 hr p/w a few months before the exam but I'm sure it helped.
Thanks for the inputs.
Please share which are all the schools your DD/DS have passed.
Biggiesmall
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:46 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by Biggiesmall »

Wilson's & WCGS - the only exams he has sat. He will also sit SGS.
CoolParent123
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by CoolParent123 »

Thanks for inputs Biggiesmall.
Parents of children who succeeded in Non Such, Wallington, Wilson's please share your valuable inputs please?
ShrimpStation
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu May 29, 2014 12:30 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by ShrimpStation »

DS passed Wilson's and WCGS. Will also sit SGS, but it is our third choice.

(1). Primary School Contribution, Did the primary school contributed? If yes, how?
DS is at an independent junior school that also has a senior school. They therefore want all children to continue on to the senior school, so there was no contribution from the school towards 11+ at all.

(2). When and in which year you have started working with your child to achieve 11+ Success?
Started in January of Year 5.

(3). How you have worked on your DS/DD weaknesses and how you motivated them?
DS is weak in English. We bought the Magic Money Cards and these have helped. Motivation has been less easy. A new games console for getting in to one of the Sutton grammars has been used as an incentive, but I doubt it has worked much. Daily nagging to do a bit of study has been more useful :lol:

(4). How many hours of preparation per week in Year 4 and Year?
Nothing in Year 4.
About 4-5 hours per week in the middle and last terms of Year 5.
Between 2 and 10 hours per week in the summer holidays.
About 5 hours per week in the first term of Year 6 up until the exams.

(5). Any specific approach on First Stage (Objective Type) and Second Stage Test (Subject or Topics etc.)
We did Bond Online and SATs tests as prep for the SET. Then Bond Online, SATs, Manchester Grammar School papers and other indie schools' papers for the second stages.

(6). Tutored Yes / No - This is an Optional Question : Please don’t give any Tutor details
No formal/external tutor, just Mum :wink:

(7). Anything else that you think has helped your child to Succeed
He's really bright anyway, so I don't think that we've done much except some exam technique practice and also creating a "formula" and checklist when writing stories. He still really struggles with the harder comprehension questions (MGS et al).
CoolParent123
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by CoolParent123 »

Shrimpstation, thanks for a detailed and very useful response. Your reply should motivate other parents to share their experience and success stories. Highly appreciated for a great job :D

Parents, please remember that you would contributing to Sutton / Surrey blog phenomenally and helping other parents by sharing your success journey..... I believe you have nothing to loose :)
Catlady
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 9:26 am

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by Catlady »

H Cool Parent, feedback from us - passed Tiffin boys, WCGS and Wilson's - will also do SGS

(1). Primary School Contribution, Did the primary school contributed? If yes, how?
Not directly - but DS' school like many others - groups children by ability - Yr 5 teacher very supportive mentally when DS told him his dream!
(2). When and in which year you have started working with your child to achieve 11+ Success?
In Year 4 - September/October
(3). How you have worked on your DS/DD weaknesses and how you motivated them?
Revision and more of the same

(4). How many hours of preparation per week in Year 4 and Year?
Approximately 8hrs per week Yr 4, at least 10hrs per week yr 5
(5). Any specific approach on First Stage (Objective Type) and Second Stage Test (Subject or Topics etc.)
No, just followed the tutor's programme.
(6). Tutored Yes / No - This is an Optional Question : Please don’t give any Tutor details
Yes, tutored in group
(7). Anything else that you think has helped your child to Succeed
SGS mocks, tutor mocks - lots of reading - though our DS is a bookworm anyway. This forum has been a great source of information and help.
CoolParent123
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by CoolParent123 »

Thanks Catlady,
Parents of DD who succeeded in Non Such and Wally Girls, please share your experiences.
Give back something to this forum :D
Womblemania
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon May 26, 2014 4:43 pm

Re: Sutton Success Stories - NS : WG : WCGS : Wilson's : SGS

Post by Womblemania »

DD passed Nonsuch and is through to Second Stage Tiffin (didn't take Wallington)

1). Primary School Contribution, Did the primary school contributed? If yes, how?

Not directly but children were grouped by maths ability across year 5 and 6. Working with Year 6 top group in Year 5 helped DD cover a lot of ground by the time SET was held.

(2). When and in which year you have started working with your child to achieve 11+ Success?

In Year 5 - January

(3). How you have worked on your DS/DD weaknesses and how you motivated them?

No particular weaknesses, probably should have done more on NVR for TGS but VR made up for it in the end. DD didn't need a lot of motivating, seeing the schools she aspires to go to has helped.

(4). How many hours of preparation per week?

Approximately 2 per week Yr 5 and about 3 hours per week yr 6, not much over the Summer Holidays before exams.

(5). Any specific approach on First Stage (Objective Type) and Second Stage Test (Subject or Topics etc.)

No

(6). Tutored Yes / No - This is an Optional Question : Please don’t give any Tutor details

Yes, Initially in a pair and then individually.

(7). Anything else that you think has helped your child to Succeed?

SGS mock - only did one. Lots of puzzles (sudoku and the daily word puzzles in The Times). Huge amount of reading, I let her have free rein to download what she fancied on her kindle. We made the most of 'free' London (museums, exhibitions etc). Lots of board games as a family - scrabble, settlers of catan, bananagrams etc.

I think DD didn't do a lot of formal hours (tutor plus homework) but she did do a lot of hours doing stuff we'd normally do as a family anyway. For us that's probably the key - building in things as a family which are fun, have educational benefit and we'd do anyway. I also think music has helped DD - reading music and the experience of regular exams meant 11+ wasn't to be feared.

Hope that's useful to others but I think what's right for one child won't necessarily be right for others.
Post Reply