Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private school

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

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hachi
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2021 4:12 pm

Re: Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private sc

Post by hachi »

I felt the need to post on this thread mainly because, if I had read this a year ago, I think I would have freaked out and possibly thought about giving up hope regarding 11+ preparation. DS passed SET and the Wilsons and Sutton exams and has accepted a place at one of the Sutton grammars. We weren’t very systematic in our approach (and I agree with OP that it would have been preferable to adopt a more systematic approach).

But to echo the observations of some of the previous posters:
- don’t blindly trust that a tutor will guarantee good results. We had a tutor for a few months in year 5. The benefit of it was that it was someone other than parents encouraging DS to do extra work, but ultimately we decided that it wasn’t worth the money and that we would be better off putting in some extra time at home.
- with DS, we would have got nowhere doing ANY preparation in year 4 (he would have refused) and even in year 5, we were just doing three or four ten minute tests in the CGP books per week. What we did start in the summer term of y5 (which happened to coincide with homeschool) was find out which areas he wouldn’t be taught at school until later but which would be covered in the 11+ exams in maths - eg algebra. We then got a textbook to help us re-learn it (!) and teach it to him.
- agree that first term of year 6 the focus is on practice papers. We found the materials recommended on this forum really helpful.
- Sutton mocks really helpful: DS did pretty badly - it was all about time management. He simply couldn’t finish both mock exams. So in the month before the real tests, we focussed on techniques on how to get through questions quickly. It’s an acquired skill, particularly with the multiple choice in the SET.
- finally, others have said this many a time but reading is so important for vocabulary. DS takes better to organic ways of learning - he wouldn’t have responded to flash cards but enjoyed reading more classic books (with what he calls old fashioned language) - this really helps with the creative writing tasks for the stage 2 exam.

I’m not suggesting that our way of doing things is the right way, or better than any other approach. The point I’m trying to make is that it worked for us and we got the result we wanted. I’m sure we could have improved scores and rankings by doing more work but DS would definitely have got fatigued if we had ramped up the work too much. For us the key thing was to keep DS happy and not stressed by it all, so it was important, even in the run-up to the exams, to carve out days when no homework was done.
NathanJ
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2020 6:10 pm

Re: Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private sc

Post by NathanJ »

Stroller wrote:
Schulte wrote:One word of caution, beware of paper / preparation fatigue. I know lots of children including my own who got into one of the Tiffin schools with a lot less preparation than what’s described here. If your child is naturally able, I’d say having a good tutor who can provide targeted support where it is needed is much more important than making the children do hundreds of papers.

When we ramped up practice papers with DD2 during the summer hols, there was no improvement at all and I suspect she got bored and complacent so you can definitely overdo it. Some children are of course more driven and diligent than others. What’s important I think is to build their confidence so they will not shy away from harder questions. And the Tiffin exams have some fiendishly hard questions.

DD1’s tutor also put a lot of emphasis on story writing in the last few months before the exam so don’t forget that writing is a huge part of exam stage 2. The more good books your children read, the easier they will find this.

Finally, the tutor also insisted that the girls needed proper breaks during the holidays and I couldn’t agree more. I know it’s easier said once you’re on the other side but do trust that your child will eventually end up at a school that is right for them. Good luck!
Good post, Schulte. I particularly agree with the parts I highlighted. For the record - and for balance - DD is at TGS and has never, ever had a tutor. Not on the way in. Not since. Apart from buying practice papers and the like, our only expenditure was on a single mock exam. It’s possible. DD is intelligent, interested in things (not just school) and grew up with plenty of books and educated parents who were able to support her in the 11+ preparation, using the information available in this forum.

I also know children who seemed to be equally clever (also “top table”, etc) and whose families were supportive, who were NOT offered a place. Many of them had tutors in whom their trust was misplaced. People seldom talk about all the time and money wasted on tutors, courses and mocks that did NOT help and may not even have been necessary.

Preparation definitely helps - and some families will pay others to do it - but please don’t feel that throwing loads of money at the problem is necessary (or even useful). Consider whether you would be able to pass the exam yourself. And definitely think hard about whether the tutor would be able to pass it: what is the tutor’s own educational standard? standard of writing? teaching experience?


I totally agree with Schulte and Stroller here.

Our DD only started prep work in the April before the exams for Maths and in January for English.

Fatigue and burn out are a serious consideration.

DD got a Academic Scholarship from WHS, which we turned down. They doubled it to entice her... we turned it down.

She also got SPGS & TGS (and came 21st out of the 900 who sat SET Stage 2 for Nonsuch & Wally Girls)

DD is actually more Sporty then Academic..... she just ramped up the Academia in the last few months and really enjoyed a sharp short burst.

Now she spends all her time playing Minecraft and Facetiming her friends.


If they have the ability then they will make the school you hope for them, if they don't then support them as much as you can academically BUT don't push them to be something they are not.

Sometimes the maturity to study comes as they get older.
vivicui
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:45 pm

Re: Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private sc

Post by vivicui »

dh28 wrote:Congratulations for the admissions to SGS for your DS! It is a fantastic school.
but honestly, if my child needed all that, I wouldn't have gone through with it.
Absolutely agree with this for our DS as well. The problem for us was that we did not have enough data: what level of preparation ends up getting a "safe" grammar or private school place? (we were aiming for private schools as well)

With hindsight and knowledge now, it is easy to see that DS would have achieved admission in a grammar school with half the preparation he did (albeit that would be on the edge), as his marks had stabilized within 3 months of starting practice and he was already scoring within top 2% of the mocks (e.g. SGSPTA mocks). That he ended up with real test scores placing him in ~ top 5 students in SET Stage 1 and 2 tests for Sutton was a revelation in itself: we would have been perfectly happy with an effort which placed him in top 400 students (for Wilsons). But how much effort is that (to be in top 400)? Now we know.

If people can have more examples of the effort levels vs the exact results (something that is not very transparent in the parent community I think, and made especially worse by Grammar schools not releasing ranks for passed students*), then parents can make a judgement based on their child's aspirations and aptitude.

*rightly so (as children's aptitude is fungible throughout their teenage years and a function of their parents, peers, and school amongst other things).
Hi dh26,

which physics mocks would you recommend? i saw some mock center from internet, but not sure about their quality.

also how often do you think children should go to take a full scale mock?

thank you.
Otter333
Posts: 102
Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 2:45 pm

Re: Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private sc

Post by Otter333 »

Thanks for taking the time to advise on how you approached this. It’s very helpful and informative… albeit overwhelming. The approach won’t be for everyone and won’t suit all children but that’s ok as well. It is useful to see how others have approached or nonetheless.
dh28
Posts: 46
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:01 pm

Re: Systematic preparation approach for Grammar / Private sc

Post by dh28 »

Last Minute Preparation

By this time, most of the children would be done with the coverage of their SET syllabus and would have started their practice papers. Here are some last minute tips for the last 8 weeks to go before the Sutton SETs:

Practice
- At the boundary of cutoff marks for Grammar schools, there are 100-150 students per each mark. So each mistake you can eliminate, and each mark you score, will move you closer to the admission to your preferred school.
- Try to attempt atleast 1 paper per day. Also do not let this attempt go waste: analyse where the mistakes were made, and most importantly: track these mistakes to ensure they are corrected and not repeated in the next attempt.
- Also attempt atleast 4-5 phsical mocks at a center of your choice (hopefully one arranged by the Grammar school themselves). Disregard the marks achieved in the mocks: but not the experience. Make sure that there are a few afternoon attempts as well.

Timing:
- Most children know how to answer all SET questions given enough time, and timing is single biggest factor which determines the difference between success and a less stellar result.
- If timing continues to be an issue at this point, then mirror the children as they do their test with a watch for a few practice tests and observe where they take more time than anticipated.
- A specific weak area? Practice some sample problems in that area for couple of days and reassess. One question taking more than 1-2 minutes and eating up time for other questions? Develop time awareness skills (see below). Comprehension reading taking too much time? Develop skimming techniques.

Basic/Silly mistakes:
- This is the second biggest factor which differentiates between a good outcome and not so good one: children make a silly mistake on the test and as soon as they are told the question is answered wrongly, they will know/derive the right answer without any further help.
- Examples include: reading the wording of the problem incorrectly, copying wrong numbers while working out, ticking option "A" when meant to tick option "B", etc.
- Track if these mistakes are of similar category and practice eliminating that category if possible.
- The main antidote to these mistakes is extreme awareness and mindfulness (see below).

Mindfulness:
- This is the main factor I attribute to DS' consistency in exams: by removing basic silly mistakes and ensuring good time management, you achieve your full potential in the test.
- Learn and practice on how to focus on breath and observing thoughts for smaller intervals (e.g. 5-10 minutes) every single day. During this time, practice observing body parts for any tension, especially shoulders, neck, jaws and stomach.
- Use this before each practice exam: focusing on breath and observe thoughts (without judgement): feeling nervous, worried, confident, neutral, etc? Also note that thoughts come and go.
- Another critical exercise in awareness is to take a mental note of time every 5 minutes during the exam. Try this in a practice test: child should raise their hand whenever they think 5 minutes have elapsed, for the whole duration of test. This will sharpen their time awareness skills.
- During the exam, try to make a mental snapshot of how you are feeling at regular intervals. Observe the impact of feeling on type of mistakes. Do you get tense shoulders, tight stomach in last 10 minutes and this derails your concentration? Do you feel over confident/relaxed at the start of the exam and make mistakes there?
- Over time, with these awareness skills, children will start being aware of their own mind/thoughts and start catching themselves before making basic mistakes. The goal is also to be very aware of the speed, concentration and engagement needed with the exam questions to finish them in time, and all children should be able to achieve this with consistent practice.

Perspective:
- Grammar schools are not the be all /end all in life: JeffB/ElonM/RichardB did not go to grammar schools and are still flying their own space rockets! (and on the other hand, I see plenty of Oxbridge graduates doing less than stellar jobs in below average teams in Investment Banks despite their education). Though we should give the best shot for these exams, life will provide plenty of other opportunities to shine.
- Do not forget to enjoy the summer vacation in the down time!
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