11 Plus Exams Forum

Why don't all schools prepare for the plus? I know two schools that openly have weekly lessons in vr, yet ours and the majority, it seems, don't. Also, does anyone know if schools publish their number of 11 plus successes? I have a friend moving who wants to choose a primary school which always has a "high" number of 11 plus passes? Where can I find out? My dd's school doesn't publish results. Anyone know?

I don't think a lot of teachers agree with selective schooling?

Who would pay for the teacher training throughout the land?

Ok, ok I am stupid! I would have thought some schools would want to publish their results ... If they had a "high" pass result. Can I find out a school's pass rate?

and I know, teachers are too busy ... But they do teach eleven plus work at some schools i know. I guess private schools don't bother.

I think the private schools do MUCH more towards entrance exams as most sit them. When we have asked questions at my children's school re the 11+ they just said they don't support the grammar system and the right child will get in if that is the right path for them.

I have no experience of the private school system. Excuse my ignorance. I went to private schools in another part of the country many years ago. Do dc sit an entrance exam at 7? 11? I thought entrance exams were like the 11 plus, vr,no vr ... So private school dc have an advantage to start with over state school dc? I still don't understand why some state schools openly have vr lessons for the 11 plus. My dd's school wanted nothing to do with it.

ginx wrote:I have no experience of the private school system. Excuse my ignorance. I went to private schools in another part of the country many years ago. Do dc sit an entrance exam at 7? 11? I thought entrance exams were like the 11 plus, vr,no vr ... So private school dc have an advantage to start with over state school dc? I still don't understand why some state schools openly have vr lessons for the 11 plus. My dd's school wanted nothing to do with it.

It depends on the school Ginx. Some have 7+ entry, 11+, 12+ etc...

But children in the independent sector (imo) are entering a system that gears towards examination. Take Warwick for example, they have Warwick Prep which takes boys and girls until 7. The vast majority of boys then sit for Warwick juniors and move across. The girls remain until 11. Then a large amount sit for Kings High and move there. Meaning the average parent of a reception age child probably plans for their child to move through the foundation schools. Which means sitting exams. Which means the schools need to prepare their children to pass, so more children want to join the school in future.

Totally different in state schools where selection is on locality in the main.

ginx wrote:Also, does anyone know if schools publish their number of 11 plus successes?

I don't know if all schools do - but some will publish their leaver destinations either in a newsletter or in their prospectus. You could probably ask admissions for the information about which schools the children who started at the grammars last year came from. If you don't get any joy you could try a freedom of information request asking the number from each school who took the test, and the number who got places and/or the list of secondary destinations for each primary. I can see similar requests here and here. Slightly different for Warwickshire as we don't have a fixed pass mark so you'd have to word it differently, and ask for 2011 exam/2012 entry data probably. But precedent is there for it being released by other authorities so I don't think it would be rejected. You can make a request through whatdotheyknow.com or direct to Warwickshire.

Okanagan wrote:If you don't get any joy you could try a freedom of information request asking the number from each school who took the test.

And I can tell you the answer, in the case of midlands LEAs which do not themselves run 11+ exams: "we do not have that information". Parents don't have to tell the school that they are entering children for 11+ exams, and even if they did, the school has no reason to record or collate that fact.

daveg wrote:

Okanagan wrote:If you don't get any joy you could try a freedom of information request asking the number from each school who took the test.

And I can tell you the answer, in the case of midlands LEAs which do not themselves run 11+ exams: "we do not have that information". Parents don't have to tell the school that they are entering children for 11+ exams, and even if they did, the school has no reason to record or collate that fact.

But Warwickshire would be able to tell you how many from each school took the test - even from schools outside of the county. Ask admissions, not the schools themselves.