11 Plus Exams Forum

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and just trying to get to grips with preparation for the 11plus. I live in Stratford so we're possibly looking at KES or Alcester Grammar for my son in the future - depending on ability/results! He will be starting Year 4 in September.
I've had a look at some information online and also at the variety of practise books that are out there. Does anyone what would be best to use as prep for the Warwickshire test? I see that Bond do some nice little 10-minute books for 8-9 year olds. I would be looking at working with him on these to start with - don't want to put him off as it's still very early. But is Bond the best for this area? Or should I be looking at the CEM-style books? There seems to be so much out there I'm not sure where to start. Is the Warwickshire test multiple-choice? Are the CEM-style books better suited?
Help!!
Thank you!

Yes the warwickshire is multiple choice.

Personally I think year 4 is too early to start. At that age just reading lots with your son, and talking, stretching his vocabulary and taking fun opportunities to do maths that is enough.
The CEM is meant to be tutor proof and as such the bond are not the same as the test at all. Howeve, both my boys did the 10 minute tests and I feel and so do they that it put them in the right 'zone' for the more peculiar questions that are not curriculum related, like nets and odd ones out and letter sequences.
Mine also had a tutor, just half an hour per week, with ten mins homework each weekday. But we didn't start either of these until the start of year 5.
As regards the schools, both obviously are selective, KES is super selective because it is so much smaller so far more competitive for places. It tends to have a qualification Mark significantly higher than AGS, so this year for example, AGS took to a mark of 207 or so (I think, someone will correct) whereas KES didn't take less than 224 I think it was.

So in short, maybe consider leaving any official prep until year 5, and I feel Bond are useful for getting in the zone but don't expect them to be a definitive example of a past paper.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your help and advice! So it sounds like Bond Books won't hurt. And no, I'm not really planning on proper prep until year 5.

ellyjay wrote:Hello,
I'm new to the forum and just trying to get to grips with preparation for the 11plus. I live in Stratford so we're possibly looking at KES or Alcester Grammar for my son in the future - depending on ability/results! He will be starting Year 4 in September.
I've had a look at some information online and also at the variety of practise books that are out there. Does anyone what would be best to use as prep for the Warwickshire test? I see that Bond do some nice little 10-minute books for 8-9 year olds. I would be looking at working with him on these to start with - don't want to put him off as it's still very early. But is Bond the best for this area? Or should I be looking at the CEM-style books? There seems to be so much out there I'm not sure where to start. Is the Warwickshire test multiple-choice? Are the CEM-style books better suited?
Help!!
Thank you!

We started 11+ prep with our DD in the May of her Year 4. She had a tutor for Maths & English every other week at first and then during Year 5 it was every week.

We also found the Bond books were very helpful for both English & Maths & our DD worked her way through the series during Yr 4 & 5. We did subscribe to the Bond online tuition & tests but found them less effective.

In Year 5 she sat a mock 11+ exam which was very useful & gave us a rough idea of where she was with the preparation & it also gave her formal exam experience which she hadn't had before. If you pay a little extra, you can get a detailed exam report which helps focus on weak areas.

She did really well & starts in SGGS in September.

We started in Year 4 as we live in Worcestershire & felt her school was behind Warwickshire schools so earlier prep was needed.

Hope this helps & good luck.

I have never rated the Bond books. They work well with top end students. It seems that it is taken for granted that Bond books are an essential 11 plus rites of passage. I think they are more suitable to private school entrance exams than gs cem exams.

I prefer to choose separate books that cover different subject areas. Let's not forget the Internet and the plethora of materials available to us all.

All we did in year 4 was trying to get ds to read a variety of text but usually failed miserably as he hates reading although he enjoyed the wimpy kid and Tom gates books!
Also made sure times tables and general mental arithmetic was spot on.
The real work begins in year 5!