Advice from Birmingham Please

Eleven Plus (11+) in Warwickshire

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
janelle
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:08 am

Advice from Birmingham Please

Post by janelle »

My son attends a small private school which has in the past done fairly well at gaining places to grammar schools. All preparation is done at school which has meant that parents have not had to pay for additional tutoring. The school uses Bond Papers for this purpose.

I have heard from friends with children in year 6 that their children felt very unprepared for the test this year and that the format of the tests came as a shock - not being anything like they had seen before. My questions: Should we be trying to find a tutor to supplement the work that the school is doing? Should the school be updating their methods? Are there any practice papers/workbooks that we could look at at home to assist?

Thank you for your help.

Janelle
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

Welcome to the forum Janelle!! It's good to have fresh blood on Warwickshire.

I would strongly suggest that you ask the school if they are going to change their methods of tutoring to accomodate the new testing system in Warks. From what I hear from KenR, FM and others; it is as a very different system now.

However, the new test is supposed to be tutor proof...so maybe every child will feel more unprepared than parents of children in Warks are used to.

I hope that this helps.
Bad Dad
Posts: 235
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:42 am
Location: South Warwickshire

Post by Bad Dad »

Hi Janelle,

If I were you, I would reserve judgement until the results come out in March. Just because the year 6 children from your school found the test harder than what they were used to doesn't mean they won't perform up to or above the standard of previous years. Children from other schools mostly found it hard as well.

I don't think there are any preparation materials specifically tailored to the CEM tests, but the impression I get is that schools (and even some tutors) tend to lag a bit behind when exams change format. As a parent, you can be more agile about adapting your preparation. It does sound like your school is a bit out-dated. If you are talking about the green Bond Verbal Reasoning books, people who hang around on this site will tell you they are not even the best preparation for the NFER test which was used in 2007, let alone CEM - for which they are even less use. They are ok for Moray House, but that format ended after 2006 in Warwickshire. At the very least, the school could have warned pupils to "expect the unexpected" and not get phased if the test was more difficult than what they were used to.

I'd be really interested to hear how pupils from your school get on, and whether there was any change (positive or negative) in the school's success rate. Please will you post again in March and let us know?
Ed's mum
Posts: 3310
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:47 am
Location: Warwickshire.

Post by Ed's mum »

Don't get rid of her that quickly Bad Dad!!
Maybe she will stay and join the gang...March is an awfully long time...
Bad Dad
Posts: 235
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:42 am
Location: South Warwickshire

Post by Bad Dad »

Ed's mum wrote:March is an awfully long time...
...and don't I know it!

Yes, please stay, Janelle.
fm

Post by fm »

Actually, the Bond maths books are quite good as a foundation for prep. although I wouldn't use them solely. Also the Bond English books have some demanding comprehensions and some good vocabulary to assimilate.
Even the Bond non-verbal can be used to teach a way of approaching non-verbal even if what turns up in the exam isn't the same.
Only going on my Birmingham experience but the children from our local independents usually have better English skills that state pupils on the whole (so will win a place at senior independents) and solid maths skills (although often rather ponderous mental techniques) but are not necessarily taught traditional verbal or non-verbal reasoning very well--and certainly no better than most parents could do it on a one-to-one basis.
Bad Dad
Posts: 235
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:42 am
Location: South Warwickshire

Post by Bad Dad »

Yes I found some of the other Bond material was helpful too - I especially liked the "10 minute" tests. But up until this year there was no maths or NVR at all in our Warwickshire 11 plus and no English other than an essay used only in borderline cases. It was 2 VR papers only. So I was assuming janelle's school only used the Bond Verbal Reasoning, which I found less useful. Is that right, janelle?
janelle
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:08 am

Post by janelle »

Thank you so much for your help. But I'm still confused!
No - they use all 4 bond papers. My son is quite good at VR and maths but is quite variable on the others.

I haven't found any 10 minute tests but will look for them now.

Thank you for welcoming me so enthusiastically.

janelle

xx
fm

Post by fm »

I would keep the 10 minute tests for later. They can be very useful in the summer for persuading a reluctant child to keep up their skills with a little work over the holidays.
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now