11 Plus Exams Forum

....since the start of this Year 6 term and the rounds of secondary school open evenings, class parents have become very secretive about what schools they are visiting and going to apply for - it's like we've all become rivals! Keep bumping into parents at open evenings and they act surprised that we would be at the same event. In the good old days (last year) we would have been offering each other lifts etc. I've tried to be as open as possible, mainly because this is the first (and last) time I will be doing this and am looking for as many opinions and as much advice as possible. I find this all rather sad.

I have experienced that too. Suddenly everyone is so sly and guarded. Majority of parents in our school will send their kids to the local "top" comp, we are, or as I thought are very few....the g.s hopefuls! But I keep bumping into most of yr 6 parents. Have they been lying about their disinterest in GS !!!!! .

gets like that at Uni open days too- amazing who you bump into!

I just think parents just don't want it becoming world news if Jack doesn't get into the grammar school. Its the same for Universities, the competition is intense and there are no guarantees. Things go round at rocket speed in the playground and for sanity's sack best thing is to stay quiet sometimes. After all its none of anyone else's business.

Yes Vasu, some lie they are not trying, and some lie they are not preparing. Some is because of Sherry's reasons, some is because the fact there are grammar schools and you can prepare for them is best kept quiet.

Oops I meant to say they think that the fact that there are grammar schools and that you can prepare for them is best kept quiet. I didn't mean it should be kept quiet!

Fortunately around here everyone does the 11plus, so there's no secrecy. The crazy thing is that everyone as to visit all the schools "just in case" so the open evenings re heaving with people who will never e eligible to go to the school, or conversely who won't consider other schools if thief DCs pass. It would be much easier if the open evenings were poet results and pre CAF completing, but the sequence goes: open evenings, 11 plus, CAF form, results. It would also save putting irrelevant schools on the CAF. Rant over now

scary mum wrote: or conversely who won't consider other schools if thief DCs pass.

Borstal perhaps ?

I found it really annoying doing the rounds for every type of school..just incase. Actually, I'd prefer waiting until the results were out.There are so many people I don't think you can always get a feel for the school and I found DS school a bit scary during the open evenings, but since taking him to the taster days, picking him up etc, it feels like a completely different place.

Darned apple thinking it knows better than I do about what I want to type!!! I agree Scarlett. I took DS to see a grammar school the other day and I have to say it was an absolute scrum - poor lad looked terrified. If half the people hadn't gone because they had had their results it would have been much calmer. You hope that taking them will inspire them, but I can't see how. I would much rather just visit the schools he is eligible for.

From the 'other side' (ie teachers) I find Open evenings really sad - you can just tell by talking to some of the pupils that they do not have a hope of qualifying for a GS ...