Questions

[Daogroupie]

Sounds like you have some options which is good, make sure you work on timings though. As others have pointed out, you are just a few months away from the exams and others have been preparing for years. Make sure you do the mock papers in the time that is allocated. The questions are not hard, it is just that there are a lot of them so the skill is speed which is what you will need to work on. It is not a sure thing that your ds will pass because there are only a set number of places and you dont know how bright the other applicants are. Some schools like Mill County have a 98 percent pass mark because there are so many applicants and so few places. So just because your ds is top of the tree in your school that may not be enough to place him in the ranking required to secure a place. We know an applicant who was County chess champion but did not get through to any of his five indies or two selectives. His family and school had complete misplaced confidence. In their world he was king but they did not think about all the othe applicants who were kings in their worlds and still did a lot of preparation. Best to do some mocks so you get some idea where you are compared to your age group. DG

[chim289]

Thanks, don't worry I wasn't going to just try and throw him in without any practice or training. I'm planning on going into his school after half term and chatting to the head to see if they can give him any help. Unfortunately I'm well aware that children in areas with grammars are going to have a heck of a lot of coaching from both schools and parents to get them well on the way to the marks they need.

The schools locally are bad, all well below national average for GCSE's. I don't take it all on OFSTED reports, but the I do look at the pass marks. The school he's at is apparently the worst junior school in the city and has had notice to improve for some time, but he's thriving there. I pulled him out of a school that was apparently great but were deliberately holding him back to try and get the others to catch up. Since being at the school he's at now he's come on leaps and bounds and has been level 5 since yr4. The massive advantage I find is that they treat G&T children almost as SEN, so they really get lots of extra help. That's one of the main reasons I don't want to move until after he finished yr6.

Also having been to an independent myself I don't want him to go to one. I went from a state middle school, gained a heavily assisted place and hated every second. I was picked on for being 'poor' and 'common', my dad was a postman and we couldn't afford a car or holiday, we lived in a normal little terraced house, while all the other children were being taken to school in Porsches and Mercs and going on holiday on their private yachts, living in their mansions on the seafront. I only stuck it for a year and 2 terms before moving to the local state secondary, only to be picked on for being 'posh'! I ended up hating school, refusing to work properly and came out with only 4 GCSEs.

I really don't want him going down the same track as me hence me being really keen on him sitting the 11+. If he doesn't pass, he doesn't pass and nothing is lost, we'd just have to make sure we select the right comp.

[turtleglos]

Unfortunately I'm well aware that children in areas with grammars are going to have a heck of a lot of coaching from both schools and parents to get them well on the way to the marks they need.

I can only speak from my experience in Gloucestershire and I would suggest that you start working with you dc now. Ds1 was at a state school in the area which along with the local authority viewpoint offers no support for the 11plus at all.Nor,to my knowledge do any of the other schools in the area.
Our grammars are all superselective and so passing the test isn't enough to get a place, you have to pass well. Ds1 was in top groups for everything in Primary but not at "the top" iyswim. He was not g&t at anything yet he is holding his own at Pate's (yr7). Some of those in his groups didn't get a qualifying score yet all were high level 5s for everything.
If you are considering a move to Glos, don't take anything for granted, you don't have to move here until after yr6 however you do have to pass well.

[Daogroupie]

"The massive advantage I find is that they treat G&T children almost as SEN, so they really get lots of extra help."

That is what is supposed to happen. The more able are supposed to get as much support as the less able but I have never seen this in operation. It is great to hear this happens in your school. You were right to move from a more highly regarded school to one that actually gives you the support you need. But as everyone says, start now. Go to WH Smiths, they have an entire eleven plus section with shelves of books. DG

[999 mum]

How many schools can you apply to?

In some areas you can apply to fewer than others. In London you can apply to six, so you could apply to several superselectives in different parts of the country.

[Daogroupie]

We know parents who have done this, applied for schools in different counties and then moved house close to the highest ranked one they got an offer for. We even know people who applied from other countries. DG