FB groups for 11+?

[mummycake]

There seems to be a recent explosion in 11+ FB groups. What are people’s thoughts on them? I find them useful with resources and I suspect they have had an impact on forums like this. These forums seem to be much quieter than 7 years ago… but I find a lot of self promotion on them too. Also tutors seemingly endorsing each other (if it’s a service they don’t provide).

[Apple15]

It's a complete minefield! I find it quite misleading to be honest - it must be a tutor's paradise, but it's so easy to fall into their traps, as people tend to self-promote or promote their friends, and it's hard to get an objective idea of who to choose (if looking for a tutor), or what advice is genuine and selfless.

I got sucked in to a couple of 11+ courses that in hindsight, weren't really very good or suitable for my child. At the end of the day, they're all just strangers really, and it's hard to get any tangible evidence of what someone is truly like, or their motivations.

On the other hand, it's quite helpful to have a place to get answers to eg difficult maths questions, where you don't quite know the answer yourself and need some help explaining it to a child. I've found that aspect useful on a couple of occasions.

There are also several Whatsapp and Telegram groups that are touted on there, though I haven't joined any - not sure what the purpose is of those, but thought that would probably make me more stressed out than I already am!

[2Socks]

I think this, like everything else, is a case of don't automatically trust some random person on the internet! Look for official sources and get real references from real people and multiple sources whenever possible. Even here there's a significant variation in some of the advice offered by users and we're all so keen to do the best for our children that we can be led in the wrong direction.
The vast majority of users here are trying to do the best for their children, but I am pretty certain there's a few users subtly trying to get business for their coach company or tutoring services. That's mitigated somewhat by the rules, so it's subtle but without those rules I think it would be a minefield.

[Moderators]

There seems to be a recent explosion in 11+ FB groups. What are people’s thoughts on them? I find them useful with resources and I suspect they have had an impact on forums like this. These forums seem to be much quieter than 7 years ago… but I find a lot of self promotion on them too. Also tutors seemingly endorsing each other (if it’s a service they don’t provide).

We do have concerns. It's why we do not allow this forum to be used for ...

• • 6(b). The promotion of - or requests to join - social media groups

The vast majority of users here are trying to do the best for their children, but I am pretty certain there's a few users subtly trying to get business for their coach company or tutoring services. That's mitigated somewhat by the rules, so it's subtle but without those rules I think it would be a minefield.

Thanks for posting this, 2socks. We do our best to keep this forum a 'safe' place (and are mindful of the subtler attempts to circumvent the rules).

We do urge everyone to report any apparent attempt to promote a business or service.
This applies not only to forum posts, but also to private messages recommending a tutor or some other service. (These messages are often written by the tutor or service provider, posing as an ordinary member/parent.)

It is easy to report a possible issue in confidence. Just click on the red exclamation mark that appears with every post and PM.
Note that the default complaint is "Offensive remarks". This can be changed to "Spam / suspected or blatant advertising" via the drop down list.