too late to prepare for 11+? Advice please

Eleven Plus (11+) in Essex

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colchestermummy
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:28 pm

too late to prepare for 11+? Advice please

Post by colchestermummy »

Hello everyone, i've just found this forum and am after some advice concerning my son, he is in yr6 and i want to apply for the grammar school in Colchester, i have put him in for the 11+ and have bought some books to help prepare him i.e the verbal reasoning, English and maths. I am new to the area as well as the to the whole secondary process and finding it somewhat confusing as well as stressful. I've read a few posts on here and noticed that some people have started prepping kids yrs ago which has horrified me ever so slightly (understatement of the year!)! I always took the approach that if he was clever enough he would get in on his own merit and i would just get him some books/tests to do at home a few months in advance to help him (last yr he was getting levels 4A and 5's in his sats)...i'm now thinking this was very naive of me and don't want him to go through the whole 11+ process if he has no chance of getting in. Do any of you know of kids that have got in with little prep?? Also what can i do to ensure the best preparation in such a short time. I would be greatful of any advice ...a worried colchester mummy!
essex-mum18
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:09 am

Post by essex-mum18 »

Hi, colchestermummy

Firstly, welcome to the forum. Please do not panic, indeed the 11+ exam can be a very stressful and confusing experience. I have known children who had little preparation and passed the 11+. You still have 2 months time for the exam preparation.

Of course, CRGS is a very popular GS and competition is fierce. However, if your child is bright and according to your post, you have done some papers in VR, maths and english already. I would suggest it is a good idea to do some past papers which can be bought from CSSE.

http://www.csse.org.uk/

Do the papers and work on those areas which your son finds most difficult. Timing under exam condition is also an important part of the process.

Also, you can find a lot of informations regarding 11+ in Essex from the above website

Good luck and best wishes from essex-mum18
colchestermummy
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:28 pm

Post by colchestermummy »

thank you for replying essex-mum 18, I didn't realise that CRGS was such a great school and the competition would be so great :( more fool me for not looking at the league tables sooner! I remember going through the 11+ process myself a few yrs back and it seemed so much easier then! am i right in saying that CRGS is also a super-selective i.e that it takes children on 11+ pass rate rather than how close we live? i wish i had found this forum sooner! i cant afford a tutor so will have to knuckle down with the home tutoring and hope for the best i guess!! have also just seen c.d's for sale on here so he can do them on the laptop which might grab his interest more so than trawling through book after book. And yes although he does well at school he is really struggling with the VR tests and can do some type of q's easily and others such as the number pattern ones he really struggles with any advice on how to help him? I can help him with most but to be honest there were a few on there that even i couldnt work out (even with the answer!) ??!
essex-mum18
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:09 am

Post by essex-mum18 »

[am i right in saying that CRGS is also a super-selective i.e that it takes children on 11+ pass rate rather than how close we live?

Yes, the 2 grammar schools in Chelmsford (i.e CCHS & KEGS) and 2 in Colchester (CCHS & CRGS) are super- selective schools in Essex. They take the highest scorers instead of those who live nearest.

A lot of parents in this site also home tutoring their DC for the 11+. The beauty of this forum is that posters always help each other by giving some valuable advices and informations. In the past or even now, I post some Maths questions that I cannot solve in the Maths section.

Although my son is in Yr8 in a Chelmsford GS, I still use this forum very often (As my son said, addiction to this forum).

You may find the following thread useful (contribution from another Essex mum) re home tutoring for 11+ in Essex

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... php?t=9898
colchestermummy
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:28 pm

Post by colchestermummy »

thanks! i have looked at that post previously and found it to be very helpful! I have also just printed off and ordered the test papers from last year from CSSE. I think i will be a nervous wreck by the time november comes :roll: never mind DS!
Chelmsford mum
Posts: 2113
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:16 pm

Post by Chelmsford mum »

Hi Colchestermummy,
You may have read posts by me about this on that other thread.We moved unexpectedly (sooner than we thought) and so i didn't even order a prep paper for my eldest until the autumn term had begun.(weeks before the test)We were fortunate and she got in comfortably to Chelmsford county high.
That said, now you have made the decision I would do all you can (within reason) because the numbers sitting the test were the highest last year they have ever been.
It's not too late.Do all you can and give it a go.Good luck.PM me if there are any specific questions. :D
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Post by moved »

Definitely not too late. I have had pupils beginning at this time. I would recommend hard work for the next 10 weeks, in my experience the schools are worth it. Something every night if possible. Little and often is better than one dreadful day at the weekend. Competition is fierce and the standard required is high. Concentrate on the VR it is 50% of the marks. I would suggest working through Bond 5th papers for English and maths as the material is mostly relevant. Don't worry about the second half of the English papers on the grammar section as this is not like our papers. Good luck.
colchestermummy
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 12:28 pm

Post by colchestermummy »

thanks for the replies, I am working with him every night going through the bond book on VR and the 10 min tests (in another book) he is struggling on some q's and flying through others so i guess we just need to work more on the ones he doesn't understand, it's very hard fitting it in every night (but we are..and he's determined too!) as i have a 14 minth old and a 7 week old baby...however i said to him if he can concentrate with those two he'll think it's a breeze on the day as it will be so quiet lol :wink: we also did a gl test on english last night (multiple choice) and he got loads wrong :shock: lots of silly silly mistakes his percentage was something like 50% just over so we have lots of work to do, i cant believe he is at a level 5 in school yet these tests seem so challenging for him, there seems to be a big difference in the 11+ and sats? anyway we will keep you updated and i pop on whenever i'm free this site is great! oh and i have also called in a tutor yet he can't start for 2 weeks, it is an hour and half on saturdays in a group thought it might help with confidence, exam tips (although i have given him plenty as i have just done 2 exams in may for my degree lol) i think he might pay more attention to a complete stranger however -odd child!
essex-mum18
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:09 am

Post by essex-mum18 »

colchestermummy wrote:thanks for the replies, I am working with him every night going through the bond book on VR and the 10 min tests (in another book) he is struggling on some q's and flying through others so i guess we just need to work more on the ones he doesn't understand, it's very hard fitting it in every night (but we are..and he's determined too!) as i have a 14 minth old and a 7 week old baby...however i said to him if he can concentrate with those two he'll think it's a breeze on the day as it will be so quiet lol :wink: we also did a gl test on english last night (multiple choice) and he got loads wrong :shock: lots of silly silly mistakes his percentage was something like 50% just over so we have lots of work to do, i cant believe he is at a level 5 in school yet these tests seem so challenging for him, there seems to be a big difference in the 11+ and sats? anyway we will keep you updated and i pop on whenever i'm free this site is great! oh and i have also called in a tutor yet he can't start for 2 weeks, it is an hour and half on saturdays in a group thought it might help with confidence, exam tips (although i have given him plenty as i have just done 2 exams in may for my degree lol) i think he might pay more attention to a complete stranger however -odd child!
Hi colchestermummy

Thanks for the update. Sats and 11+ exam,IMHO are quite different games. A child who is at level 5 in school does not necessary mean that he/ she can pass the 11+ exam. Some questions in the 11+ have not been covered in the national curriculum. Also, in Essex, the children will do the 11+ in late Nov which means that 2 months after being in year 6, they have to tackle some questions which probably have not been taught in school yet.
The English paper is always at a high standard in Essex 11+, pay particular attention to the punctuation section and aim to get as many marks as possible. I always asked my boy to read the text at least twice if all possible to understand the content.
With you son's determination and the help form you and the tutor, I am sure your son will give his best shot on the day.
Just post any time if need is required. Good luck.
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Post by moved »

I wouldn't recommend bond for VR. They are not multi choice nor do they cover the correct question types. Look in the VR guide on this site it will help. Not often on the site at the moment so feel free to pm if you need any advice.
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