Confused.com-that's me!

[r22beta]

Hi everyone,
Still trying to get with all of this 11+ stuff. I've got a good friend who's an early retirement head of dept. Who has agreed to tutor my Son Thomas. I've got the Bond books, including the parents stress free guide. And I'm waiting for the CSSE stuff to arrive which I've ordered.
My son is 10 1/2, so I believe he'll have to sit the 11+ this Nov. But, he's only in year five (the eldest in his class).
The questions I have are; when do we apply to schools to which he'd like to go? Where does he go to sit the actual 11+? also, I see in lots of 'threads' references to 'ds' etc. Can anyone tell me what these abreviations mean, at the risk of sounding like an idiot!

Many Thanks
Dave

[First-timer]

In September of Y6 your primary school will issue a booklet detailing the application process for a school place. You apply separately for the 11+ exam (through the CSSE - they'll announce on their website when registration begins) but the chosen Grammar School (GS) should be included in your application to the local authority together with your back-up comp(s). The deadline will be made clear but is usually in October of Y6. Your Dear Child (DC) may sit the exam at one of the consortium schools with the proviso that Dear Sons (DS) sit at boys' schools and Dear Daughters (DD) at girls' schools.

[chad]

Hi
Some other abbreviations can be found here....

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/appeals/abbreviations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't worry .... I still look at some abbreviations and think .....What!!!

[mum23*]

hello confused! are you in Essex? Have a look at the section for your area. I always find our one good for local info especially because different areas have different tests - so here (Gloucestershire) it is only VR (verbal reasoning) but some areas do NVR maths and english. Yes your son will be the right age for the test. It is in Y6 but you need time to prepare before this Oct or Nov whenever your test takes place. That is why people on here are talking about their Y5 children (DCs). If your friend who will tutor hasn't done much 11+ prep before give him the link for this site for all the good tips especially for speed. Look at some of Patricia's posts. There are some good links for maths games on the maths thread - excellent for fun speedy maths. Ask people on the local thread for any useful info on the school/s you are trying for and previous tests etc

You can help by listening to your son read aloud and talking about vocab also ask him to try and find out the meaning of words - vocab can be the key to pass or fail sometimes I think. Play games, make sure tables and mental maths are good and keep encouraging. Go and visit the schools on open day/eve. Keep up some tutoring over the summer hols too. By Oct you will be an expert and not confused at all!!! Best of luck to you and your DS (and that's not Nintendo )

[moved]

For those of you who are new to the Essex 11+. I have put up all of the information that I have, perhaps some other "old hands" could add details that I have omitted.

The test is taken in one of the local high schools. You can choose which school, it does not have to be your first choice, within the limit of girls at Girls Schools and boys at Boys Schools.

Nervous children may be better at St.Bernards and St.Thomas More as fewer children take the exam there.

Format of the exam
40 minute English test (25% of the marks)
Very short break (while the papers are swapped - children remain seated)
35 minute maths test (25% of the marks)
Long break (15-20 mins - children leave their desks)
50 minute VR test, 80 multiple choice questions (50% of the marks)

The English and the maths papers are written by one of the teachers from the Essex High Schools. The VR paper is provided by GL Assessment. The two previous years' maths and English papers can be purchased from the consortium of selective schools in Essex (CSSE) http://www.csse.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Older papers are not available. A sample VR paper can also be purchased.

Suitable material for the English paper can be hard to obtain, many local tutors write their own papers in the appropriate format.

Maths needs the development of problem solving skills, Primary Maths Challenge style questions are helpful.

The English paper is a comprehension, usually from a 19th century text. There are 50 marks.
The paper usually has about 30 marks allocated to comprehension skills. These are often subtle and quite difficult. The format is tick box style, with some written answers.
10+ marks for word matching. Find the word in the text that means....
6-8 marks for punctuating a piece of direct speech.

The maths paper is tough, harder than the GL assessment papers. It begins with arithmetic on the first page, there are questions involving area, bar charts, angles, percentages, ratio, BIDMAS, algebra, etc. Often the questions are not straightforward and the final question has been of the standard expected for the Junior maths challenge (aimed at bright year 8 children).

The VR paper follows the format of most other counties, it is essential that children learn how to use the multiple choice format. This has only existed in Essex for a few years. This site has a great deal of information and resource lists.

Only Colchester Royal Grammar School has a 13+ entry system and they only have four places available.

[moved]

Boys can take the test at WHSB, SHSB, KEGS, CRGS or St.Thomas More.

May I suggest that you post your questions on the Essex forum. Then people with local knowledge will be able to help. The 11+ is very different from region to region.

[Bizziemum]

Hi Dave,
I sent you a couple of pm's (personal messages - see icon at top left corner of page just below the header) last week but I'm not sure if you've seen them? The only reason I did this was because of discussing particular tutors and actual locations which yourself or I might not want to be shown publicly. As mentioned in posts above, the school will issue the booklet and form from the council in September and this has to filled in and returned by end of October either via school or direct to Thurrock Council. In Thurrock you can also apply on-line but there is no advantage in doing this with regards to getting details of allocation on allocation day (usually around 1st March) - in some local authorities if you apply on-line you can find out at midnight what school has been allocated, in Thurrock we all have to wait for the letter which is sent out on 1st March. On the form we can put down six preferences. You put the school you want most as first preference, the next one second and so on. It doesn't matter which local authority they are in, Essex (King Edwards,Colchester), Southend (Westcliff, Southend) or Thurrock (Gable Hall, Hassenbrook, St Cleres etc), they all go on the same form. There is absolutely no point in putting them in any other order (as many post on this forum will testify to!) and every preference carries equal weight i.e. it makes no difference whether it is first or sixth on the form. It is always advisable to put your catchment school on the form in the genuine order of preference - in our case the form read 1st Kegs, 2nd Westcliff, 3rd Southend, 4th Gable Hall and 5th our catchment St Cleres (we didn't have a sixth as our catchment was 5th and guaranteed). You also have to register with the CSSE which I'm sure you're aware of. Our son sat the test at KEGS because it was the school we hoped to get, however, you can sit at any of the consortium boys schools, whatever is most convenient.

Another bit of info you find useful is that there is a coach (run by Amber Coaches) that runs through S-L-H and Corringham that goes to Westcliff and Southend High School. The bus goes via Stanford station(7:11am) Corringham Road, The Catcraker, Abbotts Drive, First Ave and the Shell Club and arrives at Westcliff at 8:15am and Southend High School at 8:20am. For KEGS, there is a school bus from Basildon Bus Station at 7:25am.

Please feel free to send me a personal message if you need any more local info. Good luck with all the prep!

[Moonlight]

When we applied for secondary school places, we were only able to put down up to four choices on our form. We were also told that we needed to put the grammar school of our choice as our first preference because, if DS did have a high enough score to gain a place and we hadn't put it down as a first choice, he would not be considered for that grammar school. The booklet we received from the LEA stated that applicants for CRGS must put that school down as a first choice to be eligible for a place. The year that my DS was offered a place there, I was told by the CSSE that thirty two boys had not been offered a place there because it was not their first choice even though their scores were high enough. Saying that though, I was also told by the CSSE that applicants who put KEGS first and then CRGS can secure a place at CRGS but it doesn't happen the other way round.

[Minesatea]

Schools must be put down in your real order of preferance as the highest preferance your son qualifies for will be given. Schools themselves are not aware of which preferance you have put them at and are not allowed to take this into account when offering places.

Saying that though, I was also told by the CSSE that applicants who put KEGS first and then CRGS can secure a place at CRGS but it doesn't happen the other way round.

The reason for this is that the last place awarded at KEGS is always( as far back as I remember) a higher score than the last place offered at CRGS. Therefore a DS who just misses out at KEGS will usually get a place at CRGS. However if you put CRGS as your first choice and KEGS second and DS doesn't get a high enough score for CRGS then he definately won't have qualified for KEGS.

Hope that makes sence.