Sutton grammar- worried and confused!?

Hev · Post by **Hev** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 10:33 pm

I wonder if anyone can offer any words of support or wisdom?! My son has decided really late in the day to apply to Sutton, and I am really panicking over everything. He is very cool about it all and not stressed and has started to work through all the books applicable, but after reading some of the postings on this site I am worried we have left it too late now. We have entered him into mock exam and am awaiting a reply for that, but do you think it is just too late?? I am not going down the tutor route as financially this is not possible for us, and I am happy to attempt to home-tutor, but is this really feasable at this late stage? He is a bright kid, top of his year etc... but I know this may not be enough alone to carry him through.

I am just pulling my hair out with worry!! Where should I start?

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:42 am

I don't know anything about Sutton, but with both my own children the only preparation I did was to give them a couple of test papers, to get the idea of the format and time restriction, and then go over the questions they had been stuck on or had got wrong and talking them through the method. I only started it about a month before the test. Both passed with flying colours. If you think he has the capability and he is keen , go for it!

hev · Post by **hev** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:01 pm

It's just so confusing!! I seem to have spent a small fortune on books and papers etc... It's good to know that your children passed without tutors and with little preparation as everyone seems really hung up on spending as much time as possible working. Obviously I want my son to pass but I want him to be able to do it on his own merit as then we will know that once he is in Grammar (If!) he is not going to struggle there. He is a bright boy and so far is doing great- although we are finding the Verbal reasoning a bit tough going.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:33 am

I think they definietely need practice in teh techniques and especially teh timing. Not so much as pushing them, but more like coaching.

My two found some of the verbal reasoning questions difficult and, at first, the algebra based questions, but once they found out how to approach them they were fine.

I hadn't found this site then but would have found some of teh advice about question types and test format really useful.

It's a bit like most skills, you may have an inate ability , but practice and
a bit of coaching will make an improvement. Like swimming lessons or tennis

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:51 am

hev wrote:It's just so confusing!! I seem to have spent a small fortune on books and papers etc... It's good to know that your children passed without tutors and with little preparation as everyone seems really hung up on spending as much time as possible working. Obviously I want my son to pass but I want him to be able to do it on his own merit as then we will know that once he is in Grammar (If!) he is not going to struggle there. He is a bright boy and so far is doing great- although we are finding the Verbal reasoning a bit tough going.

I think that it is very important to be aware of what is going on in your area regarding tutoring.
If all the kids are tutored, any unprepared bright kid will be at a disadvantage, and a tutored kid won't be a 'pushed' kid, just the norm.
Yoyo is from Kent, you are in Surrey, the situation may be very different.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:07 am

Very true Catherine!

Kent also has qrammar schools across teh board and the pass mark tends to be lower. Ofsted pointed out that our schools take children of a lower ability than many other grammar schools

Mine took their tests a while ago too, my daughter has just taken A levels.

Since then there has been a lot more tutoring going on and so to get equal footing people are doing more preparation. I am a tutor so i am quite cheerful!!

I thnk what I was trying to say was that tutoring/coaching/preparation is not cheating and makes sense. Also it is not too late for hev to start especially if her son is keen. I wouldn't advocate anyone just going at it blind these days.

hev · Post by **hev** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:01 pm

I agree with both of you. I know my son maybe at a slight disadvantage because of being 'home' tutored, but financialy we have no other option. If I could afford a tutor I would not hesitate- I certainly do not see it as cheating, it makes sense to have an experianced person helping them to understand the questions.

All I was trying to get across was that the whole situation is hard to understand and from my own personal experiance I have found the Grammar school itself not overly helpful. Being on school holidays means I am unable to speak to my son's primary school for guidance. Without this site I would be pulling my hair out with worry- whilst at the moment I am merely nibbling my nails!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:24 pm

Jenny Wren here, can't login as have forgot the password after a long absence.

Hev

My son is starting Sutton Grammar next week. Contact the school or check out there website and explain that you would like to sit the mock entrance test run by the PTA. I must add that this is not a mock test for entry to Sutton Grammar, but it is a good experience for them.
The entrance exam contains comprehension, essay, maths and verbal reasoning (VR) papers. We did tutor for VR and NVR as we were hoping for Tiffin but we didn't for the other papers simply because the school said that if they were working toward level 5s in their SATs then they should not find any surprises in the exam!!! The school was right, my son said there was nothing in the maths paper he had not done at primary school.

Good luck with exam.

jenny

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:56 pm

Hi Jenny

Many thanks for your reply. I have entered my son for the mock test already, on the 6th October, and we have done some work (mainly on VR and non VR) which once explained he seemed confident on. His maths his excellant, although I am concerned about his literacy skills.

What essay do they have to write? Is it on a general topic to asses their comprehension etc?

Heather

jenny wren · Post by **jenny wren** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:33 pm

Heather

sorry for the delay. The essay title was 'If you were Prime Minister for the day what law would you pass'
It is possible that you may get the beginning of a story that you have to complete.

Hope this helps

Jenny