Many parents are confused about the 11+ Examination process, and with good reason. There is plenty of jargon, unfamiliar tests, and some confusion about the exams legal status even. Is it a public exam? A private one? Why does my child take so many tests?
If you’re wondering about whether to send your child to grammar school or an independent school, then you may have already started hearing references to the ’11+ exam’, “Common Entrance”, “Grammar School Entrance Exam”, and even individual school entrance examinations.
What is it?
The 11+ is a selective entrance examination for secondary school, used by both state-funded grammar schools and many private schools to identify the most academically-able children.
The exam is taken towards the end of Year 5 or beginning of Year 6 of primary school.
There are two main exam boards for the 11+ exam: CEM (Durham University) and GL Assessment. Which exam board will be used usually depends on the location of your chosen grammar school. However, sometimes exam boards can vary between schools in the same area, so it’s important to check with your chosen grammar school what exam board they’re using as it will affect how you prepare your child. At Apsley, your Tutor will investigate this and provide support.
What does it test?
The content and structure of the 11+ exam varies between different areas of the country, but it will generally focus on a combination of the following four subjects:
- English
- Maths
- Verbal reasoning
- Non-verbal reasoning
Although the content of the English and Maths tests tend to follow the National Curriculum, verbal, and non-verbal reasoning are not subjects that are taught as part of the curriculum in state primary schools.
Does my child have to take the 11+?
No. The 11+ is not a compulsory test and it is completely up to you to decide if you want your child to apply to a grammar or private school. Children can enter a local non-selective school without taking the test. Your local council will advise on this.
How do I know if the 11+ is right for my child?
The 11+ is designed to identify the most academically-able children for entry to grammar and selective private schools.
If you’re unsure whether a selective school is right for your child, it’s worth considering the following questions:
Is your child gifted academically?
Are their school reports always well above average?
Are your child’s results above average in their SATs/CATs/PIEs/PIMs or whichever system your primary school uses?
Does your child’s teacher feel that passing the 11+ is achievable for your child?
Remember, with good preparation, at Apsley we believe all children can succeed in these examinations, and can achieve their potential with personalised support. As a parent, it is important you make a good choice for your child, and consider whether a selective school is the right place for them and your family.
How and when do we start preparing?
Ideally, this means that you’ll start developing your child’s subject knowledge and skills from at least Year 4 and introducing the development of some exam techniques, such as working under timed conditions, in Year 5 before the 11+ is taken in Year 6.
It is never too soon to start, provided you are working with an experienced tutor. There is a real issue with children suffering burn-out from too much misguided pressure at a young age.
Here are the three steps we use to creating a preparation plan for your child
- We find out your child’s strengths and weaknesses – to really prioritise and target your child’s revision effectively, this will help to identify which subjects you child struggles with and needs more practice on. To help with this, we offer a Placement Test, which can be set as a mock test to discover how strong your child is in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning.
- We create a revision schedule – the Placement Test results will help you work out which subjects your child needs to spend more time working on. We ask your child how much 11+ work they feel they can fit in each week in order to develop a realistic schedule that we will be able to stick to as a team.
- We schedule in exam practice – children will benefit from practice in developing the exam skills required to pass the 11+, so do make time for this in your revision schedule.
Although it can be important, the 11+ exam is not the only measure of academic success. We aim to develop Mastery of all areas of the curriculum so your child feels confident, rounded, and happy studying. We do not use so-called “hot Housing” high pressure Exam Techniques, and Rote Learning to push children through the process.
Sources
We recommend parents also refer to the Bond and CGP websites for more ideas on the 11+ exam, and to facilitate conversations we will have about any additional study materials that are right for your child. We supply all the study materials we feel they may need, some parents wish to augment our work.