Are you setting your child up to FAIL their 11+ test?
That’s right, helping them to FAIL, to do badly, to make a mockery of their preparation?
Many, very many parents are doing just that, right now.
Maybe you are too.
10 top tips to help grab defeat from the jaws of victory
Well, if you’re hell-bent on ensuring your child doesn’t do well in their eleven plus, the least I can do is tell you what I think you need to do in order to make failure a near-certainty.
And then, if for some reason you decide to have a change of heart and would prefer to help your child ace their tests, I’ll tell you what you SHOULD be doing instead.
Ten steps you need to take to help your child fail their 11+ test
1. Delay, delay, delay
‘They’ve got time. We can begin their tutoring later (next) year.
Yeah. Sure. September of their year 6 (think: Nov or Jan if you’re aiming for indie schools) is a few years away and your child’s only just gone up into their new year, so it’s ‘obviously’ best to let them settle in before thinking about their eleven plus.
After all, no other parents you know are talking about the 11+ and, well, there’s that friend’s party coming up, and then we’ve got a holiday planned during the next term break.
We don’t have the time to fit anything in. Let’s wait until they’re a little older.
Great game plan! Just don’t think about all of the parents of children at schools other than yours who are already helping their children to become accustomed to what the eleven-plus entails.
Or those parents who do send their children to your child’s school but who are keeping their tutoring quiet.
Just let your little’un have every evening free, it’s not like the clock’s ticking, is it?
2. Be a bookless family
Do your best to ensure your son or daughter doesn’t have access to good books and never has the time to read them.
It would help, too, if you never bother to check their spelling ability, or how often they are looking up new words, confirming definitions, and actually finding ways to USE those new words.
‘But they’ve never got enough time to read, and they prefer to watch TV or be on their game/phone, etc, instead.’
That’s a GREAT game plan, keep that up for a couple of years and then you will have set your child up quite fine’n’dandy for a nice, average score in their 11+.
Too bad being average won’t be enough when the scores are ranked.
And another one’s ready to fail their 11+ test.
3. Master multi-tasking
‘Everyone’ knows children find homework boring, so let’s make it more fun for them by letting them do it whilst watching their favourite programme, or whilst the rest of the household is in the same room, making noises and distracting them.
If you want a quick way to increase their chance of failing their tests, this is great.
It might also help if you have the TV blaring out in the background, vying for their attention, so they never get that much done if they actually do look at any homework.
4. Help fail their 11+ test by DIYing everything
‘There’s so much available for free on the internet these days. I bet I can prepare them for the eleven plus all by myself.’
Sure. That’s gonna do it for them, and I’ll save a few quid, too, as well.
So, just to check, bearing in mind your child will need to be around 6-12 months ahead of their peers all the way through their prep, you’ll be ok with supporting them across EVERY component of the syllabus will need to know?
That’s maths, which ‘everyone’ know’s it’s just a few rules to learn, English and creative writing, Verbal Reasoning ‘that’s just a few quizzes’, along with Non-Verbal Reasoning ‘them’s funny shapes, eh?’
And since there are tons of videos on the web, doing the above will be a piece of cake.
Ok.
No problemo.
But how will you know how best to explain to your child those fiddly nuances of rules of grammar and interpretations of meaning, along with those mathy things such as ratios, scale and algebra?
Never mind, everyone says 80% is good enough and with luck you’ll get them to that score… eventually.
5. No pens, no paper, no dictionary, no nothing
Children spend so much time at school writing things down that it’s only right to let them avoid any more of the same when they’re at home.
So any eleven-plus work they do can be limited to simply working through a few books or worksheets and ticking answers.
And for those who will need to pass an old school maths paper, tell them to do the workings out in their head and write down only the answer.
Think of the time that saves.
6. Ready. Fire. Aim
Ask in a few groups and then do what those people have suggested. Never mind the fact your child’s target school might set different papers from what those other family’s children might have had to test for.
Or that those parents might have, with the benefit of hindsight, misremembered how they actually went through the process themselves.
Just jump in and get going, without having a plan to arrive at the right place at the right time.
Why not get your child to complete a few ‘books’, second-hand ones, of course, and then progress as soon as possible to ‘actual exam papers.’
That’ll do it for your child. They’ll soon be ready to fail their 11+ test.
Keep me posted on that one.
7. Save money by having your child do everything with second-hand books
This is a really good idea.
We all know that the eleven plus has been around for quite a few years, so there’s a veritable feast of second-hand books, and papers on eBay (or free if you google them) so why bother spending a nickel or dime on their preparation?
Go ahead. Be my guest.
Best you ignore the fact that the test providers do have a tendency to think up new questions from time to time, or finesse existing questions so as to try to make them less tutorable (is that even a word?)
So you can guarantee your child’s going to be ready to ace any test from 2008, 2012, 2019 or even 2022, but what about 2023, 2024 or later?
But let’s not worry about that, after all, that’s years away, isn’t it?
8. Ignore the differences between different test types
In the final analysis (don’t you just love hackneyed phrases) all 11+ tests are equal, so whatever they do will be ‘ok,’ won’t it?
Maybe. Call me radical, however, but I’d say that if your child’s going to have to sit an open format paper, practising with just multiple-choice questions won’t cut it. This will help your child to fail their 11+.
And if they have to produce a strong and well-written piece of creative writing, not producing one on a regular basis shouldn’t harm their chances that much. Hopefully.
9. Times tables are too tedious
“My little Timmy / Ishmael / Ariana, etc get so bored doing their times tables, it seems so unfair to make them practise again and again.”
Yup. Let ’em live a little. Those pesky times tables don’t really help that much after all.
Well, only for multiplying, dividing, working out fractions, ratios, area, volume, rates of exchange, and a few other places.
Let alone the fact that having them with fast access in their grey matter will mean they’ll get through more maths questions both quicker and more accurately.
But why should that matter, since you’re going to be a bookless family (#2) who delays their prep (#1) so holding off from tables is ‘only fair,’ too?
10. Cram everything into one hour a week
This is the icing on the cake. Everyone knows children have such a busy life ‘these days’ and so they’ll only have an hour a week to prepare for their eleven plus.
Research suggests this is the best way to help your child fail their 11+.
That’s ok. So, if you’re aiming for a school with sets all five components (Maths, VR, NVR, English and Creative Writing) that’s fifteen minutes per week per subject, assuming you miss one every week (can’t make ’em work too hard, can we).
So that would give your child around 10.5 hours prep per subject per year (52/5 for those who like doing the maths) – that should get them a ranked score in their actual tests (where in the rankings, however, is another question entirely)
There is another way, so they don’t fail their 11+ test
For those of you who are still reading (and for that you have my greatest respect) there is another way.
I think we can all agree that each of the ten ‘approaches’ as above isn’t really the best way to do things, can be inverted, or switched around, so failure could just end up becoming a success.
You wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t a caring parent, and so the last thing you want to do is to help your child fail their 11+ test, but what do you do instead of the ten steps above?
Simply do the opposite and you’ll put yourself (and therefore your child) head and shoulders above their competition.
So here goes…
1. Begin today
Whether your child’s in year 3, 4, 5 (or 6!) there are things they can be doing, learning, or practising now that will help to improve their score in their actual eleven-plus tests.
For every parent or tutor who says “Let them live a little,” there are other families, quite possibly hoping their child will get into your target school, who have already commenced their child’s eleven-plus prep.
Little and often, as a methodology, allows for slippage, missed sessions, an illness here and there and still becoming ready in time for their big day.
2. Have them ready regularly and widely
There is never enough time for your child to sit and read, so your responsibility as their parents is to FIND that time and make it happen. The one big FREE tip I give all parents is to get their child reading, early in the years and regularly.
The only way to build a strong, workable and useable vocabulary is, wait for it, by reading good books.
Simple really, and is a wonderful way to help them not fail their 11+ test (message me if you’d like an age-adjusted reading list for your child).
3. Get focused on single-tasking
Multi-tasking is a myth and if you let your child believe it works then it’s going to mean they’ll fail their 11+ test.
Even though we ‘think’ we can multi-task, research shows it’s not true. We actually task switch and every switch costs time and focus.
So, if you want to help your children to do extremely well with their eleven-plus prep, help them by scheduling some study times when everyone in the house does whatever’s required to make the home a quiet study zone.
That could mean, turning down the tv, recording, rather than watching a programme when it’s being broadcast, or playing that computer game with headphones on.
Anything you can do to stop your child from being distracted during their ‘quiet time’ will pay dividends in the end.
4. Buy in whatever help you require
Unless you’ve recently taken a child through the most recent version of the eleven plus, for the school(s) you’re targeting, there will undoubtedly be key points of that specific school’s tests that you’re unaware of.
Maybe it’s a new question format, or an enhanced revision technique, one that will translate into your child scoring higher or finishing quicker. Those who are ready to help you should know exactly what to do to help your child so they don’t fail their 11+ test.
Or, in some instances, a totally different question format from what they’ve used for the previous ten years.
Don’t gamble with your child’s future schooling and possible GCSE or A-level results, buy in some help. That could be joining an online group, taking them along to a local class, finding a local tutor for 1-to-1 sessions, or seeking out an online tutor for one-to-one tutoring (shoot me an email if you’d like to discuss this with us).
Even if all you do is go online and buy some NEW books that reflect the latest versions of the tests your target schools will be set, that’s going to help your child tremendously.
Just don’t assume what happened previously will be what happens when they take their test in a few years’ time.
5. Have them work in a notebook and keep track of their papers
Whether your child will be sitting an online or a paper-based eleven plus, they will generate a lot of paperwork. Tests, notes, books and workings out. It all adds up.
Speaking from many hours of tutoring, the one big difference between organised, and disorganised families is whether they’re able to keep track of all of that bumf.
It’s no good for your child to be doing great work if they can’t find it when it’s time for it to be marked.
Purchase some ring binders, box files and A4 sleeves and help your child to collate their papers.
It’s going to help them when they have to set up camp on the dining table, for example, and then move when the rest of the family needs to sit down for a meal.
It all adds up to entrance exam success.
6. Plan the work and work the plan
Different grammar schools and independent schools set different entrance tests. Some require students to complete paper-based tests in all five areas; Maths, English, Creative Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and others don’t.
Some set tests which require written answers, some (mainly independent schools) set computer-based tests, and some set a combination of both.
Whilst a well-rounded preparation is important, it’s a waste of your child’s time to have them include in their study routine elements that won’t appear in their actual tests.
Even if you’re going to DIY your child’s prep, why not pay for an hour or two of 1-to-1 support with a tutor to have them talk you through a game plan to help your child?
You could always arrange to check in every few months to see how they’re getting on, with the possibility of some deep-dive top-up revision sessions, to ‘polish’ your child’s preparation, during the summer hols of their year 5.
7. Use the most current versions of any preparation documentation
Whilst some parts of the eleven plus don’t change that much over time, the maths and English components being two examples, test providers do introduce verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
They like wrong-footing candidates in the exam hall.
It’s important, therefore, that you check in with your target schools (or go online) every six-twelve months to ascertain whether any changes are being proposed.
Maybe they’re going to include, or exclude, a specific exam component, or they might be considering switching providers, or even swapping from paper-based to online.
Each of the above has happened in the last few years, and it could happen during your child’s preparation, too.
8. ‘Stay on target’
As anyone who’s a fan of Star Wars will know, this is a game-changer.
Different exam formats require different ways of preparation, so make sure your son or daughter is spending their time in the most effective way possible.
Keeping on focus, with a diary, calendar, planner or suchlike, will help to ensure they don’t fail their 11+ test.
eg, if your child’s going to sit an online test, don’t rely on using books just because you can purchase them cheaply second-hand on eBay. You should invest in your child’s future by subscribing to one of the many online preparation companies and letting your child become accustomed to the style and format of those online tests.
I tutor online 1-to-1 and I’d like to think I’m pretty good at helping my families, but I’d still recommend that, where necessary, they each subscribe to an online service to provide that ‘muscle memory’ style preparation that will help their child in the actual exam.
9. Build unshakeable times tables skills
I’m old-school in my tutoring and I advocate children should memorise their times tables. So whether they practise writing them out (yes) or chanting (yes) or singing whilst dancing around the room (yes, yes) they need to do it to bank that knowledge.
Whether your child’s in year 3, 4, 5 or 6 they should have some times tables work as part of their preparation routine, and even if ‘your’ 11+ doesn’t include a maths paper, surely you want them to be prepared for when they eventually go up into their new school’s year 7, don’t you?
Rather like how a Formula One race can be won, or lost, in the pit lane, time lost in trying to remember 7×6 or 13×12 or 23×25, will cost your child marks.
If you’d like a free copy of a randomised times tables sheet for your child’s 11+ preparation here’s one for you.
10. Set a timetable that provides enough time
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Well, you might not have 20 years to prepare your child for their eleven plus, but you do have at least 3-5 years to utilise.
Depending upon which school(s) you’re targetting your child will have to deal with
- more, or less competition, and/or
- more or less test papers
The answers to both of those questions can be ascertained well before you start them on their 11+ journey and they will each shape the frequency and depth of preparation required.
Rather like getting fit, short, frequent sessions are better than irregular long sessions.
The former acts to build, one upon the other, and will create a strong foundation for your child.
The latter will be rather like those houses made from sticks or straw by two of those little pigs, and the third one, oh they’re now in a nice, well-built school of their choosing.
A plan to not fail their 11+ test
So there you have it.
You’ve now got a ten-step plan to help your child FAIL their eleven plus.
You’ve also got a gameplan that whilst it won’t guarantee their successful endeavour (nothing can do that) it WILL help to keep them on track, in the right direction, at the right pace, so they’ll be as ready as possible by the time year 6 draws near.
I fundamentally believe that nearly every child is, in the theory of ‘passing’ an eleven-plus test, providing, of course, they commence their preparation early enough and are diligent in their subsequent preparation.
Every year many parents successfully home-prepare their children, others attend group tutoring and the rest work with 1-to-1 tutors.
All of those work, too.
Do what you need to do, in the right order, at the right time, and you’re on the way to helping your child not to fail their 11+.
What you need to do is to either follow the first ten suggestions, or the second set.
If you’d like some help with your child’s prep you can contact me here and we can discuss the plans you have for your child’s future.