A tale of two families

Family One

One November a few years ago I was contacted by some parents who had been following me on Facebook for a few months to ask about tutoring for their daughter for the next two years, to prepare her for a selection of independent school entrance tests.

Living as they did in south London they were quite aware of the strength of the competition she would be up against and recognised how important regular tutoring sessions would be for her as opposed to a more ad-hoc approach.

“Do you take any long breaks during school holidays?” they asked, worried their child would miss out on her final few weeks of preparation before eventual entrance tests.

“No,” I replied, “I’ll be here for you and her all through the school breaks.”

We then worked together over two years and their daughter secured entry to a selection of great independent and grammar schools, which included switching around the times for her 1-to-1 sessions to ensure we kept up the momentum when on holiday or suchlike,

They had realised the importance of keeping up their daughter’s preparation, especially in those final few weeks before her January tests.

Family Two

Contrast that conversation with the communication I received from another parent.

During the various emails that went to and fro they stressed that, yes, they did want me to begin 11+ tutoring their year 5 son as soon as possible, but his already full schedule meant there was only one particular hour in the week he would be free for his single session, because he already had sporting, music and various other immovable events in his life.

Not only was ‘his’ only free hour impractical for me as I already had a client at that time, but their son’s hectic life left no space free for the 4-5 hours of regular homework he would need to complete, to get him ready for those top-ranking independent schools his parents had set their hearts on.

Needless to say that client-tutor relationship withered on the vine and they went elsewhere for a more ‘accommodating’ tutor.

The Reality of 11+ Preparation

Many parents underestimate how much time their child might require each week to prepare successfully for their eleven-plus tests, often falling prey to “school gate gossip” from other parents about how easy it was for their children, “back in the day.”

Good eleven-plus preparation, however, is never a one-size-fits-all approach.

Take, for example, three children, all starting their journey around the same time of the year.

Child one might be aiming for a somewhat oversubscribed grammar school which requires them to prepare for three or four multiple-choice tests covering English, maths and verbal reasoning.

The second might be targeting either an independent school or a grammar school, but due to strong competition for places they may need to score higher in each of those tests than child one.

A third child, perhaps focusing purely on independent schools, might need to develop strong skills in answering online test questions, something the other two children may not need to prepare for.

Let’s now consider their skills.

One might have grown up in England and entered the UK school system in KS1. The second missed some schooling due to the lockdowns and the third, having only recently entered the UK needs to catch up in various areas whilst also moving forward with their test prep, too.

So it’s fair to say that each will have a different level of prior knowledge about the subjects in question, and that’s before we consider learning any vocabulary, spending some time reading and perhaps practising creative writing, too.

Mindful of the above I think you’ll agree all three children may require different amounts of free time each week to focus on their eleven-plus work.

Good 11+ prep means checking work and sometimes having to go back over questions more than once, either to improve technique or in some cases, to work through them again from first principles. All of that additional time needs to be allowed for in your child’s schedule.

The Role of Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” first appeared in James Howell’s Proverbs in 1659 and whilst all children indeed need some free time, we do have a rather important goal ahead with an immovable date by which time they need to be fully prepared.

If your child’s working at home on their 11+, perhaps with you or a tutor, rather than attending a group then a weekly team sport, a dance class or suchlike could be a pleasant change of scenery for them.

Some time spent free from work is going to help them relax and come back to their studies refreshed.

Parents should, however, be careful of ‘mission creep’ whereby those small-time events grow legs and run away with their schedule.

That once-a-week dance class can easily morph into preparing for a competition or being picked for a performance that requires additional practice sessions.

So I would recommend any parents thinking about grammar schools or independent schools for their children be selective as to what clubs or hobbies they let their child attend.

It’s easy to find your child’s schedule becomes over-run with sports, a fun club or two and perhaps some religious or cultural studies.

Even though each could be deemed equally important, if you’re not careful you’ll find your child’s eleven-plus homework is consigned to a rushed thirty minutes just before their next tutoring session.

That’s not a good way to prepare for their once-weekly tutoring session, whatever the format.

Whether you’re DIYing your child’s prep, having them attend a group or working with a 1-to-1 tutor, you WILL need to allow for more time in the week than just the time they spend ‘in’ their sessions.

The Balancing Act

Whilst I appreciate you want your child to have fun in years 3-6, as they continue along with their test preparation you might need to apply a firm hand to ensure other ‘stuff’ doesn’t get in the way.

One suggestion would be to block out specific times after school for 11+ study (please note; NOT just before they go to bed!)

Another suggestion would be to see if you can arrange some times when you can sit with your child, not to do their work for them but to reinforce the importance of what they’re doing.

Children mature at different rates so you might need to provide some guidance and support to ensure they allocate sufficient time to carry out their relevant 11+ studies.

Sometimes this can be best addressed by beginning earlier, in years three or four, so your child has already become accustomed to regular eleven-plus work by the time they go up into year five.

Recognizing the Critical Year

Not all schools set the same tests nor have the same amount of children vying for a place, which means there is no, one “correct” or “perfect” way to prepare YOUR child for THEIR eleven-plus tests.

There is, however, one point on which we should be able to agree; the time spent by your child on preparation in year five is key to achieving a good score in their actual tests at the start of year six.

Canny parents will therefore make sure their child’s schedule is as clear as possible in that year, cutting down on sports events, afterschool clubs, trips and the like.

This is important because if your child misses the mark and doesn’t secure a place in their year six tests it’s going to be very difficult, if not impossible to get into that specific school even if options for a retest exist.

Maybe you’ve heard that some schools do sometimes allow a later-year entry but there may be many children trying for just one or two places, so it’s going to be a lot easier for your child to secure a place when there are 150 seats available instead (in those pesky year six entrance tests).

We’ve seen many instances of children in year five finally getting to grips with the nuances of their test subjects and making significant improvements in their test scores, so I’m sure your child can apply themselves to do the same.

However well your child prepares in year five it’s important not to ignore the significant advantages children will have if they start their preparation in either year three or four.

This is because many children develop a quick understanding of the broad 11+ subject and we can then move forward at a good pace, enabling them to start on year five work up to twelve months earlier than their competition.

Making Informed Decisions

The families who make it to the end of their eleven-plus journey and secure the prize of a place at their target school are the ones who work together, all pulling in the same direction.

It’s important, therefore, that you all sit down and get clear on why you want this for your child, and what you’re going to do to help them. That might mean having the courage to say “No.” to some things now, so you can say “Yes.” to some amazing opportunities in the future.

Remember, there will be other families diligently preparing too, so you all need to fight this battle together.

Maybe there will need to be a little negotiating; reduced time for a particular sport or hobby perhaps, but only for a term or two, with the opportunity to do more next year when they’re free from the intensity of entrance test preparation.

If you’re unsure whether you’re trying too hard or not pushing enough there are many very good sources you can contact. There are Facebook groups and tutors to whom you can address your concerns and we’d be pleased to help act as a sounding board for your ideas, too.

Conclusion

Good eleven-plus preparation begins with recognising your child will need your help to manage their own schedule and without help from you, they won’t make it to the end of the journey.

Make sure you celebrate each achievement on that road, because there will be many, and it’s all too easy to focus so much on the prize ahead that your child’s motivation to continue will fade away.

Set goals and praise them for what they’re doing and you might find, by the time they enter year six, they’re ready to win big.