The 11+ entrance exam journey
- Mums Tips
- Schooling
- Published on Saturday, 26 November 2016 11:15
- Last Updated on 24 November 2016
- Lorrae Jaderberg
- 0 Comments
It’s wise to start planning early for your child’s move to senior school. Begin by finding out which local schools are available to your child, and consider how far you would consider commuting across London for the right school.
If you are considering selective state or independent schools, it’s essential to have your child academically assessed. This will allow you to find out if they could pass the 11+ (and whether they are likely to thrive in an academically selective senior school). Good assessment feedback should also include advice on which schools would be a good fit for your child’s ability and academic potential.
If you decide a selective school is right for your child, this is where the journey through the 11+ entrance exam begins!
We’ve put together our JK Educate Top Tips to help you and your child tackle the 11+ entrance exam journey with confidence!
11+ Top Tips:
- Have your child assessed to find out their academic potential, to help you decide whether a selective school is the right option for your child. Are they likely to succeed in applying and to then be happy at this type of school?
- Take advantage of expert school choice advice to help you make a shortlist of schools. Consider carefully how many different entrance exams you want your child to sit.
- Your child’s assessment feedback might indicate that your child would benefit from tuition to help them pass the 11+. In reality, your child needs to be taught both the 11+ curriculum and the exam techniques needed to optimise results. Standard primary school lessons will not provide adequate preparation for the 11+.
- Consider your options for tutoring support, all of which can dramatically boost a child’s knowledge and their confidence to face the exams:
- One-to-one tutoring from a reputable tutoring company offers the most bespoke learning option, tailored to your child’s strengths and weaknesses
- Tutor groups can offer a good alternative to one-to-one tutoring, with children enjoying the social element of group tutoring. JK Educate have been working in successful partnership with London primary schools for over nine years, delivering specialist 11+ after-school group tutoring in years 5 and 6 at the school itself.
- Holiday Workshops can complement ongoing 11+ tutoring with a focused and systematic approach to tackling the specific challenges of the exams.
- Practice makes perfect. Past papers, written under timed conditions, help prepare your child for exam conditions. Better still, supplement this practice with a mock exam written under authentic exam conditions, to take away the fear of the unknown.
- Many schools will also interview candidates and specific interview preparation can also take away some anxiety. A child reciting prepared answers will not impress a school, but it benefits children to practice answering likely question types and to get used to thinking on their feet and looking adults in the eye whilst speaking.
- Most importantly, remember to actively support your child through all the hard work involved in this journey. Always reassure them that you love them and value them, whatever the outcome of the 11+ exams!
Lorrae Jaderberg is joint founder and Managing Director of education consultancy JK Educate. Before founding JK Educate in 2010 Lorrae was a Lorrae was a dedicated teacher, Deputy Headteacher and Senco.
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