11+ Guide for Parents
A competitive and selective exam for allocating students to grammar schools, the 11+ exam is taken before students enter year 7 in secondary education. Below is our guide on how to manage the 11+ process and the associated challenges for you and your child.
First, create a shortlist of schools that you are interested in applying to for the 11+. These could be local schools or further afield depending on your criteria. The Good Schools Guide (accessible here) is an excellent metric for understanding the quality and suitability of each school. Once you have a shortlist of 5 schools, reading their most recent OFSTED report is a way to check how they have been assessed in previous years.
Second, you will need to understand the 11+ admissions process for each school. Each school will have an admissions page on its website outlining the process. If you have any questions or desire further information, contact the school’s registrar for answers. Ideally, you are looking to understand three things:
What does the school have to offer your child?
What are the key dates to organise the application around?
What are the entry requirements of the school and how can you prepare your child?
Third, you should attend an open day at the school to confirm if they are a suitable learning environment for your child. Come equipped with questions and ask as many as you can to work out if it is an appropriate school for your child. Asking your child their opinion is also extremely worthwhile as ensuring your child’s motivation and participation in the process will greatly strengthen the chances of admission. Below is a sample list of questions to research beforehand or ask at the open day that can be modified as appropriate to your child:
Is the school coed or single-sex?
Does the school have a religious affiliation?
Do year groups interact with each other? When?
What does the average school day look like?
What is the behaviour policy?
What is the special educational needs policy?
How secure is the site of the school?
Which afterschool clubs are available?
Does the school run school trips?
What is included in the term fees?
Is there a school bus or a communal transportation system?
Once you have confirmed your shortlist of schools to apply to, you must register with the school to commence an application. The 11+ registration deadline for the majority of schools in the UK will be the 27th June. However, this may vary by school and by region. Registration requires a non-refundable registration fee.
11+ exams for grammar schools will be taken in September of year 6 of primary school but this may change depending on the area and the school. For independent schools, 11+ exams usually take place in January or February of year 6 of primary school. Results for the 11+ exams are published in mid-October although the exact date will change according to the area of the UK.
To prepare for the 11+ assessments, your child will need to practise their ability in the areas below. Working in timed conditions to develop speed is essential for each of these – the content itself can be mastered by most students and they can learn to answer questions effectively – doing so quickly in timed exam conditions is more challenging. Ensure your child has the foundational knowledge first before moving on to completing past 11+ exam papers in timed conditions. Reading is essential preparation for both English and verbal reasoning to expand your child’s vocabulary.
English
o Reading regularly for pleasure is crucial to expanding your child’s vocabulary.
o Practising past papers specifically for comprehension and creative writing.
Maths
o Ensuring understanding of KS2 Maths topics in preparation for the exam.
o Practising past 11+ papers, prioritising topics that your child struggles with.
Verbal Reasoning
o Reading regularly for pleasure is crucial to expanding your child’s vocabulary.
o Practising past papers to familiarise your child with the question types.
Non-verbal Reasoning
o Practising past papers to familiarise your child with the question types.
o Practising pattern recognition and logic through games and puzzles.
Managing your own stress and, more vitally, your child’s stress is vital to ensure that the 11+ process goes smoothly and to give your child the best chance at success. We hope that this guide to 11+ applications will be of aid to you and your child. From all of us at Libra Education: never stop learning!