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A Parent's Guide to the 11-Plus

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A Parent's Guide to the 11-Plus A Parent’s Guide to the 11-plus (or “Your Child, the 11+ and You”) How your child can achieve success in the exam by preparing sensibly; with you engaging with the system and overcoming the obstacles, working with your child and helping your child to maintain a good life balance; yet upholding ideals of education and social justice and not having to spend lots of money! Third Edition By John Barber The cover is using a graphic, I rather liked, from the Internet; artwork was by my son and words and colour scheme by me. I wondered how my dubious, fictional “hero”, Homer Simpson, might have reacted if his son, Bart, had announced he wanted to take the 11+? Somehow, I can see a lot of Homer in me and a bit of Bart in my son 1 A Parent’s Guide … to the 11-plus by John Barber “I want to go to a good school and to do well in my studies; that’s why I want to pass the 11-plus. I know that I need to work hard; that’s what I’m going to do. I would say to any child who wants it too - to go for it!” Matthew Barber (aged 10) (on 02/03/09, he found his wish had been granted) “Amusing, instructive, elliptical …” A Grammar School Head - about this book “Knowledge is power.” Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) “Readers produce leaders; there are too few of them.” An African Pastor “If our mission is (rightly) to help our children realise their full potential, them going to grammar schools may or may not be part of the solution; but it will never be the whole solution!” Two “Wise” Old Men “I would say to all parents, especially the pushy types, that you mustn’t use the 11-plus as an excuse to live your life through your children.” An Observer “Preparation and practice are key elements for passing practically every exam ever taken - why should the 11-plus be any different? ... my gripe is that parents, who expect to be informed of important things about their children’s education, find that in the case of the 11-plus it often does not happen or happens too late … I would much rather my son grew up possessing good character and in modest circumstances than with wealth and good educational attainments.” The Author ISBN 978-0-9537306-2-9 First Edition: January 2009 Second Edition: August 2009 Third Edition: June 2010 Published by: John Barber, Southend, England Printed by: Accent Printing, Southend, England Copies obtainable from John Barber, 136 St. Luke’s Rd., Southend, SS2 4AG Telephone: 01702-616302, Email: [email protected] RRP £7.50 + £1.00 p&p The author will be happy to receive and respond to enquiries concerning this book. Copyright © John Barber 2009, 2010 - all rights reserved 2 Table of Contents A Parent’s Guide … ..................................................................................................2 Foreword....................................................................................................................4 Opening Salvo ...........................................................................................................4 Personal Note.............................................................................................................5 More Sound Bites......................................................................................................6 Approach ...................................................................................................................9 Warning .....................................................................................................................9 Preface to the First Edition......................................................................................10 Preface to the Second and Third Editions...............................................................10 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................11 Dedication................................................................................................................11 Terms and Acronyms ..............................................................................................12 Chapter 1: Making the Journey ...............................................................................13 Chapter 2: Exploding the Myths .............................................................................21 Chapter 3: Preparing the Child................................................................................31 Chapter 4: Releasing the Resources........................................................................41 Chapter 5: Choosing the School..............................................................................45 Chapter 6: Answering the Questions.......................................................................49 Chapter 7: Revisiting the Tin ..................................................................................55 Verbal Reasoning Types .........................................................................................57 Appealing ................................................................................................................59 Afterthoughts...........................................................................................................61 Sally’s Story ............................................................................................................65 A Teacher’s Perspective..........................................................................................66 Southend Context ....................................................................................................67 Other Perspectives...................................................................................................68 Philosophical Musings ............................................................................................68 One Year On............................................................................................................70 The Comprehensive Dream.....................................................................................72 Having to Prepare With Little Time Left................................................................75 Overview of the School Journey by Age ................................................................77 Useful Contacts .......................................................................................................78 Closing Salvo...........................................................................................................78 Quotations................................................................................................................79 Finally......................................................................................................................80 “My main three priorities … education, education, education ” Tony Blair (1953-) 3 Foreword We first heard from John Barber on our 11+ forum. After reading many of his posts, it was quite clear that he had thoroughly investigated what stood between his son and a place at grammar school. This book is the result of his investigations. I’m sure anybody preparing for the 11 plus exams would find it very useful. Simon Stanbridge (Owner of the Chuckra website) Opening Salvo The 1944 Education Act enabled all children in the UK, for the first time, (freely) either to attend grammar schools (if “academically able” and passing the 11+) - to prepare them to be professionals and leaders in the nation, or secondary modern (or technical) schools (if not so “academically able”) - to prepare them to be useful citizens and to enter a trade. How good this system was, how judicious were the distinctions made, to what extent changes made since then were for the better, what changes now need to be made, how schools and society ought to interact, what schools should do and how they should do it, the purpose of education and the effectiveness of different schools, all remain controversial questions that attract widely differing responses. This book is not especially about debate. Its purpose is to support parents preparing their children for the 11+, not by providing all the answers but by empowering them to do what they need to do. Yet these difficult questions provide the context for this book and can not be ignored. It is nigh impossible for any author to tread a strictly neutral path, and here is no exception, especially given the nature of the material, but I do try to be balanced. I don’t want be a “scare monger” or “trouble maker”, but I am beholden to present the pertinent facts, even if some pundits would rather I maintain the status quo. Thus equipped, parents can prepare their child as thoroughly as they feel fit. Every child deserves a decent education, yet there is little point preparing a child for the 11+ who will not respond to extra pressure or without the ability and attitude to profit from a grammar school education or whose needs are better served elsewhere. Moreover, you must decide how to guide your child, educationally and otherwise. My own list starts with good character and the associated virtues and includes normality and a well-rounded education. I will argue it is unwise and restrictive to focus just on passing exams (as some do) when there are great expanses of uncharted territory to explore and large fertile areas children’s educational feet ought to be setting forth upon and we need to help them to fulfil their life’s potential. This is a life-long process and one that will enormously enrich. The 11+ system tends to favour socially advantaged families but it should not deter
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