A Guide to Securing a place for your child a
Selective, Independent Senior School
What is the 11+?
The Eleven Plus is an examination used as a selection tool by independent schools when choosing entrants for Year Seven. It is often used in conjunction with an interview or an observed activity day at the school.
Where and When to Start Looking for a School.
The first thing you should aim to do as prospective parents is draw up a shortlist of schools. It is important to remember that every school is different and often a school you know by reputation can be very different to your expectations once you are through the door. Aim to visit as many schools as possible.
School visits are normally conduced on Open Days, the dates of which you can find on the school’s website or by telephoning the school office. You will often need to register prior to these visits. Open Days give you the opportunity to talk to the head teacher, the rest of the staff and also current pupils. You’ll be able to gain a feel for the environment of the school and look at some of the work the pupils are doing. Consider how what you see will suit your child’s temperament and abilities. Other things to bear in mind during these visits are:
- Whether or not the school promotes extra-curricular activities or sports events.
- What is the working environment of the classrooms like?
- Is children’s work cheerfully presented? Does it reflect the standard appropriate for the age of the pupils?
- Is there a fully equipped library?
- How much of a role does technology play in teaching and learning?
- What is the student to computer ratio?
- Are the building and grounds well maintained? Toilets and changing rooms should be clean and have everything in good working order.
Although Open Days are very useful, they can, at times, seem a little overwhelming because of the number of parents attending and the scope of activities taking place. Other ways of gaining insight into a school are:
- The school prospectus: it will tell you about the school’s expectations, as well as its aims and its mission statement.
- Other parents: speak to as many people as possible, even if that means waiting at the school gate!
- School league tables and Ofsted reports: These give a good measure of the school’s standard.
School Open Days for entry into Year 7 will take place between September and November. It is advisable to start looking for schools one full academic year in advance as many schools, especially in central London, have a very high demand.
Another way to visit a school is to try and arrange a personal tour during the school day. The advantage of this is that you get to see the workings of the school and the teachers in their day to day environment.
To make the most of your visit, whether on an Open Day or a personal tour, it is useful to draw up a list of questions and points to raise when talking to a member of staff or head teacher. Here are a few examples:
- Does the school have a particular philosophy or mission?
- How are pupils’ academic performances monitored?
- Does the school offer scholarships or bursaries for particular skills?
- What method is used to determine which class pupils are placed in?
- What is the school’s approach to pupil discipline and safety?
- How does the school keep parents informed of what is happening at school, and on their child’s progress?
- Does the school expect a high level of parental involvement? For example, monitoring homework or participating with the Parent Teacher Association.
- What guidance does the school provide for students to prepare them for making academic decisions, such as GCSE, A Level and University studies?
- Does the school have a work experience programme?
- How diverse is the student body?
- How does the school handle potential bullying issues?
- Is there a homework club?
- What after school activities are offered?
- What percentage of the students went to Oxbridge last year?
- What is the level of staff turnover?
Once you have completed your visits and decided that a school is right for your child it is time to apply for a place. It is always a good idea to check specific entry requirements with the Admissions Department or the school Registrar. You will be required to register your child and usually pay a non-refundable registration fee to cover administration costs. This does NOT secure a place for your child; it merely indicates that you wish your child to be considered for a place and invited to sit the entrance examination. Once your child’s registration is complete, the school will inform you of interview and/or examination dates. You will only be given a formal offer of a place once your child has been successful in whatever selection process has taken place.
What Form will the Examination Take?
The entrance examinations and activities vary slightly from school to school, so it is always worth checking with the Admission’s Department the exact format, but generally pupils will sit papers in:
Maths
Papers will be based on National Curriculum content (but often go beyond) and become gradually harder as the test progresses.
English (Comprehension and Timed Writing)
Reading comprehensions can be taken from prose, poetry and non-fictional sources. Pupils will be expected to be able to understand inferred meaning and write with accuracy. Timed Writing tasks often give the pupil choice of several titles and can require stories, descriptive pieces of writing, letters, diary entries or ‘What happens next?’ scenarios.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is language based problem solving. There are around fifty different types of questions which are commonly found in the Eleven Plus Exams, requiring verbal skills in being able to identify the right answer from a selection given, making or finding words, constructing words within sentences and sometimes mathematical calculations. A sound vocabulary base is essential for Verbal Reasoning.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning is the testing of a child’s ability to solve problems with a non-language based format, i.e. they will have to familiarise themselves with pictures, patterns, shapes and symbols. There are three main types of non-verbal questions in the Eleven Plus Exams: similarities, sequences and analogies.
Some schools will also require pupils to have an interview and/or partake in an observed activity day. Academic scholarship entrants usually sit the same entrance paper as the other pupils. Arrangements for Music and Sport scholarships will vary from school to school. Again, check with the Admissions Department.
As a general rule, pupils will need to achieve 80% and over to be offered a place.
How to prepare for the Eleven Plus Exam?
It is undeniable that the Eleven Plus Exam requires work at both school and home. In the first instance, regular completion of homework is essential. At school we familiarise children with Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning as they enter Key Stage Two, so they are familiar with what tasks to expect by the time they reach Year 6. Exam technique for Maths and English is introduced in Year 5. Practice papers form a key part of preparing pupils for the examination. We have many sample papers available at school. Some schools will make past papers available to download from their website, others will only provide an overview of expectations.
There are a wealth of companies and websites offering support and help with preparation for the Eleven Plus.
Limited sample papers are available for free on-line. www.11plus.co.uk is an excellent bank of free resources.
Others sites offer papers which may be purchased for a small fee (see the websites below). There are also sites which offer on-line practice, www.bofa11+.com, being highly recommended. The advantage of these types of site is that they provide a welcome break from the ‘pen and paper’ aspect of the exam and offer immediate marking and feedback. Some companies even run Eleven Plus workshops and weekends.
Interview practice will be provided at school, but you can help your child to prepare by encouraging them to read newspapers and keep abreast of current affairs. During interviews, pupils may be asked for their opinions on news stories, or recent books they have read. Presentation is key; pupils will be expected to be confident, articulate and especially polite! They may be interviewed at the same time as another candidate. If this is the case, pupils should be able to show that they can listen to others’ opinions and partake in group discussion.
Finally, another useful asset to take to interview is a portfolio of excellent work and achievements. At school we will gather a portfolio of suitable work from across the curriculum. If you feel that your child does any extra-curricular activities that should be included, please do pass on any relevant certificates, photos or letters so that they too can be added to your child’s portfolio.
Other Ways in which you can Help
It seems terribly obvious, but it is essential that throughout this process you try to alleviate your child’s anxiety. It is a stressful time for all concerned and sometimes insisting on spending Sunday afternoon ploughing through practice papers can do more harm than good. You know your child better than anyone; if you feel they have had enough for the day, find something fun to do instead!