Ready for the Eleven Plus'

A topic that engages the interest of mothers and fathers alike is how to present your child `Ready for the Eleven Plus’.

This is a much more important time for parents than mere GCSE and `A’ Level results – after all with GCSE and `A’ level examinations your child can be given a second chance. If the grade isn’t high enough just help your child to do the examination again.

When a boxer goes into the ring for a title fight you know that the best possible preparation will have offered and accepted. A lot of hard work will have gone in from the trainer and the boxer.

When a child is accepted for a ballet scholarship you know that parents have had to put in many hours of sitting around waiting to pick a sweaty little body.

CHANGE
So many of you will now be deep into your long run up to the examinations. You have had to manage change. You are in a position where you could stand up in front of one hundred parents to give a talk on `How the Eleven Plus has Changed My Life.’

PERFORMANCE
I am sure that the talk would have been so successful that you would be invited back to follow up the talk the flowing week. This topic would be: `How You Develop High Performance’. This would be about how you have had to develop a team of professionals around your child.

HEALTH
Your doctor would be monitoring health and stress levels.

FINANCE
You bank manager would have helped you to sort out how to pay for fees for lessons and courses.

MANAGING YOUR SELF
This topic would be of great interest to all parents. The content would cover how you hold your tongue, how you keep calm – and how you make the world think that you are calm and focused.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
All parents will need refresher courses on how to manage and resolve conflict. Parents will also need reminding on how to negotiate for success>

This weekend you need to buy a large clock that has the ability to count down.

Set the clock up in a prominent position in the house. Key in the date of the first eleven plus examinations. Set the clock running. This will tell you how many hours there are left before the eleven plus examinations. After all you do really want to be as ready as possible.

The first time your child looks at you in a `funny way’ bring all the techniques of the `Power of Positive Eleven Plus’ thinking to bear. Smile sweetly. Count to ten. Start an eleven plus conversation with the words:


“In my day ……. .”