Eleven Plus Recognition

Perhaps some of us have wondered about promotion at one time or another. Do I deserve to be promoted? Is there anyone in my team at work that could be promoted? How can my eleven plus child demonstrate that he or she needs to be promoted? In all this considerations there is the related struggle between do we promote on seniority or competence?


Management, or the family at home, have to set out that promotion, when possible, will be filled from within. “It is my eleven plus child, he or she needs to feel that the hard work and the effort that has been done up to now must be rewarded.”


But – there is always a `but’ – a capable employee needs to be able to leave if there are better opportunities elsewhere. In eleven plus terms it means that either mum or dad needs to recognise that they may not hold all the answers and that someone else in the family may be better qualified to help. No one would truthfully want their child to leave the family – but at times an outsider may provide a different type of solution.


In well run institutions – be it universities, schools, industry or commence – and especially in the public service – there are usually well established lines of promotion. Some children may welcome a written document setting out what is expected of them and what form or remuneration can be anticipated. The rewards do not need to monetary – but they do have to be achievable. There may be no need for lavish promises if a few meaningful words of praise will suffice.


In today’s world it does seem that various parties within `organisations’ may need to have some form of bargaining power. When the eleven plus comes around if may be worth considering if some eleven plus children could be handed some well researched bargaining tools. “If you do this I will do that,” would be a reasonably familiar refrain.


Some parents may consider that the approach of the eleven plus could be a moment in time when it could be apposite to promote their child from being a child to a student. Hopefully the promotion will come about because the child is demonstrated sustained and recognised competence rather that just arriving at ten years old.