Eleven Plus Sharks

Some Eleven Plus children, and their parents, may need to be reminded, at times, about the need to remain vigilant when the post arrives with Eleven Plus results. Of course some families will be offered their results by email but others will need to rely on the post. Many will hope that the post man knocks early.

Some postmen may be aware of impending tension while the results are being delivered. Of course some postmen may need to feel a little apprehensive if they approach homes that contain dogs. There can be few postmen, however, who have been eaten by a shark.

One poor Togan islander was eaten alive while he was delivering the mail. It all happened on Tin Can Island. Tin Can Island is the most remote of the Tongan group and for many years operated a unique mail service. Letters, in sealed containers, were dropped by passing ships to the islanders. The postmen used to swim out about a mile to collect the letters. One day a postman was taken by a shark. Poor man. We will never know if there were any eleven plus results in the post or if the results ever reached their intended targets.

What we do know is that there was a cataclysmic change in the way that results were delivered. The postmen changed from swimming to canoes. The behaviour of the postmen was changed for ever.

To change an eleven plus child’s behaviour does not need to be as dramatic as dropping him or her into a tank of hungry sharks!

If your eleven plus child thinks that a change would be advantageous then it is likely that the change will take place with remarkably little discussion. (Thanks, all right.”

If your child is actively engaged in developing the behaviour change then the change may have a longer lasting impact than a change brought about by passive acceptance.

If your child can look beyond working on eleven plus papers then changes may have a more profound legacy.

If your child can see any point at all in self discipline then change could be a catalyst for reform.

Finally, a child who can paddle his or her own canoe is likely to receive pleasing eleven plus results!