The Eleven Plus is but Days Away!

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child works hard for a living,

But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay

Does the day of the week your child does his or her eleven plus have a bearing on results? We know that the month a child is born in has a bearing on standardised scores. On a given test standardised scores are worked out to try to take into account the age of a child.

Age 10.5 Standardised Score 120

Age 10.6 Standardised Score 119

Age 10.7 Standardised Score 119

Age 10.8 Standardised Score 117

Age 10.9 Standardised Score 116

But the day of the week?

Would a child born on a Thursday have a better chance of passing the eleven plus than one on a Wednesday? What happens if a child is born at 23.59 on a Wednesday? Does that child almost fall into the category of who will and will not pass?

There is not all that much most parents can do about the day their child is born. Would some parents favour a hard working eleven plus child to one that is fair of face?

Can parents demand that their obstetrician ensures a delivery of their child on a favourable eleven plus day? Think of the saving on papers, tutors, transport, courses, mock tests and the like!

“Please Doctor. I would like a hardworking, but nice looking child who will grow up to go far.”