Eleven Plus Publishers

By the time some parents have worked through eleven plus papers, and refreshed their memories of past glories, some may be tempted to enter the realms of publishing. There is obviously a relationship between publishers of eleven plus materials, parents and the candidates.

Publishing for the eleven plus is not a case of the `little people’ against the `experts’.  No one publisher has the ultimate responsibility or the trust or all parents. The eleven plus market shows a range of publishers of different sizes and shapes!

The internet has allowed teachers to demonstrate their expertise and produce materials that some children may find very useful. Eleven plus papers and exercises do not just appear – someone has to sit down and plan and prepare the content and the method of delivery.

The putative parent publisher has many roles to fill. On the education side the content of the eleven plus needs to be considered. Will the materials fit all types of assessment? Is the work aimed at all children in all examinations or a carefully selected target audience?

The act of publishing eleven plus materials can be exciting and rewarding. The aspiring mother or father will need, however, to act as the `Commissioning Editor’ and make decisions on content, design, distribution and financial control.

There may be a need for external help with artists, printers, the internet, web sites and general promotion.

Above all the final production of a commercial eleven plus exercise must have taken into account creativity, organisation and efficiency. This must be a bit like preparing a cook book. It is potentially dangerous to publish a selection of recipes without trying them out!