Eleven Plus Blame

Parents find it easy to accept their child failing the Eleven Plus examination if it is the marks in Mathematics and English that are not high enough. It is possible to blame the school, the national Curriculum, lack of preparation, poor teaching, lack of direction from the Eleven Plus tutor - in fact almost any thing.

The term `intelligence tests', that used to be part of the Eleven Plus examinations, has been replaced with words like: `Verbal Reasoning' and `Non Verbal Reasoning'. Reasoning is, however, one type of investigation of ability.

It is much easier for a parent to be able to rationalise failure if the examination has teachable elements. Parents, naturally, don't like to be told that their child does not have the ability for a grammar school education.

Eleven Plus Day Dreams

Every time we see the high jump at the Olympic or World games we see a tall long legged athlete perform a form of visualisation.

The legs twitch. The body curves. The athlete starts talking aloud.

Suddenly the arms are raised over the head, the hands are clapped and the athlete bursts into a whirl of action.
The athlete has built a mental picture of a task executed and completed with the desired successful outcome. (He or she jumped over the bar!)
If the high jumper fails then there is a small rueful smile, a slight wave to the watching faithful, followed by a brisk walk back to the tracksuit.

We know that some children day dream – and this comes out in stories over and over again.

Applause for a daring or brilliant performance.

Saving someone, through a rescue or a brave act.

Living happily ever after.

It looks as if we need to add variations of around a fourth type of day dream:

The Child’s Eleven Plus Day Dream

This is where the Eleven Plus child learns to visualise the examination room, builds a picture of reading the instructions carefully, answers a raft of questions correctly, passes the examination and earns the undying love and gratitude of the parents.

The Day Dream of Eleven Plus Parents

A child runs out of school, throws arms around the parent, sobs: “Thank you for everything you have done. Now that I have passed my Eleven Plus I promise that I will love you for ever, never argue with you again, tidy my room and only text my friends on weekends - after I have done my homework.”

If parents see their child staring into space – apparently day dreaming and doing nothing at all – it may be that they are simply trying, like the high jumper mentioned earlier, to visualise success.

If you suddenly see your child dashing over to the nearest rose bush and begin sniffing loudly, you may be simply seeing the seeds of a deeper investigation into the: “Sweet smell of success.”

Eleven Plus Pressure

Before 1900 Normal Triplett, who was an experimental psychologist, tested how children were stimulated by competition.

He had them compete by winding reels that moved a flag towards a goal.

20 out of 40 worked faster when competing.

10 out of 40 did worse in competition.

10 out of 40 did about the same.

We don’t know if the ratio would still be true if we told our Eleven Plus children that they are entering a competition for places in a grammar school.

Presumably a number of Eleven Plus children would rise to the challenge.

Equally there may be some who would abhor the idea that they were entering into a competition with other children.

Parents are obviously aware that their children are entering a competition – but what percentage put their children under pressure as the examinations approach?

Eleven Plus Latin and Greek

There used to be many more grammar schools some years ago.

A Royal Commission in 1819 looked at why Latin and Greek were the preferred languages of the grammar school. The commission did a long term study over twenty years.

Think of the impact on Eleven Plus preparation if Eleven Plus children were expected to have more than a smattering of Latin and Greek in the entrance tests.

This would return tutoring for the Eleven Plus to a select few.

“My son has his Eleven Plus examinations in October of 2009. I have a number of questions, please, that I would like answered:

Do you do mathematics and verbal reasoning together in the same lesson – or do I have to have more than one tutor?

Is your Latin and Greek tutor able to communicate a love of learning as well as impart the basic elements of grammar?”

An Act of Parliament in 1840 allowed governors and trustees of grammar schools to be able to apply discretion in the matter of compulsory Latin and Greek.

It would probably take more than an Act of Parliament in today’s world to secure Latin and Greek as part of the selection process.

Eleven Plus Questions

The Hadlow report into `The Primary School’ in 1931 said:

“the curriculum is to be thought of in terms of activity and experience rather than knowledge to be acquired and facts to be stored”.

What a pity that the early proponents of the Eleven Plus chose to ignore this approach to education – and set about creating vast batteries of tests.

Just think of how some of the very brightest children in the country would react if their parents, teachers and tutors all worked on trying to develop activity and experience.

Some Eleven Plus questions rely very heavily on acquired knowledge and facts.

Eleven Plus Teaching Methods

Teachers and parents, working with Eleven Plus children, use a variety of teaching methods.

As well as monitoring the intellectual side, they have to take into account the physical and emotional side or learning.

Sometimes, for example, it may be deemed to be necessary to use a straightforward drill. A fact needs to be learnt. This is how you learn it. Now learn it. The problem is that the dullness of constant repetition tends to destroy interest. Teachers and parents will therefore use a variety of methods to try to help their child learn new facts.

It is very difficult, however, to be able to describe a single method that could be used to inculcate values or attitudes towards Eleven Plus work.

The school, for example, could have a positive attitude towards the Eleven Plus. A different school would be less enthusiastic. One Year 6 teacher could work hard with the class to prepare as many children as possible for the examination – while another teacher in the same school could, perfectly rightly, disagree with the whole idea of selective education. After all personal choice is at the heart of education.

Within a family there could be different attitudes towards the Eleven Plus. One parent could be highly focused – while another could murmur: “What will be, will be.”

An older brother or sister, or close relation, could have had a positive Eleven Plus outcome – while another could regard any discussion on the Eleven Plus as heresy. (Punishable by ostracism!)

All the new teaching aids exposed by the internet could lead to the assumption that new methods of teaching are being developed. In reality, among the most valuable methods of teaching Eleven Plus children, are probably those of warmth, interest and subject expertise.

Eleven Plus Spelling

We need to spare a thought for the first spelling reformer – a monk called `Orm’.

Orm lived about 1200 AD. He tried to introduce a reform to spelling.

It would not help the writers of Eleven Plus Verbal Reasoning papers if spellings had not been reformed and free for all still existed.

In spite of a wide variety of reformers, spelling remained an essential element of the curriculum until the Education Act of 1870. It was then thought that spelling took up too much time in the curriculum.

If a spelling free for all existed it is unlikely that writers of Eleven Plus Verbal Reasoning papers would be able to get away with:

“Write down the two letters which occur in each word in each of the following lines.

Secret, plaster, storage, terrace, turnip.”

We know that the English language has some 40 sounds – and around 2 000 ways of writing the sounds.

Just think of the combinations that bright Eleven Plus children could invent if they were not tied down by conventions and rules.

Eleven Plus Free Writing

Many children will enter grammar school today thanks to Miss Dora Pym. Miss Pym was a lecturer in the Department of Education at Bristol University. She found that giving students an essay title caused the students to become inhibited in their writing.

She presented her students with a collection of objects – for example a carrot, an ebony elephant and a safety pin – and then asked them to write. The students touched the elephant, smelt the carrot and, presumably, pricked themselves with the safety pin. The ideas then flowed in a different manner to the ideas that came from a given title.

Eleven Plus children would need to be offered the tools of the trade –awareness of the need for careful planning, paragraphs, punctuation, spelling and neat presentation.

This method of stimulating ideas was used as part of the Eleven Plus test in Wiltshire between the years 1947 and 1951.

I bet some of the children who had to write on the topics offered in the recent Kent Eleven Plus tests wished that whoever set the examination had heard of Mrs Dora Pym.

Eleven Plus Stress

Parents of Eleven Plus children, almost by definition, want high quality education. The parents will hope that the schools are making sure that their children will have a well balanced education. A high quality education, and a well balanced education, is one where parents hope that there are no gaps in key areas, and also an education where their children are stimulated and involved.

Most parents are reasonably confident that they can provide a quality education outside of school for their Eleven Plus children. This does not necessary mean that there is a need to engage a top quality tutor – quality education can simply be an environment where a child feels secure and accepted.

The Eleven Plus examinations are a challenge for the whole family. After all the Eleven Plus examination is essentially looking at aspects of cognitive development. The intellectual skills of children are measured. Contrasts between boys and girls can be highlighted – not only in sex roles but in the ability and desire to assimilate information.

Relationships between mothers and fathers may alter as the examination grows close. For parents to be effective in their `Guidance Role’ they also need to be very aware of the changes that will take place in their children during the Eleven Plus year. Some families will find the whole experience stressful – while others will take it all in their stride.

Passing the Eleven Plus

The challenge of the Eleven Plus examination starts in many different ways. Some children learn about the Eleven Plus through their friends at school. Others will know about the examination from older siblings. Some children will have been offered the: “Eleven Plus Talk.”

Children will be shown eleven plus materials in a variety of ways. First glimpses may be offered as the family walk purposely past Eleven Plus papers in local book shops. Other children will be handed down books and papers from friends, relations and friends of friends. (“If they were good enough for your sister, they will be good enough for you.” Sometimes an unsuspecting child will see a pile of books placed prominently on the table. (“Aren’t you lucky dear? Just look at all those lovely books. We are going to have fun.”)

There could be preliminary visits to tutors who have previously worked with family and friends. (“I know you will just love Mrs. H. Your sister thought she was wonderful.”) Some families will be looking for a new tutor or a fresh start. Other children will start with an assessment and then lessons.

“Why not try this little test on the computer? It does not matter if you make any mistakes. We are just going to try it out.”

“Mum, you know I hate the computer. I don’t like having to do all the working out in my head. You know I like to write my tables down when I am doing multiplication and division.”

“Oh mum, these C.D.s are fantastic. They are so helpful. I like the way they tell me if where I am going wrong.”

Some children will ease into regular lessons gracefully and thankfully. There will always be a few who resist any advice and help. There will be some children entering lessons smiling, happy and confident. There have also been the children who will walk in with downcast eyes, and never seem to attempt to engage the tutor. (Often these are the children who fail to say thank you.)

Some families will prefer to work at home on their own with their children. There will be some adults and children who will be privileged enough to be able to share the journey. These families will experience many ups and downs – but it will be a personal experience.

Naturally there will be some factors that parents feel they have no control over. Some children will be ready to become involved in regular study. Other children may be very able – but emerge with no desire to be competitive. There will also be the also be the children who will need to work very hard and will be prepared to do that `little bit extra”.

Finally there are the parents who will be talking in the play ground:

“Last year twenty nine children out of sixty in our school passed the Eleven Plus.”

“We managed five passes in the whole of our school. I am not sure if it is going to be any better this year.”

“What do you mean that your child goes to two different tutors? Why do you think that is really necessary?”

“Oh well, we will just do the best we can. After a pass is a pass.”

Eleven Plus Luck

A mother and daughter came to see us today.

The girl is at grammar school in Year 10.

“My daughter has come to see you to see if she can have a job with you.”

“Good morning. Please take a seat. My name is Shaun Drury.”

“Yes, you tested my daughter some years ago and said that she should be able to pass her Eleven Plus with out the benefit of extra lessons.”

“And how did go?”

“I am enjoying grammar school now. There is lots of work but the school is very good to us.”

“What will you be studying during `A’ levels?”

“Mainly the sciences. I am starting to do some `A’ level subjects all ready. How do I get a job here?”

“It is done through a covering letter and a C.V. The application is a formal process. We have Investors in People status. You will be contacted as soon as we have a vacancy. We then send you an on line Induction Park. The pack covers details of the post and information about how and when you will be trained.

You will then be invited to join our on line staff room where you will meet the other members of staff in all our centres. Your training will be given by your teacher in charge – and through our on line training suite.”

With this background we will soon have a valuable member of our team. We have a family that trusted us when we said that the work the family doing at home was enough – and that extra lessons were not needed. This is a major benefit of doing standardised tests with children before any lessons are offered.

The parents saved hundred of pounds of extra lessons fees.

The daughter was told that she was bright enough to be able to pass if she kept working hard at school and at home.

We will have the opportunity of working with an extremely bright young woman – who, if we can capture her imagination, will be a bright and loyal member of the team. We feel sure she will pass her enthusiasm and dedication on to the children she works with. What a role model for our young Eleven Plus candidates.

Does this sound like a lucky organisation?

You are not granted luck at the Eleven Plus stage – you earn it.

Comparing Eleven Plus Children.

Many Eleven Plus parents want to know how their child compares with other children.

It should be able to offer parents information about their children based on marks their child has achieved on tests. We could then discuss a child based on performance versus ability.

A normal and happy child should have normal and happy parents.

Eleven Plus Parents

Parents approach the Eleven Plus examinations in a variety of ways. This discussion, therefore, needs to be more theoretical than an attempt to place parents into categories.

The Rule Follower

This is the Eleven Plus mother who thinks that she has to follow rules to help her child.

She wants the best books, the best tutor, the best information and the best possible chance for her child.

She thinks that if she surrounds herself with expert advice from other parents, a wide range of websites and every possible source of information, then her child will have a better chance.

The Loving and Accepting Parent

These are the parents who believe that their child can do no wrong.

They do the best they can.

Other parents may think they are quite soft.

Parents who understand the system

These could be second timers. They are both informed and laid back.

They have been there before. They are confident of their child’s ability.

Parents who understand how their behaviour affects their children

There are mums and dads who understand that if they are too intense they may place pressure on their children.

They understand that if they never read then they can not expect their children to read.

They know if they speak about school, the teachers and the tutors in uncomplimentary terms it is possible that their children who react accordingly.

At different times parents will feel the need to follow rules, at other times the same parents will be accepting and understanding. They will also realise that they can not run the institution down before their children. The different roles will merge and flow during the course of week in the life of an Eleven Plus child.

What can the Eleven Plus predict?

We assume that because children have passed their Eleven Plus and have `Gone to Grammar’, that they will do well academically. There are, however, bright children who pass the examination, win a place in a grammar school, and then do not enjoy the nature of the school.

There also must be some unspoken assumption, from parents and teachers, that just because a child has attended a grammar school, that he or she will move on to a successful career. One measure of success could be the big house or the big car. A different measure could be job happiness.

There is a pretty general idea that strength on verbal reasoning papers can be used to try to predict strong general ability. If this is true, then a good mark on a verbal reasoning paper could be likely to result in a good `A’ Level pass in key subjects.

It would be interesting to find out just how good the Eleven Plus examination is at predicting future occupational success. Different types of tests look to measure different skills. Different jobs use different abilities. Some kinds of tests may turn out to be better predictors of ability.

Is a boy who goes to grammar school, reads American Politics at Warwick University, and lands up with a job as editor on a large New York news paper, likely to have a higher verbal reasoning score than a girl who also goes to grammar, avoids reading and T.V., likes mountain bikes and reads Astrophysics at Cambridge?

Verbal reasoning tests are built around testing the strength of a vocabulary along with comprehension and the ability to think and reason. The girl reading Astrophysics may never have read a full book in her life. She could, however, have lost her place at grammar school because she did not know the answer to a rather specious verbal reasoning question.

It is clear that combinations of tests will have the best predictive strength. A single test can measure only some of the abilities and success in a particular job. Too many tests may cloud the issue – and fail to be effective in predicting future occupational success.

Eleven Plus Laughter

We know from watching Television that producers expect us to laugh at a show if they expose us to canned laughter. A canned laugh used to be a laugh reproduced from some previous show. It is likely that some canned laughs are produced digitally.

"No one likes to laugh alone."

Perhaps, if there is enough groundswell, we can have the Eleven Plus canned laugh. This is the laugh that parents give when their child says, "Fine." It is sometimes better to laugh than to cry.

Fuzzy Eleven Plus Questions

A few last minute thoughts as many of our Eleven Plus children enter the Eleven Plus examinations this week.

“Read the instructions at the front of the paper very carefully.”

“Work out when the examination will end. Watch the time as you are working.”

“Answer the questions you can first, then, go back if you have time.”

“If there are calculations with hours and minutes then remember that there are 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute if you are doing any addition or subtraction?”

Remind your child that if he or she gets a question like this to keep calm:

You have just been on holiday in France where your family meet a wine grower. The French man convinced your father to purchase part of the vineyard. The farmer suggested mixing Chardonnay with Pinot Noir. He had an excess of Chardonnay while a fellow farmer, a few farms away, had excess Pinot Noir. (Possibly caused by the down turn in the markets?) The idea was to produce a tasty `Vin de Table’. This would save the wine being turned into industrial alcohol.


The experiment begins:

One 12 litre container is half filled with Chardonnay, and half filled with Pinot Noir.

Another 12 litre container is one third filled with Chardonnay and two thirds filled with oil.

Both these containers are then emptied into a 24 litre container that will in time become the `Vin de Table’.

In the larger container what fraction is filled with Chardonnay, and what fraction is filled with Pinot Noir?

If you have been working with your children through a sensible Eleven Plus syllabus you will no doubt work out well within thirty seconds that there was seven twelfths Chardonnay and five twelfths Pinot Noir.

The night before an Eleven Plus examination is not the time to start explaining an example of this nature. By all means chat about wine and where it comes from, how to distinguish different flavours and why a few glasses can give a `Pre Eleven Plus’ buzz.

Leave the fractions part out of it all together. After all just before an examination you, and your child, need reassurance – not a protracted struggle with an unfortunate example.

A sudden thought:

Suppose the blog had advocated a few glasses of wine before tacking the question …. Would it still be possible to answer a question like the one above in around thirty seconds?

Eleven Plus Reading

“What can I read? I am so bored of all the books we have at home. I know you say we have a library but I don’t want to read any of them. They are so boring.”

This is a familiar tale to many parents.

Your child feels frustrated because it is apparent that you just won’t listen,

You feel frustrated because you have bought all those lovely books and they simply sit on the shelf unread and unwanted.

There is a lot to be said for parents continuing to read aloud. This is one way that you and your child can share all the books you have bought. Reading aloud gives you the opportunity to be able to discuss the books – and it allows you to have a valuable time together as you go on an adventure through words. Books allow children and adults to experience and share thoughts and ideas. Books can also offer common ground for Eleven Plus children and their parents where the learning side can be covert rather than overt. (A bit sneaky but could be highly effective.)

You could do worse than to start with school books. These will give you the opportunity to be able to reminisce about your school days. Even better it could offer the grandparents a chance to tell about school in the `olden days’. The Gillian Cross books are a good example of books about school. There is a series about a Demon Headmaster who wants and demands power. The pupils are given the opportunity to be able to try to outwit the head teacher. This type of book offers good material for an “I remember” outburst.

Some families may enjoy fantasy stories. Books like these offer real escapism. It is true that Eleven Plus children need to read `important’ books to develop their vocabulary and broaden their thinking – but they do all need, at times, to be able to transported away.

I am asked on a fairly regular basis by mothers about suitable books for Eleven Plus children to read. A typical conversation could be:

“What is a good book for an Eleven Plus child to read?”

“Before we look at what may interest your child, what are you reading at the moment?”

“I never have time to read. I only read on holiday.”

The Eleven Plus and Co-Education

Parents of our present Eleven Plus children will have started thinking about the relative merits of co-educational and single sex grammar schools.

The word co-educational was used around 1927 to describe a school where boys and girls were admitted on equal terms – usually in the same classes and studying the same work. The co-educational school was different from the dual school where boys and girls shared the same building but were taught separately.

The Education Act of 1876 made the attendance of girls at school compulsorily. In village school girls usually attended the same school as their brothers – but in urban communities boys and girls were often taught in separate schools.

It did not take long for the girls to prove that they could learn as quickly as the boys. Many girls proved that they were able to learn even quicker than the boys. (Not much change here!)

The early arguments about co-education were focused around a fear that to educate boys and girls together would cause some form of emotional disturbance – and work would suffer. Those for co-education felt that it was essential that boys and girls worked together so that both sexes could grow and develop together.

Some single sex grammar schools use the same Eleven Plus examination for boys and girls. Other single sex grammar schools rely on setting their own entrance tests.

Parents will want to discuss the relative merits of both systems with their child – if there is a choice in their area between a co-educational and single sex school.

Reading Eleven Plus Questions

Literally hundreds of our Eleven Plus children will be writing their practice tests for the Eleven Plus tomorrow.

Some children may not read some of the questions carefully enough. After the practice examination, possibly even waiting until Monday, read through some questions with your child.

Errors that may hold up answering questions carefully include:

Using a finger or pencil to read a question on a word by word basis – as this tends to focus the eyes on the words in the question rather than on the content of the question.

Vocalising the words – or even sub vocalising the question as this tends, sometimes, to slow the reading of the question down so much that your child may have to keep reading a question over and over.

Regressing along a line of the question – this is where the eye goes back to look at a word. This can develop into a poor examination habit as the mind can then lose what the question is asking.

What advice can be offered to Eleven Plus parents and their children?

Read the questions at a measured pace.

Reread the question.

Look for spurious and unlikely multiple choice answers. This will help to eliminate answers that can not possibly be right.

Practice with your child the art of reading a sentence.

Work on the technique of answering questions rather than encouraging your child to complete yet another paper. Too many papers in the final week will do very little good what so ever.

Post Eleven Plus Blues

As the Eleven Plus examinations, for some children at least, grow closer some parents may need to be aware of a reaction that may come about after the last paper has been written.

The Comanche Indians used to live on a plateau for part of the year. This was a time of great hardship, where the tribe struggled for their existence – and the views of the elders were respected.

Later on in the year the tribe moved down to the plains – and the young men became the dominant force as they brought home the food.

In the whole society the son admired the father because of his ability to hunt and fight.

The father praised the son and took good care of him – because he knew that one day he too would be old and would need his son to look after him.

As the child moved towards being an adult –and indeed an `older’ man – there were periods when he was a vital part of the tribe. He needed to be a fierce warrior – and good a bringing home the food. Every one ran around him and looked after him.

It is a bit like this to some children after the Eleven Plus. In the days leading up the examination parents tip toe around their son – avoiding confrontation and lavishing lots of praise. (Building him up!)

During the examinations some parents may have to turn a blind eye to some behaviour as the stress of the tests may affect their child.

After the examination? Well anything can happen.

Some children will be `cool’ and move on.

Other children may worry.

Some children may react to the pressure being taken off.

Some may even find it difficult to find a balance in their lives without the concentrated work from papers.

Some parents may feel the need to sit down and have some `serious’ talks about the present and the future. Some parents will be well prepared – and others will have a more philosophical approach. There are no rules for parents to follow other than common sense.

Eleven Plus Calm

It is immediately obvious to any self respecting Eleven Plus parent that their child could never do enough wrong to warrant a reprimand. Of course parents are able to observe the relationship between other Eleven Plus parents and their offspring. Parents deal with misdemeanours in different ways.

Picture the setting. A mother organises a birthday party for eight at the cinema. (This is the weekend just before the Eleven Plus examination.) A meal at a smart restaurant is part of the treat. The eleven year old children will order for themselves – but the birthday mum will pick up the tag. Parents, mothers and fathers, are seated in a different restaurant – but within visual contact. One child plays up. All eyes look directly at the poor mother – or stare studiously in the future. Silence reigns.

All eight mothers would have different strategies for dealing with misbehaviour:

Oral
“Stop that or I will remove you from the meal – and you will not attend the cinema treat.”

“Oh dear, Jimmy is at it again. I told him not to eat our hamster before we came out.”

“If you do that again, you will have to go home.”

“Jimmy, dear, please leave that `kind waiter’ alone. When he returns, treat him nicely like the sweet boy you really are.”

Non Verbal
Mum shakes her head and frowns.

Mum collects the misbehaving child without a word, and moves him to a spare seat.

Punishment
The child is ejected by the hostess, and the mother takes her unruly son hone following an apology by the mother.

Mum says: “When we get home, you will do an Eleven Plus paper and will achieve full marks in no more than fifty minutes. Or else!

All the other mums, and the other children, will be pleased and impressed if the situation is dealt with calmly. Every `good’ mother will know that idle threats are pointless. In any case the last thing any one wants is any degree of upset just before the examinations.

(P.S. The film was great, the food was good and in the end there was no more confrontation. Every cloud, just before the examinations, has to have a silver lining.)

The role of mothers in the Eleven Plus

Back in October of 1789 the population in Paris was clamouring for bread. The women were not impressed by the new constitution that was being drafted. They were also very unhappy because there was not enough bread to go around.

On October the 5th the amazing procession of women took place from Paris to Versailles. The commune had been able to keep the men in check – but not the women.

The count had to move from Versailles to Tuileries and guarantee that there would be enough bread.

Events moved on in France - and the despotic monarchy was toppled, but the power of a mob of women was established. History was changed for ever.

Women all over Europe – and especially in Britain – began to realise just how powerful their presence was in politics and government.

Over in America we have watched, with great admiration, Hilary Clinton battling against the odds. Now Sarah Palin has bust upon the scene – and has shaken the establishment. We can not be sure how it will all end – but we do know that there will be plenty of excitement and change ahead.

So mothers, as your children approach the Eleven Plus examinations, examine your hearts. You do not need any notes. You do not need a `pep’ talk. Just remind your child to do as well as possible. Remind your child that pass or fail you will still love him or her. Explain in detail that not passing an examination at eleven years old is not failure – but the chance to open up other opportunities.

Keep calm, keep constant but issue a battling war cry: “Just do your best. That is all we can ask for!”

Eleven Plus Outcomes

A course of study for an Eleven Plus pupil demands very different outcomes for the teacher, the parents and the pupil.

Naturally the child needs to be attentive, involved, receptive and ambitious.

"We did not do it like this in my day!"

“We don’t do it like that at school!”

This statement is sometimes stated rather grumpily by some children – who do really do not wish to listen to your explanation.

““We don’t do it like that at school!”

Here we have a triumphant statement – made to try to keep the parent from being involved. (A type of power struggle!)

““We don’t do it like that at school!”

This is quite simply the truth. Events have moved on in education – and children are taught some topics in a very different manner. (Long multiplication is a good example.)

Parents can be bludgeoned into giving up being involved in the parts of the Eleven Plus experience. This sometimes comes about when their much loved child demonstrates a complete inability to recognise that there is more than one way of solving a problem. Parents find this improper inflexibility highly frustrating and, sometimes, quite time consuming.

Some parents also feel that their authority is being undermined when they are not confident of being able to teach and apply the `modern’ methods. When doing Eleven Plus mathematics, for example, a parent could consider purchasing a Foundation GCSE mathematics text book – with clear examples. The right book will offer the correct setting out of examples to parents and their children.

Parents who are enthusiastic and involved in the learning processes can overcome much prejudice on the part of their children. “I am sure you are right, dear, let’s try to find out how solve this together.” (Any parent who then utters the words: “In my day!” is simply riding for a fall!)

Children will often respect the wishes of a parent who insists on neat and careful work. Parents should mark any work done together neatly and respectfully.

Art and the Eleven Plus

Creative writing is part of the syllabus in some eleven plus examinations. Teachers and parents can all help children plan and write a story. Some children will be more successful than others at writing creatively.

We are urged from all sides to suggest to children that they will write better if they write about what they know and have experienced. Writing, however, is a rather complex matter to some children. It is easy to expect a good story to come from a child who reads a lot. Lots of exposure to good stories should, in theory, stimulate creative thoughts.

Other children may find it easier to `talk’ a good story than `write’ a good story. Some children, for example, have a degree of difficulty in communicating in writing where they have no such a problem with being able tell a good story.


Television, videos and the DVD can also provide rich and fertile sources of good story lines.

We are all taught to teach Eleven Plus children that a `story’ needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. We need to show paragraphs. A story can show higher level thought with some reflection and analysis. Children should be made aware of how potent and effective dialogue can be. Quite simply bright Eleven Plus children can be guided towards writing a creative story strong enough to give pass marks in a competitive examination.

Creative writing then becomes a means to an end. The end is passing the examination.

But creativity is more than words on paper. Why not consider that painting and drawing could be part of the Eleven Plus process? This would force big changes in the way that children were prepared. Think of ten and eleven year old children being able to dip their fingers into paint and being allowed to be creative on paper.

Children could then use fairy tales, stories from T.V., and themes they have encountered in books. Painting could release fantasies that can not be described in mere words. Children could express them selves with symbols for love, fear, devotion – and delve in areas where the written story can not stray.

Visits to art galleries could become the norm – rather than `educative’ visits. Talented art teachers would be recognised and appreciated. Parents would be able to give painting sets for birthday and Christmas presents without any feelings of guilt.

There would be some drawbacks to art being an Eleven Plus subject – but think of the pool of talent that is being masked by questions like:

Select one word which is unlike the others:

Nation, country, tribe, race, people.

Eleven Plus Information

We can look, in fairly general way, at what an Eleven Plus child needs as the examination approaches. First of all he or she needs the physical and mental ability to be able to collect all the information.

After all as the examination grows closer the Eleven Plus child will have been exposed to a wide variety in increasingly complex experiences. All we can hope is that as much information as possible is correct and apposite.

Eleven Plus Writing

We were working with a bright nine year old today: planning, writing and marking a story in preparation for future Eleven Plus examinations. The question of books and vocabulary arose.

"How does reading books help my story writing?"

In Eleven Plus terms writing a story means that work has to be set, planned and marked. The story has to be about an A4 page long.

A real book written by the child would have decorated front and rear covers, a thoughtful page layout, supporting illustrations and a carefully prepared script. This is a far cry from a story prepared for an examination. Yet if passing the Eleven Plus examination depended on the production of a book - just think of the lengths that Eleven Plus parents would go to:

Hiring published authors to help with story lines

Engaging illustrators to prepare drawings

Sourcing printers and binders.

It must be far more simple just to offer the pre Eleven Plus child a piece of paper and expect (or accept) a snippet of literature.

Eleven Plus Education

Irrespective of the Eleven Plus examinations eleven year old children from many different social backgrounds and academic abilities will be meeting each other in their new schools over the next few days.

The Eleven Plus examinations allow a distinction to be made between children of different abilities. In theory the successful are educated in grammar schools in a different way to the `unsuccessful’. In practice very able children who were not part of the grammar school race – or who did not gain a grammar school pace, still have the opportunity of an accelerated education.

More selection takes place after the GCSE examinations – where children are offered a wider range of educational opportunities – from 6th forms to college. Once again the children will meet and mix with other children from different backgrounds. For some it may be a girl attending a grammar school for boys, while a different girl could start on a more vocational course at college.

What does seem likely is that a child will respond and gain value from the social environment engineered by the parents – and this in turn will be reinforced by the educational institution itself.

As your children go to school this week in their new school uniforms – with clean and smiling faces – parents will naturally be very aware that their children will be making new friends – and encountering different social values.

As Gustave Flaubert said: “Life must be a constant education; one must learn everything, from speaking to dying.”

Eleven Plus Print

An awful lot of Eleven Plus children, and their parents, will be blaming Gutenberg for all their problems. He produced his printing press around 1456. He printed a copy of the Bible – and before the century was over books were being produced all over Europe.

Before the books came along family history and events were all communicated orally. Teachers and priests had less influence as people found that they could educate themselves.

By the mid sixteenth century teachers were spending more time teaching reading than passing on the oral history of the land. Since the sixteenth century the written examination has become a key part in testing the effectiveness of teaching – and also the ability of students to be able to write examinations.

Then big changes came to challenge the effectiveness of the written word. Photographs were invented, the Morse code was used for communication, movies changed from silent to talking, T.V. arrived – along with the computers, digital newspapers – and even the blog.

There have been such big changes in the last fifty years that it may be time to challenge the effectiveness of the Eleven Plus examination is being able to select the very brightest in the land.

I should imagine that Gutenberg was very proud of his press – and he may have been overwhelmed to see the proliferation of print that is born every day. What would he have felt about?

Which letter of the alphabet comes immediately before the sixth letter of the fifth word in this sentence?

The Eleven Plus Invigilator

I had my car windows cleaned inside and out with vinegar over the weekend. This was not any old vinegar – it was honest to goodness white virgin vinegar. The windscreen wipers were also burnished.

Vinegar is an acid – and old fashioned spinsters are sometimes referred to as `vinegarish’ if they have a tart tongue and an acid disposition. Some children do not mind being taught by what is commonly called an `old battleaxe’ because they know exactly where they stand. The children expect no favors and do not seek any. We all know, however, that beneath that heart of stone there always lies a warm hearted and compassionate educator.

Children are never sure of where they stand if their teacher is happy and makes jokes one moment – and then bawls them out the next.

It may be worth while discussing the role of the invigilator in the Eleven Plus process.

Reiterate that the invigilator may appear to be stearn and unyielding but explain that an invigilator can not show any preferences or favours.

Explain that just because a person does not smile it does not mean that you are not liked.

Talk about how the invigilator is there to do a job.

Remind your child, if necessary, to be unfailingly polite.

Above all remind your child that he or she can communicate with adults. Remind your child of all the occasions when he or she has showed maturity and confidence with adults.

Remind your child of why adults enjoy his or her company.

Let your child go into the examination with a smile for the invigilator - and confidence in the heart.

Eleven Plus Motivational Speeches (1)

All over the country parents will be honing their pre Eleven Plus speeches. These are the words that parents will issue in ringing tones as their children go forth to enter the fray of the Eleven Plus.

Naturally the words of Henry V will come to mind. `Once more into the breech, dear friends,” will spring to mind. Henry was trying to mobilise his troops before battle.

“Once more into the Eleven Plus,
My dear child.

Make sure the night before ye examination you do go to bed real early,
To allow full rest and repose.
Try to ensure that your faithful chauffeur transports you
To the examination place on time.
Ask mother (or father) to avoid known traffic blackspots.

Bring everything you need to the searching examination,
Including pencils, rubbers and a calm and steady beating heart.
Look not upon the ashen faces of the other children.
Remember their fear is shown on their faces.
You keep your fear well hidden and preserve a reserve that all will envy.

Look carefully at your watch at regular moments in the examination.
Remember that to waste time can cost much.
If you are involved in multiple choice questions,
Complete the answers carefully.
Eliminate answers that can not possibly be true.
Yes – be true to your second reading of the question.
The second reading may give more insight than a hurried first reading.

You hold the family’s hopes with you.
Fight the good fight.
Dream the good dream.
Achieve the impossible.

Our love and thoughts are with you. Go well my child – and believe in yourself.
All you can do is your best.

Eleven Plus Answers

It is easy to suppose that our Eleven Plus children would learn with more interest and attention if the syllabus of the examination was more closely relevant to their everyday life. The knowledge and attitude that the Eleven Plus children have to acquire is greatly different to the knowledge they need outside of the examination.

One key area that could be addressed by educationalists is to allow parts of the examination to be conducted orally. The group mathematics and reasoning examinations rely traditionally on the ability to read and write.

While children are preparing for the Eleven Plus examination they are offered lots of information and explanation. The work is revised and consolidated. As the examination grows closer the children are expected to assimilate a multitude of approaches to different topics and questions. The children work through papers with their parents, teachers and tutors. The whole quest is for the single correct answer that could `tip the balance’.

12 men dig a hole in four days. How long will it take 2 men? This is a typical Eleven Plus question. What happens in one of the men hurts his hand and can not work for an afternoon? Suppose one of the men is a member of a local life boat crew – and is called out at short notice to save a sinking yacht. How is his time allocated? One of the men could have booked a family holiday to France – and will be away part of the time. Does the question allow for any latitude – or is there only one clear answer?

Over the recent Eleven Plus courses we saw two different answers to a story exercise that showed true maturity of thought, a wide vocabulary, impeccable style and a thirsty desire for retribution. By some chance neither child had addressed the question directly but had chosen to write a fanciful answer – rather than the more prosaic `correct’ answer. Both children showed signs of Level 6 English in their use of metaphors and personification. The children came from different schools – one boy and one girl – but both used rhetorical questions. Neither child gave a factual answer. Their work, however, was a delight to read.

If passing the Eleven Plus, however, depended on a formal and clear answer – it is possible that these two extraordinary children could have failed. The children may, however, have been failed by the examination system rather that failing through below par ability. I wonder if they both were too bright for the examination!

An Eleven Plus Genius

When your bright and able Eleven Year old begins a prolonged, and largely unwelcome, `discussion’ with you, then you may feel that you wish your child could be like other children: namely calm and loving.

Yet you need to take heart – all of the following worked against the tide of opinion:

Einstein in mathematics

Hemmingway in literature

Picasso in art

Brunel for engineering

Madam Curie in Science

Louis Pasteur in medicine

Dr Seuss in story telling

These are all men and women who were not prepared to wait for a `group’ decision.

In Eleven Plus terms the `group’ demands that the children have to reach certain standards in areas like mathematics and verbal reasoning. It is impossible for your child to be able to refuse your imperious pursuit of the execution of yet another paper.

If the Eleven Plus examination tried to find children who did not fit a `mold’ and if the examination did demand original thinking then the practice papers, along with the actual papers, would need to change.

Find a gifted and erudite teacher who could become an Eleven Plus examiner. Expect to see papers that stimulated and stretched children. Look for an examination where opinions of art were considered important. Encourage the children to think about alternative methods of transport. It would be wonderful if the examination did require a child to be able to create an impossible story.

Surely our esteemed grammar school deserve children who can think and discuss rather than children who know the trick of how to answer a rather pointless question like:

Abigail has one brother, Robert, and three sisters, Mary, Anita and Helen.

How many children in the family?

So the next time your child argues with you, than please consider – you may be stifling a prospective genius!

Good Luck to Eleven Plus Children

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that always captured my imagination as a boy, was the account of Nebuchadnezzar and the hanging Gardens of Babylon.

He was an administrator, an architect and an engineer. He was also a warlike leader. When one of the provinces revolted in 596 he suppressed the revolt and deported part of the population. There was a further revolt some year later on so he slew the king’s sons before his eyes – in cold blood. He then blinded the king and carried off most of the population into captivity.

The gardens were built on terraces – and rested on great slabs of rocks. An ingenious system of buckets carried water to the different parts of the garden. The beauty of the gardens was so great that they were named as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

I worked with Eleven Plus children today on a large and popular course. The children went out to play in the large grounds of the Hurst Road Community Centre in Sidcup in Kent. There were several large and over hanging trees. Some children were fascinated by the trees – trying to knock down conkers while others played in and around the low vegetation.

Little heads popped out of hiding places as some of the children played an endless game of tag. Football was the predominant game of the boys. Each break time the composition of the teams seemed to change – but the score appeared to start again. While all this frantic activity was going on groups of boys and girls wandered around the grounds.

This could have been a scene from years ago. The games may have changed. The clothes are certainly very different. It is likely, however, that in our group of Eleven Plus children are the future architects, engineers, administrators, doctors, teachers, artists as well as sportsmen and women.

We can but pray that none of them will be drawn to violent acts against man kind but we do hope that at least some of the children will go on to build another wonder of the world.

Our Eleven Plus courses have run this week in Manchester, Southend, Ashford, Gravesend, Sidcup and Salisbury.

Thank you to all our dedicated teachers and assistants.

Thank you to all the parents who have entrusted their children to us.

We wish all the children well in their examinations. Like all their parents we think that they are wonderful.

Eleven Plus Cubes

Way back in palaeolithic times man drew on rocks.

We know that many early drawings were probably to do with magic, the hunter wanted good luck or a little bit of magic to be able to be a successful hunter.

Later drawings may have been used to keep records – or even send messages.

Today’s highway code shows us just how drawings are used to warn or direct traffic. Many of the common place signs are known universally.

To be able to draw a picture it must help if there is a strong artistic presence.

A graphic designer needs a different type of artistic temperament to a painter of landscapes – even though there must be a strong element of crossover. An architect requires different drawing skills to a portrait painter.

But the person who thought that working out cubes was a sign of intelligence (or of one aspect of non verbal ability) must have had a truly masochistic mind.

Moving the cube through 180˚is easy enough. When the cube is rotated as well as transformed, then we know that being able to provide an answer is around 35 seconds is a serious optimist.

I shared the extraordinary lengths that bright eleven years old are prepared to endure – just to solve a cube question.

For the non initiated cubes appear in certain non verbal reasoning papers. Some brains can work the answer out in seconds. Other brains never seem to find the solution.

Eleven Plus Thanks

A bright and bubbly ten year old bounced up to me at around noon today.

“Hello! I am in the top maths group at school.

I have a lovely tutor.

I love school.

This course is the best work I have ever done in my life.

It is so hard.

I love it.

Is there any chance of another course next week?”

With words like these all the hard work and preparation seem worthwhile.

Q.E.D.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum

In Latin that means that something has been demonstrated.

At school we used to write Q.E.D. after proving a theorem in geometry.

Eleven Plus and the Grammar School

“I want my child to attend `Grammar’ because I want the very best.’ These are words spoken (or dreamt) by many parents. But what is that `little bit extra’ that parents hope that the grammar school will provide?

Many grammar schools have a proud tradition. A number of grammar schools date back hundreds of years. Some are even housed in imposing buildings. Others, however, rely on their `old boys’ to maintain tradition. It is very difficult to quantify the influence of the success of a school’s predecessors. Good role models are possibly a key element in learning to successful.

Some pupils may even be influenced by the fact that they are sitting in the same classroom as an already famous past pupil. Parents are only too happy to be able to say:

“If you open your mind you too can do it.”

“Use your own talents to carve yourself a career of distinction.”

“You too will develop your own already strong character – and you too will become a leader.”

“Try not to abuse your gifts. Do the work to the required standard – and on time.”

“It is vital that you plan ahead. You can not continue living from day to day.”

“You know that school is a stepping stone to the future. Believe in yourself. Be confident in these surroundings. Just do your best.”

Eleven Plus Practice Papers

Teaching children towards the Eleven Plus is part art and part science.

The part art comes in because we are not always sure what makes a child learn. The children we work with will have learnt different things from school. The children will also have been offered different support from their parents. Their peers will have different attitudes towards studying and sitting the examination.

If we could work out what enables a child to learn the Eleven Plus syllabus – and how the child will be able to retain and use the information – then teaching towards the Eleven Plus examinations could become more of a science.

At times the parents of Eleven Plus children will want their child’s teacher to be able to wave a wand to excite and stimulate their child. At other times parents may demand a more scientific approach – with clearly defined objectives.

The Eleven Plus examinations are set to try to find children of ability – and who will benefit from a grammar school education. The debate about what constitutes a fair and proper examination needs to continue. Parkinson’s Law reminds us:

“The defect in the intelligence test is that high marks are gained by those who subsequently prove to be practically illiterate. So much time has been spent in studying the art of being tested that the candidate rarely has time for anything else.”

All this is to say that children should feel that working through practice papers is a means to an end – and not the end itself.

Beginning the Eleven Plus

When the White Rabbit was presenting evidence at the Knave’s trial, he asked the King for directions. A piece of paper was presented as evidence – but all that was on the paper was a collection of rather odd verses.

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. `Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.

“Begin at the beginning, the King said gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Every parent that has read Alice in Wonderland aloud will recognise these words.

The King kept trying to have the Knave proved guilty – while the Queen wanted Alice out of the way:

“Off with her head!” the Queen shouted at the top of her voice.

Parents approaching Eleven Plus preparation, need to begin at the beginning.

They need to collect information about the examination.

Parents need to ponder if it is possible to do the work at home or whether outside intervention is required.

Is an assessment needed?

Will the much loved child actually do the work or will there be a string of arguments.

Is the candidate in the top set?

If the candidate is in the middle set then is additional help needed with the like of comprehension, reading vocabulary and tables?

Will all the family work together or will one parent or another pull against?

How much co-operation will be offered by the school?

The best part of the whole Eleven Plus process is that there is no Queen shouting:

“Off with your head!” – if, like a pack of cards, it all crumbles.

To understand a little more about multiple choice tests we need to look back to the Army-Alpha tests that were developed in America during the 1914 – 18 war. The American Army needed good leaders. The Army-Alpha test gave grades between A and D. Naturally achieving an `A’ grade suggested good officer material.

It is interesting to look at some test items from all those years ago. We can then try them on Eleven Plus children. I took these items from my1935 book called `Psychology’ by Boring, Langfeld and Weld. (John Wiley and Sons).

Test 1
If six is more than four, then, cross out the five, unless five is more than seven, in which case draw a line under number six.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Test 2
If it takes 8 men 2 days to dig a 160 foot drain, how many men are needed to dig it in half a day?

Test 3
Why are warships painted grey? Because gray paint

--- is cheaper than other colours
--- is more durable than other colours
--- makes ships harder to see

Test 4
Complete the number series.
9 1 7 1 5 1 ___ ___
4 5 8 9 12 13 ___ ___
1 4 9 16 25 36 ___ ___

Test 5
Cold is to ice as heat is to: wet cold steam stars

When we look at the content of these items it is easy to see why I am concerned that the present writers of Eleven Plus tests seem to be stuck in time. The world has moved forward considerably. Why do the authors of Eleven Plus tests still include some pretty silly questions?

Multiple Choice and the Eleven Plus

On a certain day in each county children sit in rows in desks. Outside invigilators prowl up and down the rows.

There is a deep silence – broken only by the sound of pencils falling out of nerveless hands.

There are huge clocks to that the children can monitor the passing of time. Nervous eyes flick sporadically – and calculations are made: “Twenty questions, 12 minutes left. How can I do it? The questions are getting harder. I am becoming anxious now. What is mum going to say if I do not finish?”

. The papers are made by experts. There is a right answer and some wrong answers. All the eleven plus child has to do is recognise the right answer.

In some cases only the correct answers are counted.

In other multiple choice examination the wrong answers are subtracted from the right answers.

We warn the children of `red herrings’ in the answers.

If the question was:

Rearrange the letters of the word to make a word corresponding to the definition.

shore (a four legged animal)

A) horse
B) hotly
C) spider
D) horsu

We hope that the bright Eleven Plus child will choose `A’ for a horse.

If `C’ was chosen then perhaps a mark should be deducted because every child knows that a spider has more than four legs. Deducting marks if a child does not show ability and concentration could seem to be attractive to some.

Losing marks for unstructured guesses could help to focus attention.

A big problem with timed Eleven Plus Multiple choice questions is that a child could pass the examination in the morning when he or she is feeling fresh. The same examination could be failed in the evening when the `candidate’ is tired.

The Eleven Plus Nag

David Copperfield ran away after Mr Murdstone beat him.

Mr Murdstone had a `lithe and limber’ cane – which he twitched and swished when ever he could.

He thought that David needed to be more careful in his work.

“Mr. Murdstone! Sir! Don’t! Pray don’t beat me! I have tried to learn sir.”

“Can’t you, indeed, David? We’ll try that.” He had my head in a vice….

David used to be given questions which could possibly daunt some of our Eleven Plus candidates:

“If I go to a cheesemonger’s shop, and buy five thousand double-Gloucester cheeses at fourpence-halfpenny each…. “

David did not do all that well over the course of day and Mr Murdstone became more and more incensed with him. David bit his hand and was severely beaten.

David was then locked up for five days. He was subsequently taken from his mother and sent to school in London.

The Eleven Plus moral to this story? The more some children are berated for not achieving as much as their parents would like the more some children will feel inadequate and unready to learn.

The days of the switch and the stick are long gone – but pressure can also be put on by parents. It does not seem likely that any children working over these holidays will have resorted to biting their parents. If mums and dads have been bitten it is possible that their child was trying to tell them something.

“Mum, Dad, don’t nag me. I have tried to learn.”

Exciting Eleven Plus Work

The tutorial system was invented by Socrates. There is a theory about the so called `Socratic Method’ that it sprung from the character of the Greek people, because they loved arguing questioning and dealing with new ideas.

His premise was that it did not make much sense to throw lots of ideas and lessons at people. He thought that it was better to question. The other person had to answer the questions. Socrates did not want to question a person to find out what they did not know – he was attempting to help the person to find their own answers to his questions. His method was to engage a person in a conversation then criticise and discuss the answers and thus lead the person to a positive conclusion.

A number of parents would love to develop elements of the `Socratic’ approach with their own bright Eleven Plus children. Imagine being able to develop a strong relationship with your child that was not dominated by the restraints of a formal pen and paper examination. Imagine being able to spend an hour a week arguing, objecting, defending, counter attacking, discussing and helping your child towards some truth or other.

Surely a full blooded, and carefully prepared, discussion would be of more benefit to our Eleven Plus children than an argument about settling down to complete a full Eleven Plus paper. In an examination we need children who are able to think and reason.

An endless diet of papers – day after day, week after week must surely dull the minds of some children. Other children love the `comfort zone’ of papers. They know what is expected of them. The children know that provided they can reach around 70 – 80% on a paper they can keep their parents motivated and involved.

The next time the major publishers of Eleven Plus papers gather to talk their offerings, I hope they will spare a thought for a paper that demands thinking, discussing, arguing and finding a useful conclusion. It is very difficult to become truly animated about answering a question based on:

One of the (nests, fish, birds) (fell, drove, climbed) out of the (egg, nest, sea).

Eleven Plus Language

It was only a few years ago that your ten to eleven year old was four years old.

A typical exchange could have been:

Mother: `This cup is big.’
Child: `This cup is big.’

Mother: `Show me the cup that is big.’
Child: The child touches the big cup.

Mother: `Tell me about the cup.’
Child: `The cup is big’.

Of course now we are talking about bright pre Eleven Plus children – who at four years old would probably have embellished the conversation.

`Tell me about the cup.’

`The cup was given to the family by Auntie Jean. She said that the big cup was her favourite because she used to be given extra sugar. I like drinking from the big cup because it has so much sugar.’

It is very likely that children who do well in Eleven Plus examinations will have a big vocabulary. It is even more likely that the children will have demonstrated that vocabulary a very young age. Children with big vocabularies are likely to be able to read a wide number of books. The earlier the experience starts the better.

A number of us will recall the experiments of Hebb Williams on animal intelligence in 1946. In one of the tests a dog is brought into the room while hungry. After the dog had smelt and seen the bowl, the dog was able to watch the food put behind a screen at the opposite corner of the room.

Both the pet reared and the cage reared dogs went immediately to the spot where the food disappeared.

After some trials the food was placed in the opposite corner,

The cage reared dog went directly to the spot where the food had been placed originally. The pet reared dog went to the new spot.

For Eleven Plus children to do well their minds will need to be challenged and enriched over and over. If the diet of weekly and daily Eleven Plus selection papers goes on and on then it is possible that some children will stop thinking and simply react to the questions.

Some parents, however, will continue to see the need to offer their children stimulating conversations and prolonged arguments. (All in the cause of good Eleven Plus results!)

After all an argument can start as:

“Did.”
“Didn’t.”
“Did.”
“Didn’t.”

Careful direction could ease the argument into:

“Oh brother dear. I am simply horrified that you thought the answer to number 23 was 8. After all to find 10% of a number simply divide by ten.”

The Eleven Plus and Hard Work

On my way into the Pavilion Leisure Centre in Bromley on Saturday (yesterday) I saw this group of students enjoying a yoga class and thought, “That looks hard! It must feel fantastic!” I went on to think that the rewards of all that disciple and endeavour must be sublime.



If it was easy to pass the Eleven Plus examinations we would not need to reward the children with a grammar school education. It follows that as the examination is hard to pass we need to reward the grammar school children with the best possible education.

If the Eleven Plus examination was considered to be unimportant – and hard to pass - then it is likely that the examination would be dropped altogether.

We know that some children can pass Eleven Plus examinations with inherent ability – and without doing extra papers. Other children, with ability, need the additional benefit of extra training and help. This is our room at Hurst Road in Sidcup set up for last week's Eleven Plus course.



It seems likely that bright children, after grammar school and university, will be able to provide themselves with a livelihood. We also hope that they will also earn a high enough income to be able to have some elements of power and prestige.

A number of us will also hope that our children will look after us in `old age’. It is thus essential that our Eleven Plus children become powerful and prestigious – and earn enough money to be able keep us in our dotage.

Eleven Plus Messages

It is always interesting to think of what words parents could use while trying to motivate their children to do well in the Eleven Plus examinations.

“Well dear, just look back at all your ancestors. They all did well at school. Look at your Uncle, my brother, he is a judge. Your father went to university. You need to work hard too for the honour of the family.”

“No, you do need to read a lot more. We are all readers in our family. Wide reading shows that you have a good character and are well educated. Simply watch less T.V. and do a lot more reading of good books.”

“Your Auntie Cookie sings opera. She started singing very early – even younger that you are now. She worked hard at her singing – and look where she is now. Why can’t you try and be like her?”

“Your father’s brother was a famous swimmer. One day he swam across the Channel. It took him many hours but he never gave up. I never met him but your dad says he was a very nice man. You have to work hard and never give up. Then you will succeed.”

These are all rather lofty aspirations – your child may enjoy something a little more pragmatic.

“If you work hard you will be able to buy a nice car, wear fashionable clothes and go on designer holidays overseas.”

You would not, however, want to tell your children about a horrible man (Tacitus) who lived in Ancient Rome. He said: “To corrupt and be corrupted, is the fashion.”

Without putting your children under too much pressure, you want them to be, at the very least, decent, hard working and un-corruptible.

Mostly, however, you want your child to be normal. So a heartfelt plea to your child to work hard and be good is going to be far more valuable than using contrived and unrealistic motivational words. I am not sure that it will be all that useful to reminding your child about ancestors, character, hard work and not giving up. It is likely that your children will respond more positively to a simpler message.

New Eleven Plus Ideas

It is always interesting to see other people’s thoughts on education. I am not quite sure of the age of this blogger – but it seems that she has strong views on giving up her Friday nights for extra tuition.

The spelling and general syntax is fascinating to read. We can look back at the language of Shakespeare and Chaucer and see how much language has changed over the years. Perhaps the following passage is a glimpse into the present and the future.

hate that my fri nights are eaten up my tuition.. meaning no more fri gatherings till e end of yr when most prob i wont continue with e tuition. argh.. the sacrifice i suffered for money. lol. i kinda of like this new kid.. jus tt i feel tt 2 times a wk eats up too much of my time.. or maybe one of e days are on fri nites, tt's y. havin extra tuition on this sun.. requested by e kid.. she's clever.. jus tt she lacks confident.. and it's understandable when u r in a gd sch with all those fierce competition around us.

Our Eleven Plus children should make perfect sense of the sentiments expressed in the passage – as well as be able to enjoy the spelling and the language. All the children who have the privilege of being able to write an essay or a passage towards the Eleven Plus may enjoy an essay demanding:

Using modern text English, what are your views on the Eleven Plus? Make sure your plan covers:

Your thoughts and feelings on being examined to reach a grammar school.

How you react to competition.

Should you have to give up your Friday nights for extra study?

(Remember enriched text spelling and punctuation earn extra marks.)

Eleven Plus Change

It is hard for children to understand what changes they will undergo as they work through an intensive Eleven Plus course. On a day to day basis the outside of the children may look different because of changes of clothes. We hope that inside they gradually realise that they can cope with the examination.

When children come on an intensive course parents hope that their children will benefit from a period of concentrated work. Parents also want their children to do as well as possible. What is certain is that the children will change in one way or another. Some children will have the additional boost of being able to quantify the feeling. “I can do well in a competitive examination.”

The causes of the change in children over three days will be many and varied. Some children will realise that they can answer some questions better than other children. A different cause could be the reaffirmation of words so often said by teachers, family and parents: “You are a clever child. Look how well you have done.”

I watched a boy today who scored a goal at break time. All the players applauded his effort. He returned to work in silence and was highly attentive. The goal had given him praise from his peers. He felt good about himself. His work improved.

Years ago I remember reading the analogy of the iron bar. An iron bar is not simply an iron bar – it has the ability to change. We can bend an iron bar, it will rust and it can be welded. We don’t want to bend our children, or allow then to rust or have a need to weld them. What we want is an individual who is always changing and reacting.

We hope that the children are able to sustain effort and interest right up to the examination. We don’t want children to become tired of doing Eleven Plus practice papers – we do want a sense of freshness and adventure.

Eleven Plus Expectations

These holidays I have had the privilege of working with a number of very bright children. It is fun to look ahead and try to suppose how these children will change over the next fifteen years.

We can look round and find evidence of change in all our families. We all know of an archetypal Uncle Fred who left school at sixteen, with no qualifications, and has landed up a construction engineer. (Uncle Fred is the only one who really can afford a holiday.)

We can easily look at some of the eleven year old girls and wonder how they will change by the time they are eighteen years old. Somehow, and in time, the eleven year old girl will change to become a woman. This will bring about multiple changes of behaviour and attitude. It is very likely that becoming a mother, at what ever age, will bring about even more significant change in personality and expectations.

It must be difficult for some parents to appreciate the tremendous demands made on their children by the Eleven Plus. Children have to have the time and energy to do the extra work. We demand that prospective Eleven Plus candidates adopt both the role and the characteristics of the academically able. At school, however, the self same child may not be in the highest groups. He or she may be happy to be in the middle group. The necessary change in attitude to work required by the Eleven Plus may be stressful.

What is exciting is when the child from `the middle group’ suddenly realises that he or she can do the work on the `top group’.

The whole point of doing Eleven Plus work with our children is to try to help the children to be able to choose what expectations to live up to. The alternative of a child trying to live up to a parent’s expectation does not really bear thinking about.

Eleven Plus Examination Methods

There was a vogue at one time of promoting what is called the `Open Book’ or `Prepared Questions’.

The `Open Book’ is when pupils are allowed to take a book into the examination – and are then encouraged to refer to the book. The general idea is that children do not need to learn lots of facts – but they do need to know where to find answers.

Some teachers will be good at helping children assimilate facts. What the teachers then hope is that their Eleven Plus children will go on to understand the relationship between the facts.

Suppose Eleven Plus children were allowed to take a `How to do Verbal Reasoning’ book, into the examination. The prospective Eleven Plus candidates would then have to find the relevant page, understand the notes and then use the book for reference.

It is very likely, however, that the better Eleven Plus candidates will need to rely less on outside books and notes than some less able candidates.

The Eleven Plus Cuddle

Back in 1912 Marie Montessori wrote a book called `The Montessori Method’. She was born in 1870 and was the first woman ever to be granted a medical degree by an Italian University. She worked with children who were considered `defective’ and raised their academic standard to the levels reached by normal children. She then went on to raise academic standards in normal children. I have a copy of the 1964 edition.

What would she have made of our Eleven Plus children? We are talking about our bright, well educated children who have been offered every advantage at home and at school.

In Chapter One of `The Montessori Method’ she had the heading:

Stationary Desks and Chairs are proof that slavery still exists in schools.

While she was writing about tables and chairs she wrote: `Here we have striking evidence of the errors of the early materialistic scientific pedagogy which, with mistaken zeal and energy carried the barren stones of science to the rebuilding of the crumbling walls of the school.’

An Eleven Plus parent naturally can say: “Go to your room and do some work!”

An Eleven Plus parents can also say: “Let’s sit on the carpet, turn the T.V. off and work on this together.”

Is this what Marie Montessori was talking about? Should we be able to expect a bright eleven year old child to be able to work quietly on a paper? Is telling your child to do some serious work in the bedroom a form of slavery?

Montessori goes on to talk about the sorry spectacle of a teacher who has to `pour cut and dried facts’ into the heads of scholars. She is concerned with the education of children who have to have the intellectual contents of school programmes `poured into their intellect’.

Our Eleven Plus children do need to learn some cut and dried facts. Our Eleven Plus children do need to have prescribed programmes `poured into their intellect’. Organised programs of work are necessary to help our children pass the examination. But every parent knows that a stolen ten minutes of going over a problem, while lying on the carpet, can be the highlight of the day.

I imagine that every single Eleven Plus parent is really good at the celebrated `Eleven Plus Cuddle’.

Eleven Plus Cross Words

Some time ago psychologists found that ability on crosswords compared favourably with results on IQ tests. Rearranging letters is the staple diet of many crosswords.

We need to wonder sometimes just why some items are included in Eleven Plus tests. A number of verbal reasoning papers seem to have at least one `rearrangement’ exercise. The examiner draws up lists of words that can be rearranged. Suppose the exercise is rearranging letters into names of animals. The examiner could start with a list of easy words – and then possibly offer three or four other lists of words that are increasing difficult to rearrange.

List 1
Snkuk
Niol
Rede
Tgrei
Barze
Selwae

The 4th List could be:
Rotligala
Laglroi
Tinram
Lettru
Elreoiedo
Peatnole

Children and adults who do well on `Countdown’ are able to unravel and decode words at lightening speed. Other people, who are verbally able, continue to struggle. Eleven Plus children can be helped by being encouraged to read the question carefully. If the topic is to do with animals then it is essential to focus on animals. It is no good offering names of flowers.

A child, however, could win or loose a place at grammar school on the ability to decipher and interpret one word. Lots of reading – and an extensive vocabulary – must help some children. But if some children are more predisposed than others to be able to find answers to some types of `tricky’ questions, then some Eleven Plus children could be penalised unfairly.

In Mary Poppins we find a really useful `panegyric’ word. We know that she intended elaborate praise – and many children of all ages delight in being able to spell the word.

Eleven Plus Question:

`Give a 34 letter adjective with no clear meaning, possibly to do with praise’.

Eleven Plus Answer

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

The Eleven Plus and Character Building

Education was easy for some before the French Revolution. The rich, the aristocracy and the clergy were able to impose a strong degree of conformity on the masses. It was perfectly sensible to educate members of the ruling class – because, in time, they would rule.

Along came the industrial revolution. This led to greater social mobility. The rise of cities meant that there was greater diversity of behaviour. People wanted a social situation where they could choose what kind of life they wanted to live.

The two World Wars educated men and women – and showed that there were many other cultures and ways of living. Women were given the confidence that they could hold down demanding jobs. The social dynamics of Britain and the family changed.

The educators who fashioned the early Eleven Plus examinations at the end of the Second World War were pressed to provide a different school system.

The Eleven Plus examinations still invite controversy. Some feel very strongly that society should not attempt to create a class of children who are offered `every advantage’. Naturally thousands of parents will not agree. They want the best possible grammar school education for their children.

We can but hope that the preparation that children do for the Eleven Plus examinations will help to mould thoughtful and hardworking individuals.

George Bernard Shaw in `Man and Superman’ tried to define how an artist saw the world and explained that a true artist would let his wife starve, his children go barefoot and his mother keep working until she was seventy. He then allowed Octavious to say that `it is out of the deadliest struggles we get the noblest characters’.

Perhaps the work done by Eleven Plus children does build character. Perhaps having a goal at a young age – and working towards that goal - makes our Eleven Plus children grow into adults who want more than second best.

In years to come we don’t want starving wives and husbands, barefoot children and over worked grandmothers. Perhaps we simply want children who are prepared to struggle and work hard for what they get. We can also hope that our children will, in time, turn out to be `noble’ characters.

Eleven Plus Thoughts

2nd January 2008 - `I have no chance of passing the Eleven Plus. I don’t want to do it. Just because Uncle Cook went to grammar does not mean that I have to go.’

8th February 2008 - `I have told you one hundred times that I do not want a tutor. I don’t want to do the Eleven Plus.’

14th February 2008 - `I suppose it was all right. She was nice to me and didn’t laugh when I made a mistake.’

23rd March 2008 - `Yes I know I have to do my homework. Just let me finish what I am doing.’

12th April 2008 - `Please can you help me with this verbal reasoning? I think I know what I am doing but I want to make sure.’

2nd May 2008 - `I know it is time for supper – just let me finish what I am doing. I want to do better than last time.’

5th June 2008 - `No thank you. I don’t want to go to the cinema with everyone. The film is so boring. Besides I have finish my Eleven Plus Work.’

`17th July 2008 - `Yes, I am finding it all a little easier. It is much better when Dad can help me. He does not nag as much – but you are good Mum at what you can do.’

19th July 2008 - `Well Dad can’t be home in time so I suppose you will have to help. Oh! I didn’t know that you could do them. Thanks Mum. You are brilliant.’

14th August 2008 - `I am going to phone Uncle Cook. I want to go to the same grammar school as he went to. I like work now. My teacher at school says I’m getting better. I am in the top group for maths now and I really like it.’

2nd September 2008 - `I know the exams are close. I can’t wait. I like doing papers – they are so easy. When I get stuck I know what to do. It is so easy now.’

28th September 2008 - `It was brill. I could do everything. Do you know Uncle Cook; I would like to be in your house at school. I can’t wait.’

Some day in March 2009 - `I can’t believe it!’

Eleven Plus Gentlemen

Be yer of oure Lord, a pousand prehondred foure score and fyue, of the secunde kyng Richard after pe Concuest nyne, in all pe gramerscoles of Englelond children leuep French, and construep and lurnep an Englysch.

This can be translated into:

In the Year of Our Lord 1385, in the ninth year of Richard 2nd, in all grammar schools in England children are abandoning French, and are construing and learning in English.

Our fixation with Grammar Schools looks as if it goes back a long way. Long ago `civilised’ children were taught in French - as if it was the speaking of French that made a person into a gentleman and a scholar.

At our local Grammar School, Gravesend School for Boys, over eighty boys, who are about to enter Year 7, are on a week long course where they are immersed in French for a week.

I wonder if the reason is to make the boys into gentlemen or if it is to give the boys a good start in French.

When Henry the Fourth seized the throne in 1399 England gained a king whose mother tongue was English. In the fifteenth century very little French was taught because it was no longer the native tongue of England.

If anyone has any firm evidence that boys who enter Grammar School are likely to become Gentlemen – please share it with the rest of us.

The Eleven Plus Quick Fix

There are no short cuts to Eleven Plus success.

Every single athlete at the approaching Olympics will have prepared and planned.

Our ten year olds also have to prepare and plan. Some will relish the challenge while others will be a lot more cautious.

Some of the grammar schools in our area require a written exercise. The English is only used for evidence - so there is no pass or fail mark.

We show the children a series of different type of essays and give help with planning. One topic was: Should there be speed cameras near schools?

We were offered a remarkably mature and carefully reasoned answer. It could have been an adult writing. In the penultimate paragraph, however, she appeared to move onto another plane and started writing about congestion charging.

If any one has ever been fined for a late payment of a congestion charge please let me know. This little would be lawyer will be able to out argue the whole of Transport for London. It seems the father paid the enhanced fine in the end.

I hope that this little one does not go to work for Transport for London in future years - otherwise we will all be paying as an super-expensive rate.

We can safely think that her Eleven Plus preparation will be meticulous and carefully planned. I doubt that she will have much to say about the amount of work she does. If she does communicate about her studies it will be to a most trusted person. She, no doubt, will have read Alice in Wonderland at a very early age:

For this ever be
A secret, kept from the rest,
Between yourself and me.

Eleven Plus and the Role of Parents

When your child sits the Eleven Plus you hope that the seat is comfortable, the desk is the right size, there is sufficient light, the room is neither too hot nor too cold and there is a reasonable amount of `quiet’ noise.

Way back in 1924 there was an experiment about lighting in America. The study was to do with the optimum amount of light for workers. The results were difficult to follow. The measured output of the test group went up with changes in light. The problem was that the work of the control group also improved. The control group did not have any changes in lighting but their output still improved.

When the lighting of the test group was lowered – the work output improved – but so did that of the control group. These surprising results were called the `Hawthorne Experiment’.

In Eleven Plus terms if parents take an interest in the Eleven Plus preparation their child’s work will improve.

If a child attends a one to one tutor the work will improve.

If a child takes part in individualised learning – the work will improve.

If a child goes on a course – the work will improve.

With a good report from school the child’s work should also improve.

There are so many different variables affecting a child’s progress towards the Eleven Plus. On our course today the children had three different `pep talks’. The first was from a teacher in a local Grammar school – talking about early days in the grammar system. The next talk came from a widely travelled teacher who stimulated the children by telling them about the need for hard work to be able to earn enough money to be able to travel. The third `pep talk’ was from a young woman who had attended a local grammar school, with wonderful results, and had just completed her first year as a medical student. She described cutting up bodies along with a need for unrelenting work.

The `Hawthorne Experiment’ took place at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in America.

We want all our children to feel inspired, involved, supported and confident.

We just hope that one day they simply: “See the light.”

Eleven Plus Power Plays

Many of our Eleven Plus children will become leaders one day. There are many definitions of the word `leader’ – but in Eleven Plus terms we could think of a leader as a person with a status that allows him or her to exercise influence over other people.

A clear cut expansion of the word `leader’ can be seen over and over again in politics. Here a leader is offered status by followers who can withdraw the leadership in a variety of ways. A coup seems a popular method these days.

A different example of leadership can be demonstrated by Michael Vaughan. He will be remembered as the captain who led England to their greatest triumph in modern day cricket, when he won the Ashes back in 2005 in one of the best Test series ever played. Here he showed leadership and was a fine example to all in the land. He was rewarded with an OBE.

As a child I was fascinated by the story of Madame Curie. She overcame so much misfortune to become a revered Nobel Prize winner for her work on radium. She was so selfless that she gave away the money she received for her prize. She was a leader – but did not live in the limelight in early years. She simply worked and focused on the task in hand. The rewards and publicity came later in life.

So a leader collects followers because he or she is superior in some way. It could be financial – in the way that men with money have taken over so many football clubs in the Premier League. In spite of their financial clout the owners have had to find leaders to manage their football clubs.

A child has to listen to parents. The parents are still the leaders of the family because they are the adults. A child can not initiate a coup. They can’t go out and buy new parents. Eleven Plus children, however, do need to be focused and have a clear picture of what they hope to achieve.

So when a mother or a father says: “Go and work.”

The child has to say: “How high?”

Website Apologies

I am sorry that part of our website is not working.

The service provider over in America had a problem - and their backup has yet to be restored.

We hope to be back to normal very soon.

Eleven Plus Anxiety

We meet children, every now and again, who are really anxious about taking a test, meeting strange teachers and the unexpected. It must be quite `normal’ for most children to feel anxious about the Eleven Plus examinations.

There is a lot riding on passing:

Gaining access to a desirable school
The promise of a good education
Meeting and making like minded friends
Enjoying an atmosphere where is it acceptable to be bright
The chance of being able to go to a `good’ university
The hope that one day a good job will emerge.

I suppose we all need to understand just what the children are worried about. We also need to appreciate just how real the concerns are. It also helps some children to realise that there are some other children who feel the same way.

How can we build confidence?

Help your child to learn that while it is important to be able to keep up – it is not essential to keep up with everyone.

Structure the day so that there is time to do the extra work involved in passing an examination. A round of activities and clubs will not leave enough time for study and contemplation.

Help your child to understand what is in the examination. Go over the language that will be used in the instructions on how to do the test.

Do lots of work on meeting deadlines – especially with practice papers.

Build timing into the daily life of the family. “How time flies when you are having fun,” is true. “How time flies in an examination,” is equally apposite. Help your child to wear and use a watch! (I recently met a mother who talked about her child and problems with timing. She did not wear a watch and neither did her child. This is fine for daily life – but not in a pressured examination situation.)

Try to reason with your child about what needs to be done immediately and what can wait.

Develop a climate of confidence where parents and Eleven Plus children feel that they can speak freely about worries and perceived anxiety.

Try not to believe and hope that it will: “Be all right on the day.” Your child may not believe you.