The 11 Plus Exam Blog

Eleven Plus Hugs and Kisses

2010-02-08T19:55:00.001Z

Do you remember the bit towards the end of Act II of Sleeping Beauty when the young prince, with some of his court, goes on a picnic to the forest? Gallison, the Prince’s aide, tells of seeing a stag. The Prince’s companions hurry away to join the hunt.

The Prince decides to stay – and dreams of romantic love.

The Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora – who is fast asleep. The Prince follows the Lilac Fairy to the palace where Aurora lies. He enters the palace and awakens her with a kiss.

The magic spell is broken.

There can not be one single eleven plus parent who has not read this story to their much loved child.

There may be a few parents, when they give their child a final good night kiss, who wish that something would happen to awaken the true potential. How do parents know that their child has `true potential’? There are signs.

He or she is possibly more interested in science than most other subjects.

It is feasible too that he or she knows more than other children of the same age. This could be possibly because he or she has read a much wider range of books.

He or she is often `hard’ on any potential failings on the part of the teacher – and is quite capable of expressing his or her views on schools in general and teachers in particular.

There may be sweeping visits to a wide range of after school activities – until something strikes a chord.

The parents of an eleven plus child will be vitally interested in any progress – and will be able to recall each and every single social, emotional, intellectual and physical event.

Of course eleven plus papers will be coped with easily. Sometimes it may look as if the drive towards excellence is slipping – but this may be down to test fatigue rather than a temporary lessoning of ability.

At times too it may look as if motivation is a problem. This may be very difficult for parents to cope with.

But parents are wiser than their children. Parents know that they must be confident and not force confrontation. Every parent knows that what ever has happened during the day will be forgotten after the last good night hug and kiss.

Eleven Plus Children Need Cats

2010-02-07T14:09:00.006Z

I read an amazing article yesterday but did not comment on it as I needed a bit more information. I have spent the last twenty four hours trying to find out just how many cats there are in the country that eleven plus children may be able to adopt.

According to an article by Matthew Moore in The Daily Telegraph, on the 6th of February 2010, scientists felt that cat owners were more intelligent than dog owners. Does this mean that you need to get hold of a cat before your child can pass the eleven plus?

The article does not claim that cats are more intelligent than dogs. It simply found that there were more university graduates in homes where cats rule supreme.

Do homes with cats succeed with eleven plus verbal reasoning tests? If any one has ever heard of a cat answering an eleven plus question - I would be more grateful if you would be kind enough to share this with me.

We do know that a dog will sit beside your child while he or she is doing eleven plus work - but a cat will sit on it.

We remember Mark Twain who maintained that cats are more intelligent than people believe and they can be taught any crime. (I am sure this is not true of any eleven plus children.)

Finally, and for this we have to be grateful to Alfred North Whitehead, "If a dog jumps into your lap it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing it is because your lap is warmer."

Eleven Plus Standardisation

2010-02-06T15:41:00.000Z

If a select number of children receive help towards the eleven plus examination does it mean that the norms associated with eleven plus examinations are meaningless? After all when the tests were standardised did the cohort of children who made up the sample of children include children who had been offered top quality extra tuition?

If any coaching is given towards a test then the norms must become suspect and possibly unsatisfactory. Years ago the promotion of teachers, and the payment of teachers, was based around the results their children obtained in school. Think of the outcry today if a group of children in one class were given extra tuition – and so helped the school teacher with promotion and / or payment!

Familiarity with a test must lead to artificially high results. We hear of eleven plus teachers who base their whole teaching around one particular type of paper. Will this help their charges to be among the elite? It is very hard to call.

A cry must then be heard. What is the actual potential of the children compared with those the eleven plus tests were standardised on? Parts of verbal reasoning tests rely on good reading and vocabulary skills. Children who do not come from homes where parents read are possibly handicapped. A boy or a girl who has been read to from an early age and has a desire to read for reading’s sake is likely to enjoy grappling with many parts of verbal reasoning tests.

When eleven plus results are published schools quite rightly take lots of the credit for the number of children who pass. It is likely that an eleven plus candidate, who has been offered the very best of eleven plus opportunities, and has, therefore, benefited from good teaching at school and at home, will enjoy the whole build up towards the eleven plus.

We are not told about the standardisation of the actual eleven plus tests – other than knowing that standardisation is an effort to make the tests as fair as possible to all children. Perhaps in the final analysis we do not need to know about who the tests are standardised on. What we must be concerned with is that the content of eleven plus tests is becoming so predictable that some children must be force feed into trying to pass while other children must become no more than passive learners.

There may be a case for more transparency about the nature of the questions within the actual eleven plus examination – and more openness about who the tests were standardised on.

Eleven Plus Questions

2010-02-05T20:38:00.000Z

The nature of the final eleven plus examination determines the organisation of the preparation for the examination. There is little value, for example, in an eleven plus child learning Mongolian – if Mongolian is not tested in the examination. (Looking at some eleven plus questions, however, makes one think, at times, that an eleven plus child may better off learning Mongolian than struggle through some poorly phrased questions.)

The eleven plus papers that children work through are really statements of the objectives of the examination. It is possible to be a good eleven plus teacher by teaching only to the eleven plus examination. It may be possible to be a better eleven plus teacher by teaching towards the examination – but also including work that has greater depth and purpose.

Most, but not all, eleven plus tests are multiple choice. If a school has been trying to encourage a child to show both understanding and the ability to generalise then the rigid eleven plus curriculum is likely to force some children down narrow paths.

The analysis of a number of eleven plus practice papers suggests that some elements of the eleven plus look only at facts and methods of solving problems. There is no place for a diagnostic eleven plus test on the day of the actual examination.

Some multiple choice eleven plus questions allow little opportunity to diagnose why a child has made a mistake. If a question asks for an answer in metres – and centimetres is selected then this could be as a result of a number of reasons.

It would be very difficult to mark vast numbers of essay or expository type questions which asked ten year olds to organise their thoughts and give reasons for their answers. This would, however, offer the potential to reward good teaching at school.

Think back to the days when you were at school and you were encouraged to write the General Paper. Your teacher would have reminded you that pupils who were taught to write good essays were also better at answering multiple choice questions.

If only elements of the eleven plus tests could examine general reasoning and judgement rather than relying solely on directing an eleven year old to learn a prescriptive 19 or 21 different types of reasoning questions.

Memo to the constructors of current Eleven Plus Papers:

“Could do better.”

Eleven Plus Ambition

2010-02-04T08:23:00.001Z

You may care to ask your child why he or she really wants to become a doctor. After all most parents would swell with pride if their child stated that becoming a doctor was the most important reason why he or she wanted to go to a grammar school. It may be possible that parents will have more influence on their child’s career choice than the teachers at primary school.

The first reason that a child may offer in support of the `I want to be a doctor’ statement may be `for the money’.

A child may come into contact with someone in the family who is associated with medicine. “My mum is a doctor, so is my dad.”

An interest in science may trigger a desire to study medicine.

In some cases it may be the pressure of ambitions parents who will want their child to join a most prestigious profession.

There will have been characters in history like Florence Nightingale and Marie Curie who could possible have stimulated an interest in medicine.

It could be that the school a child attends plays a part in the choice of a career when senior school is reached.

One thing, at the eleven plus stage that is very clear, is that it is the high achievers who will have most chance of becoming doctors.

Noses to the grindstone please.

The Eleven Plus and Poorer Families

2010-02-03T21:11:00.001Z

In 1965, when a few of our current eleven plus parents may have been but a twinkle in the eye, the Public Schools Commission was set up under Sir John Newsom. The august body was tasked with finding the best way of integrating the public schools with the state system.

The Secretary of State felt that the government intended that public schools should make the greatest possible contribution to the country’s educational needs. There was a strong desire, in some quarters, that public schools should be progressively open to boys and girls irrespective of the income of their parents.

In the autumn of 1967 the commission was asked to extend its review to look at the direct grant grammar schools.

If fees were paid by the local authorities, the commission felt that it would take only about seven years to overcome the `socially divisive’ nature of schools.

By all accounts this was not a popular solution. One fear was that the `maladjusted’ would be favoured – and thus gain entry to the hitherto elite schools.

There are scholarships today that the very brightest and the most capable can apply for. The scholarship examinations that children meet today are often demanding and are set to stretch.

The present fee barrier, however, compels many schools to attract the children of those most financially able. The grammar schools were intended, in the early days, to provide opportunities to bright children whose parents were less well heeled.

In the great rush towards the eleven plus the children of parents who can afford books, papers, tuition, broadband and computers are probably going to do better in an eleven plus examination than children from poorer families. In today’s world this is patently unfair.

The content of verbal reasoning papers should be examined to try to ensure that the questions are not biased towards children who have ability – but not the opportunity to study on a level playing field. In my work I meet clever children who could struggle with some questions on a verbal reasoning test because their vocabularies are not strong enough. The must be more to passing an eleven plus examination than having a strong reading vocabulary.

If, however, a strong reading vocabulary is a key component – then some parents should be urged to encourage their child to read as much as possible.

Eleven Plus Results

2010-02-02T19:48:00.000Z

There have been great technological advances in recent years. Many different tests and papers have been developed and a whole industry has built up around the eleven plus examinations. The tests and exercises, however, look only at restricted aspects of entry methods to grammar schools and do not look at the whole child. A verbal reasoning test result can not be used to gauge if a grammar school child will turn out to be lazy and unwilling.

Tests are used to rank children in a particular order. Testing at the eleven plus level can not measure loyalty or perseverance. After all, eleven plus tests results only report on a child’s progress at a given point in time.

We have girl who is with us working towards her SATs tests. When she was working on pre eleven plus mathematics back in July and August she found the work hard. She was a little more confident as the examinations approached. She can now tackle almost anything that is thrown at her. For her the eleven plus examinations arrived about 120 days too early.

We had a different girl with us last year. She failed the eleven plus by one mark. Her father wanted to appeal. Her mother, however, did not want her daughter to go to the grammar school. The school were willing to support an appeal – but the mother maintained that if her daughter had been meant to go to grammar school she would have passed first time.

Eleven Plus Siblings

2010-02-01T18:54:00.001Z

The Italian criminologist, Cesare Lombroso, came up with the theory that genius is akin to insanity. He also had many other theories – but none of them would apply to any normal eleven plus child. He thought that insanity and instability – and in some cases degeneracy – accompanied genius. We are fortunate that much of his work is unproved.

Genius includes only the topmost fraction of 1% of our population in terms of both ability and achievement. The Eleven Plus examination does not even come close to investigating ability at this level. Children who score full marks on eleven plus papers could be investigated – if their parents wanted another label. A genius is someone who excels in performance. A near genius misses out by a matter of degree.

Francis Galton learned to read at two and a half. He signed his name at three and wrote a letter when he was four.

"My Dear Adele,

I am four years old and can read any English book. I can say all the Latin substantives and adjectives and active verbs besides 52 lines of Latin poetry. I can cast up any sum in addition and multiply by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10. I can also say the pence table. I can read French a little and I know the clock.

Francis Galton
February 15th 1827”

Many of our eleven plus children can also write letters telling of wonderful achievements.

Dear Francis

I am but six years older but I can also read. I do verbal and non verbal reasoning exercises – and advanced mathematics as well. I am expected to work under pressure of time – and answer lots of questions very quickly. I have also learnt where and when to use paragraphs.

My sister says that I am mad to try for the eleven plus. She is already at grammar school but says I have no chance. I keep telling her that I am a genius in disguise – but she does not listen.

Eleven Plus Candidate
February 2nd 2010.

Eleven Plus Luck

2010-01-31T19:40:00.001Z

Lucky eleven plus children! Some parents may find it difficult to offer help and advice to their children - who have the skills to be able to cope effectively with a rapidly changing world. New technology has had a profound impact on accepted modes of eleven plus preparation.

The revolution in communication, with the impact of the internet, has shown a spectacular increase in methods of interaction. It does seem as if the eleven plus examination bodies are not able to cope with the change. Few children, for example, will have approached the eleven plus without having taken at least one on line eleven plus test.

Naturally many parents will embrace new technology at a faster pace than their children. Communication with a family is, however, changing. At one time the family sat around the table for the Sunday roast. The pace of the day would have been determined by a desire to embrace the whole family in a key event.

Today conversations on a Sunday can be around a table but some form of social networking can embellish and add to the day. Add an email, throw in a tweet, mix a little MSN and see the missing members of the family on face book. The family can still sit around the table – but the conversation can start well before the meal and continue strongly afterwards.

In just the same way today’s eleven plus children do not need to rely on traditional methods of preparation. Lucky children!

The Teeth of the Eleven Plus

2010-01-30T16:12:00.000Z

How doth the little crocodile...

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

At what stage does the eleven plus become additive for parents and children? There must be something seductive about the books, the papers, the websites and the tutors that draws ordinary and sensible parents into the jaws of the examination.

The trumpet call goes out:

“We need more papers.”

“We need harder work.”

“Please give me more advice.”

“My fears keep building. What happens if?”

The eleven plus has the potential to rip into the homes of normal families and cause havoc and mayhem. The quest is there for those elusive, yet magical, marks. Parents and children know how much work they need to do and can calculate how much has been done. The one key, and very grey area, is that we do not know what the actual questions are going to be in the real examination.

Parents have to face key questions in their lives:

“Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?” It would be a mistake to be facetious at this point in the ceremony.

“Do you know the speed limit in built up areas?” There would be a price for not knowing that answer.

“Why did Thor Heyerdahl sail the Kon Tiki between South America and the islands of Polynesia?” This must be essential reading for eleven plus children.

Can any eleven plus parent tempt fate, spurn the hype, and let their child just do their best? Of course they can. The problem is that those little smiling teeth are sharp.

Eleven Plus Knots

2010-01-29T20:45:00.002Z

Some parents may occasionally feel deep frustration that their bright, articulate and promising eleven plus candidate does not seem to be grasping an intelligent, knowledgeable and succinct explanation. (In other words, “What?”)

When a parent is teaching, or working through an unfamiliar procedure, then a primary aim is to build a good attitude towards the exercise. Parents will be trying to build knowledge, skills, confidence and attitude.

The frustration may come about for a number of causes. Did the eleven plus candidate simply not understand the various steps of the explanation or discussion? Was the work too hard or too easy? Would the over burdened child rather be doing something else? Were you, as a parent, in a slight hurry because you had a further thirty five things to do before YOU went to bed?

Of course you will realise that when you are working on an unfamiliar task you have wisdom, experience and, hopefully, a whole lot more ability than your child. All you have to do is to maintain a constant reappraisal of your behaviour. It is no good hurrying because it will take longer in the end. It is no good delaying providing a solution, and relying on the much loved partner, because you never know what and when something is going to happen.

When you are learning something with your child you are not starting from scratch. You already have a body of knowledge. You also have the confidence that you have solved bigger problems than one stuck in the middle of an obscure eleven plus paper.

Do you remember when you were teaching your child to tie shoelaces? It was fun. There was much laughter. You were patient. You allowed for constant repetition. Sometimes you even sang a little song. (I don’t remember the words or the tune – but think that it was something to do with rabbit ears crossing over.)

If you don’t tie the knot in the right order, however, the shoelace comes undone.

This will probably be last time in your child’s life when you are in such a position of power over learning. After all how will you keep up with the knowledge required for twelve A* grades at GCSE? How will you help with all of the necessary driving lessons? (You may, however, get a call one Sunday morning from university asking how long it takes to roast a leg of lamb – but that could be sporadic help rather than a sustained push.)

If some parents do start feeling that their child can learn – but won’t learn - then they are not alone. Parents are, however, rather cunning. Do you remember the time you helped your child to tie that shoelace for the first time – and the little beauty then pulled the lace out of the shoe? Do you remember what you did? It is unlikely that you allowed an argument to develop – all you would have done is tie a knot on each side.

Of course if your eleven plus child won’t learn you could mutter: “Oh, just tie a knot in it!”

The Fairness of the Eleven Plus

2010-01-28T19:36:00.001Z

The protests over the Biology examination that were posted on Facebook are entirely relevant to the present system of the eleven plus.

Can an eleven plus examining body pose questions in new and different ways? Of course they can. But is it fair? How would you feel if your eleven plus child complained that there were unexpected questions? We ran eleven plus courses for around six hundred children last year. One mother (out of the entire cohort) complained because her daughter met a section of work that was not in the `official Eleven Plus syllabus'. As a mother she had every right to complain because her child met unexpected work. We were told that her child had done all the eleven plus papers - and that the addition of something unexpected could knock her child's confidence.

We add bits and pieces to courses because we deal with some very bright children - who expect to get full marks. Their eyes sparkle when they meet something unexpected. Their antennae quiver. Their brains engage - and solving an unexpected problem gives an obvious thrill.

Do eleven plus teachers teach towards an `average eleven plus pass' or is their role to try to cater, occasionally, for the very brightest?

Do the upset `A' level students have a case? Of course they do. Why should an examination board experiment with the futures of so many?

2010-01-27T21:33:00.000Z

Mums and Dads sometimes worry about the speed that their children are answering questions. It could be useful to look back at the work down in 1957 by Schonell. (Diagnosis and Remedial Teaching in Arithmetic – Oliver and Boyd) The Schonells were immensely important in their day because of their original and ground breaking work.

The relevance for today is because their heyday was around the time the eleven plus was being established. They explained in a fresh manner the reasons why general intelligence was an important factor in determining success in arithmetic.

“We no longer set the bulk of our pupils of 9 – 10 advanced problems requiring a mental age of 11 to 12 years, and examination papers for the selection of pupils for secondary schools no longer contain the unfamiliar problems that caused difficulty to the teachers themselves.” (Schonell, Page 7 in my 1958 Impression.)

In some areas in England the eleven plus has been moved to September to allow the Authority to mark papers and give out results. Parents can choose their schools for their children on the basis of published eleven plus results. To pass the eleven plus comfortably children writing mathematics papers do need to be able to calculate at an age of 11 to 12 years.

Eleven plus parents will understand the reasons why general intelligence contributes towards ability in solving problems. Sample eleven plus papers, however, sometimes contain material that has not yet been taught at school. How then is a child supposed to be able to answer the problems – much less do the work quickly and confidently?

If children are pushed too quickly through eleven plus work they can, sometimes, lose a little confidence. No wonder their work slows down at times.

A great problem with the eleven plus is that it is an examination that some children `have’ to pass. If the eleven plus existed to broaden the experience of children before their move to secondary school then it would be possible to allow our bright children to develop in their own time. Sadly a host of bright children have to rise to the occasion on the same day at exactly the same time.

A slight hesitation on a question that has been covered in a lesson, or on a sample paper, or through the hands of a capable teacher and especially by fond parents, then timing can be compromised. Some bright children just love to solve problems. A nice juicy little problem, where the answer is tantalisingly close, could help to cause the clock to run down.

Eleven Plus Mums and Dads will recall Chris de Burgh’s `Timing is Everything’.

“Just like when you are finally near the lover of your dreams,

And as you stand there waiting she turns and walks away,

And you discover that timing is everything,

You’ve got to get it right, timing is everything in life.”

As you tuck your prize eleven plus candidate into bed, sing the words in your favoured Chris de Burgh voice. Then settle down to explain the meaning of the words. You might be surprised by your child’s response.

The Significance of the Eleven Plus

2010-01-26T19:58:00.001Z

A very pleasant mother came in today and looked over her eleven plus daughter’s shoulder while we were marking a rounding exercise. Mum started arguing with her daughter about the difference between rounding and significant figures. The pair agreed to ask the father to be the final arbiter – and that both parties would agree on his decision. The mother then smiled, and said very quietly: “My maths result was better than his.”

The daughter, then smiled and said: “We agree on rounding, but not on significant figures.”

When a measurement is given as 124 cm we know that this is an accurate measurement in terms of centimetres – as no millimetres appear to be involved. 124 is correct to three significant figures.

A number 0.00897 is correct to three significant figures because it is possible to ignore the leading zeros.

When a zero comes between other digits we then count it. 0.0205 is correct to three significant figures.

0.230 is not correct to three significant figures since the 0 is not significant.

But

123.73 – 34.63 = 89.10 – so the zero is significant. (But 89.1 is significant to three significant figures.)

But

43.56 times 1.8 = 78 because the product of two approximate numbers has no more accurate significant digits than the smaller of the number of significant figures. (I would be very interested to hear your explanation of this last statement to your nine year old!)

It may be politic to suggest to your child that it would be better to calculate the question using all the digits – and then try to sort out if they are significant or not.

Those of us who had to read Macbeth at school will remember Macbeth talking about Lady Macbeth’s death. He starts off: `She should have died hereafter. There would have been time for such a word.’ Macbeth then goes on to declaim: `Out, Out brief candle’. This is followed by, `It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’

If your significant other is brave enough to argue with your explanation of significant figures, simply remind `the other’ of what happened to both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Eleven Plus Epigenetics

2010-01-25T08:28:00.001Z

Time Magazine, January 2010, had an article about epigenetics. I had heard term used in describing gene mutations but had not realised the implications for our children growing up today. Up in the northern part of Norway there were years of famine and overabundance. Dr Lars Olov Bygren built a random sample of individuals born in 1905 – and went back to look at their parents and grandparents. The doctor and his colleagues worked out how much food was available.

We have long held that evolution took place over millions of years – but it looks as if starvation can leave an imprint on genes. The research by Bygren, showed that boys who went from ordinary eating to gluttony in a single season had sons and grandsons who lived for shorter lives. At first it looks as if the gap was six years – but checking and rechecking developed the gap to an average of 32 years. The research was replicated in a slightly different way with girls – with similar results.

A single winter of over eating could initiate a biological chain that could lead to the death of children and grandchildren years earlier than could be expected.

This is where the mother and fathers of eleven plus children will need to look back at their own lives. Was there a year at university when more alcohol than food was consumed? Did the year out, travelling to the Far East, living on rice and moon shine promote the foundations for the early demise of future generations?

We already know that smoking and over eating can cause us to live shorter lives – but it looks as if these habits can, to a degree, to be passed on to our children. The Time Magazine article looked at research done in England – published in 2006. The 166 men who smoked before they were 11 produced children who were fatter than other children.

Are there implications beyond obesity and longevity? Are children who work on eleven plus papers likely to have children who work on eleven plus papers? We hope so. If, however, mum and dad didn’t eat the right foods, and drank and smoked too much, then it is possible, but we are not sure how likely it is, that their children will struggle with eleven plus papers.

But – and there is always a `but’ – epigenetic changes do not represent evolution – it seems possible that they are a biological response to an environmental change. We all remember Augustus back in AD 402 who said: ` For many, total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.’ Children will argue: "Not too many papers please!"

Eleven Plus Analogies

2010-01-24T18:09:00.000Z

Have you ever wondered how eleven plus questions come to be written?

First of all there is a little story to tell.

When Kenya turned up to play Uganda in 1935 there was a small problem. Both teams had white rugby jerseys. An enterprising woman spectator, by chance, had a bottle of black dye. She used the physio’s water bucket and changed the colour of the home shirts. The Ugandan team have worn black shirts ever since. The woman’s name is probably lost to posterity – but her legacy lives on.

Much the same thing must have with eleven plus questions. One writer will develop an analogy `white is to black as hot is to …’ A different, and possibly more enterprising, eleven plus writer will try hard to develop the theme. It is also as likely that the writing of the eleven plus question will have been done by a woman. It is more likely that the teaching of the eleven plus question will have been done by a woman.

When the original eleven plus questions were written girls had the opportunity of going to grammar school. Over the years the curriculum in girls’ schools has changed. Many sixth forms combine with boys and girls being offered equal opportunities in the depth and breadth of examinations. It is likely that forty years ago more boys than girls would have gone to university – but this is changing today.

It is likely that in time more women than men will be employed – and it is possible that by the time this present crop of eleven plus girl grow up - that women will be the primary breadwinners.

Especially in today’s hard economic times women hold the key to the family’s fortune. Working mothers will have their own car - which they are paying for. Eleven plus lessons and material will be paid for by the mothers – not out of housekeeping as would have happened forty years ago – but out of money earned for themselves and the family.

It is possibly of even more importance that the present President of the United States was raised by a single woman. There is no doubt that mothers on their own are often passionate about trying to ensure that their child has the best possible opportunity at school. These are mothers who can not argue about who gets to clean the bath and empty the rubbish. They just have to get on with it. They hope that their eleven plus children assimilate the same values and determination.

Now for a few eleven plus analogies. Please supply your own solution.

White is to black as woman are to

Rugby is to sport as woman are to

Girls are to the Eleven Plus as woman are to

Eleven Plus questions are to the Eleven Plus as woman are to

The Eleven Plus and Looking Good

2010-01-23T19:16:00.001Z

It has never got easier for men and women. If they are dissatisfied about a portion of their body all they have to do is make an appointment, draw a large amount of money from the bank (or credit card) and submit to the knife.

There are even some forms of body enhancement, I understand, that can be accomplished in the lunch hour. Some eleven plus parents may feel the need to rush home to help their child with a paper – so an `after hours solution’ could be difficult. Imagine the decision – a Botox top up against an eleven plus paper! There would be no contest.

Some procedures, again I understand, are completed within the space of a film. It is therefore possible to re-watch Bridget Jones’s Diary while having a little lipo suction on the stomach. Of course the surgeon would advise you not to laugh at the funny bits in the film – but that could be a matter of choice.

We will all remember the story of Jocelyn Wildenstein who spent just on two million dollars in her efforts to improve her body. She tried to make her face look more like a cat in an effort to keep her husband’s interest.

If Jocelyn had had two million to spend on her face and body – just think of what she could have done in the world of the eleven plus.

Section 1
Full face lift £3000 (but can cost up to £9000).
Ten eleven plus free papers.

Section 2
Botox Treatment £300
Three eleven plus books £21

Section 3
Porcelain veneers £20000
A tutor for a year £1000

Section 4
Breast Augmentation Package £3500
Help from Mum and Dad £0

There will always be parents who are lucky enough to have an eleven plus child who does not need to work through papers, rejects a tutor and passes with flying colours. There may also be some parents who balance the cost of buttock implants against additional help for their child.

Good luck to the cosmetic parade of the parents of some eleven plus children. Good luck to their children if one of the parents does have cosmetic surgery. After all it is important to look good at the school gate.

Eleven Plus Respect

2010-01-22T18:10:00.001Z

At one time or another we are all going to have to read Barack Obama’s `Dreams From My Father’. There is a moving passage were he writes about his grandfather. There is an interesting section which ends with the words: “And because of his politeness and responsible ways, he became an elder in Kendu and many came to seek his advice.’

Mr. Obama described how before the white people came to his home country each family had their own compound, but they all lived by the laws of the elders. He commented on the role of the elders and maintained that the words of the elders were followed strictly – and that any that disobeyed would have to leave and start anew in another country.

How do eleven plus children respect their elders? Some will work unstintingly with never a cross word. Others will feel aggrieved at the very idea of doing any work. Some parents will be respected others may have to work hard to earn the respect of their children.

I well remember coming to see a doctor with one of my children out of hours on a Sunday morning. I was surprised to be greeted by him as he was not wearing any shoes, he was clearly unshaven and his shirt was hanging out of his trousers. I respected his expertise as he drew the symptoms out of my child. He was extremely patient and he clearly liked children as he immediately struck up a rapport with my decidedly unworldly and miserable child. He was on call – but on call on his terms.

I recently met a head who described the confusion in the staff room when he argued the case for all the male teachers to wear ties. His cogent argument was that children would respect authority – if authority respected children,

Barack Obama commands respect because he personifies responsibility and leadership.

The doctor commanded respect for his expertise and his obvious interest in children.

The head demanded respect because he was prepared to take on the might of the staffroom.

How can parents command respect while eleven plus work is going on? Some will earn respect because of their ability to separate and combine the dual roles of teacher and parent. Other eleven plus parents may, on occasions, need to demand respect – especially if the child forgets that his or her parents are adults, parents and bread earners.

The Eleven Plus and Chess

2010-01-21T17:50:00.003Z

One game that has been played all over the world - and at many different levels - is chess. Over the year there have been many writers on the subject and many newspapers carry daily comment on past and present games.

Chess is all about the triumph involved in the words `Check Mate'. You are trying to create a situation where you develop your pieces to try to capture your opponent's king. You need your own army. How many people in real life can create their own warrior army? To force mate you need:

King and Queen
King and Rook
King and two Bishops
King, Knight and Bishop

Chess is about attack and defense. There are moves that can be studied and learnt. There is a place for revision and consolidation. There is the challenge of trying to beat an opponent. At times a chess player could play against a vastly superior player.

As many people know, there is considerable potential pleasure in teaching some one else to play chess. Helping some one else to do well in the eleven plus examination must be a similar experience. Eleven plus papers can, to some, present similar exciting challenges to the learner and the teacher.

Eleven Plus Criteria

2010-01-20T19:49:00.001Z

There is a website that advertises that they are an independent organisation specialising in scouting young players for professional football clubs. The scouting is done, according to the website, by professional coaches. At this point I need to declare that I know nothing about the organisation other than what is available on the website. I can not endorse or condone any activity. I just like the idea of professionals taking time to look at children with ability and potential.

The cost appears to be little. It is but £5.00 to register and £20.00 for the trial day.

“Mother, please let go on the trial day. It should be so much fun. I really want to play football professionally.”

“The literature does not say if girls can also attend. Perhaps we can contact them. I know you love football. Surely you would prefer to pass your eleven plus?”

We must wonder if something like a trial day can be organised for the eleven plus. There is so much more to a child that a single overall eleven plus pass or fail mark.

Parents could simply register their child for an eleven plus day. Teachers from a number of local grammar schools could meet the children and watch interaction and communication. The teachers could look for leadership skills and the ability to organise oneself. (Has he or she remembered his or her coat?)

Specialist teachers could meet key children and discuss common interests. Suppose, for example, there is a bright and highly musical child with outstanding musical skills but relatively poor mathematics. This child may not pass the eleven plus. Enter a champion from the music department of the grammar school who could argue a convincing case for the child to be offered a place. It is always galling to hear of a bright ten year old being rejected for the eleven plus – in spite of extraordinary ability in other fields.

A different ten year old, wishing to win a place in a grammar school, may be uncommonly suited to life in a canoe. This child may have the potential to be picked for an England canoe team in a few short years time. Of course it can be argued that first of all the child had to prove academic potential by passing the eleven plus. The discussion could then continue that once the child is in the grammar school he or she could then develop with both sport and academic studies. The same child, however, if a grammar school place was not offered, could lose interest in learning and academic studies. The physical education specialist at the grammar school, after observing the child in action, may want to do build a case for the child’s inclusion.

“Young Ben (or Sarah) is clearly outstanding at canoeing. He (she) has an impressive physique at this stage – and should certainly be part of our rowing team over the next few years. His (her) marks at school are sound. He (she) is clearly motivated. If he (she) reaches a good enough grade, we should serious consider making an offer.”

The eleven plus pass mark could then be broadened to include observations by specialist teachers who could mentor precocious candidates. Grammar schools must want the best candidates.

Eleven Plus Goals

2010-01-19T19:34:00.001Z

“Mother, I am very grateful to you for all the eleven plus work you are doing with me. Can we sit down and chat about it?”

“Of course, dear, what do you want to talk about?”

“Well Mum. There are some things that I can do on my own. Yet you want to help me. But I don’t need any extra help on some things.”

“Oh dear. Do you think that I am interfering?”

“Well not always. But it is hard when you try to help with verbal reasoning. You know you are not as good as Dad. It just takes so much time when you try to work out the answers.”

“Well I am better at maths than your dad.”

“Of course, Mum. I was just saying that I would sometimes prefer to try on my own.”

“You are a clever and a sensible child. Thank you for sharing your feelings with me.”

“Mum.”

“Yes?”

“The other thing that I hate is when you tell me to set goals. I hate setting goals.”

“I don’t understand. You Dad and I are always setting goals. And they work!”

“But I always feel that the goals I set are the goals you want. If I have to set goals, why can’t I set them with out you trying to change them?”

“All right then. What gaol do you want?”

“I just want to get to level three on my Christmas game.”

(At this stage the play ends. The final scene shows a mother beating up her eleven plus child with a big pillow. Do children really know how to wind their parents up?)

Eleven Plus Boys and Girls

2010-01-18T20:48:00.000Z

The Eleven Plus is a rather particular examination – in the sense it is one piece of culture that has not been exported all over the world. It is possible that the European Community would have offered opinions on the role of human rights within the circle of the Eleven Plus. In America and other countries in the world, children are not faced with a potentially challenging examination. Why do some parents feel the need push and pull their children to pass the examination?

The Sioux Indians may not have been able to offer opinions on the Eleven Plus – but we may learn something from them. Soon after the fifth birthday brothers and sisters had to learn to avoid eye contact and were never allowed to talk to each other.

“You are a Sioux; you may not talk to your brother. Just leave him alone. Do not look at him.”

Sioux girls play games in preparation for life as a virtuous mother. Contact with males is kept, when possible, to a minimum. Girls had to learn sew, cook and conserve food.

Life was different for boys.

“Mother, one day I will catch a rabbit with my bare hands. I will bring it you.” This is not boasting. This is preparation for a life time of hunting. Boys of course called on spiritual powers to help them to hunt, seek food and fight off intruders or the enemy. Before a boy could show that he was good fighter he had to touch a dangerous enemy in battle.

What happened in the Sioux family was that a boy would bring the best of the kill to his sister. She would do her best to prepare as good a meal as possible for her brother. The family bond was strong.

Some parents must wish for a strong bond within the family as one or another of their children approach the eleven plus. Some children find pressure from siblings hard to deal with.

How often have Eleven Plus mothers had to say to their daughters: “Do not talk to your brother. Leave him alone. Do not look at him. He is working. Stop teasing.”

How often have eleven plus boys said to their mothers; “Don’t worry mum. I will pass. There is nothing to worry about. Please tell her to leave me alone!”

The Eleven Plus Snowman

2010-01-17T15:30:00.001Z

The Magic Snowman

It all started when I built the snowman. The snowman had a funny face, his face was upside down, and he had a sparkly hat.
When night time came he came to life.
I was asleep and I woke up to see what was happening as I heard a crash. I came rushing downstairs and the snowman was alive. I was shocked.
I went to call mum and dad but the snowman stopped me and said, “Don’t tell your parents, I am your secret.”
The snowman sprinkled some magic snow and quick as a flash we were at the dockyard. We went on a steam paddle boat. The boat went over a lake that leads to a steam museum.
Then he sprinkled some more magic snow and all the stuff that had been invented came to life.
We watched the steam machines work as they did in the olden days.
I said to the snowman, “Are you thinking what I am thinking?”
“Yes” said the snowman, “Let’s go to the war museum.”

The snowman sprinkled more magic snow and they were soon on a steam locomotive.
The locomotive did not have much power so the snowman sprinkled some more magic snow and the locomotive went a thousand miles an hour.
After the snowman had sprinkled more magic snow the figures came to life and the tanks began to work. The tanks shot at the bad tanks. The war planes came to life and soon they were having a dog fight. Pretend bombs started to explode.
The snowman said, “I think we should go to another museum as this is getting a bit rough!”
Bang bang boom boom! Off went the bombs.
A good tank launched a missile and it went down the barrel of the bad tank and after a few minutes the tank exploded. BANG! BOOM off went the bad tank when it exploded into lots of piece of burnt metal.

The snowman sprinkled magic snow on himself and onto me and we started to fly and we flew to the science museum. We looked at the rockets and the snowman filled up the engines with rocket fuel. The rockets started to go all over the place. We were dizzy because they were circling around us. And then the snowman sprinkled some magic snow over everything else in the museum and everything came to life. Cars were driving about and trains were all over the place and lots of science experiments began to work on their own.

The snowman sprinkled some more magic snow and suddenly we were home and I was asleep and the snowman was outside.
In the morning I went to see the snowman but he had melted at night time.
The End!

Dictated by Kai (Six and a half years old.)

On course for the Eleven Plus?

Eleven Plus Reinforcement

2010-01-16T16:25:00.000Z

A basic concept in eleven plus learning is that of reinforcement. Every eleven plus child will easily recognise the relationship between the words `reinforcement’ and `reward’.

“If you work hard towards the eleven plus you will get your reward. You know you want a place in your grammar school.”

Common sense, however, tells us that reinforcement is a matter of continual progress – whereas the concept of a reward being a grammar school place is more abstract. Parents will try to make a place at the grammar school the long term reward – and can try to reinforce the position by driving past the grammar school every day. Walking through the doors of the grammar school on the front day is a reward – but there will need to have been many steps in between.

Positive eleven plus reinforcement can be any stimulus that will encourage a child to work towards the examination. Negative reinforcement can be the thousand and one little niggles along the way that can turn a child off learning and studying.

A parent can start, for example, with the best of intentions by offering three pounds for every completed eleven plus paper. After the child has accumulated twenty odd pounds, he or she may begin to weigh up the effort of `slaving’ for another three pounds against the prospect of earning a bit more money. Some children may be prepared to work for nothing – while others may possible call for an increase in payment.

If the money is only supplied on an irregular basis – then again the prospect of adding to the piggy bank may appear to be too remote to be of interest. If, however, your child has had some positive reinforcement over the past hundred eleven plus exercise – it is likely that you will have built up a reservoir good will – and this should act as a positive bridging agent.

Just because your eleven plus child does not perform well on a paper does not mean that your child is not learning properly. It could mean that the paper is not testing what has been taught or learnt. Eleven plus children must wish, sometimes, that he or she is tested on what a has been learnt rather than establish what has not yet been learnt.

Parents check, and reinforce, what has been learnt by trying to repeat similar exercises. The reward is then the satisfaction of being able to do the exercise, or the pat on the shoulder or the extra trip to the cinema.

Parents will earn their reward from that carelessly thrown `thanks’.

Eleven Plus Questions

2010-01-15T20:32:00.007Z

What is the ultimate purpose of the eleven plus?

Should the eleven plus consider wider aspects than that of simply addressing the ability to pass an examination?

Is the raison d'etre of the eleven plus to help children to learn to think?

Does the examination exist to try to challenge children to solve problems?

Has the examination become distorted by the publishers of eleven plus material?

Does the examination rely too much on old fashioned methods of teaching?

If the eleven plus changed would grammar schools need to change?

Should there be extra eleven plus papers for very bright children?

Will there ever be a drastic reappraisal of the eleven plus>

Will the eleven plus ever return to cover the country?

Is there a place for opponents of the eleven plus?

Is there a taste for the reform of the eleven plus?

Do bright children sometimes fail the eleven plus because the type of examination does not suit?