The 11 Plus Exam Blog

Eleven Plus Explanations

2012-02-25T16:46:00.001Z

Why are some parents able to do all sorts of eleven plus questions?

It could be that they are older and wiser. Another reasoncould be that parents may feel the need to read questions a little morecarefully.

If parents have all these worthwhile attributes, how canthey explain, succinctly and crisply what gems they know to their eleven pluschildren? There is an old and wise eleven plus saying:

Keep close toexperience; add as little of

Your own as possible;if you have to add

Something, be mindfulto give an account

Of every step youtake.

Initiates to eleven parenting will quickly find out thatlearning without achieving insight and appreciation is slow and painful.Parents will therefore want to try to keep their children full of motivation and enthusiasm.

Sometimes, however, in an effort to make sure their childhas fully understood the ramifications of the topic, there may be a `tiny’inclination to over sell expertise. “Be mindful to keep an account of everystep you take.”

An Eleven Plus Vision

2012-02-24T20:14:00.002Z

You have a vision. You enter the dream world. You can seeyour bright and able eleven plus child walking through the gates of the localgrammar school. You can sense the excitement of your child – even though it isheavily disguised in the most laid back form. Few brand new Year Seven childrenwill deign to kiss their parents good bye at the gates of a new school!

We may possibly, however, have a big problem looming in the elevenplus world. The more advanced and more involved parents are, the less likelyare they to be able to feel that a prophecy or a vision should be takenseriously. It is possible, however, that a little extra eleven plus hesitationmay stem from Jeanne of Arc’s story. She had wonderful visions – and theyhelped to put a King on the throne. Charles VII ascended the throne as a directresult of her intervention. This did not do her much good as the Burgundianssold her to the English – who burnt her as a heretic and sorceress in 1431.Perhaps eleven plus parents should not dream of fire and passion – because wejust don’t know where it will all end!

Of course some parents may dream about their child passingthe eleven plus, going to university and landing a good job and going on to makemoney. The making the money part of the dream may be characterised by aroulette wheel. If your child owned the roulette wheel in Monaco then all iswell. If, however, your child was playing roulette then you may need to takedrastic steps.

You need to explain to your child that every gamble on aroulette wheel is designed to help you to lose money. Some spins you will winbut most you will lose. The important factor to keep in mind is how much moneyyou are prepared to lose. When you bet on a single number the odds are one to thirtyeight. You explain this to your child in exactly the same way as you wouldexplain any eleven plus question.

If you bet £10 then your chances are (One divided by thirtyeight) + (Thirty seven divided by thirty eight multiplied by minus £10). Yourchild’s quick eleven plus brain will work out that you will lose fifty twopoint six pence for every £10.

Now many of us would argue that losing fifty two point sixpence is worth losing if the odds allow us to win £350. But will your child seeit that way? After all you, and your family, should be saving for universityfees not wasting the family heritage.

You just don’t want to be burnt at the stake for the sake ofthe loss of 52.6p!

Eleven Plus Politeness

2012-02-23T11:11:00.002Z

Some children seem to have an inbuilt ability to say pleaseand thank you. Is this drilled into them by their parents or is the ability tobe polite simply a part of the DNA?

You run through from your study where you have beengrappling with the affairs of the world. You are sprinting in response to yourchild’s urgent cries for help. Your heart is beating and your brow is flushed.You fall panting to your knees beside your child and stretch your hand out. Yougasp: “Yes dear. What can I do to help?”

“Is six times nine fifty four?”

Several thoughts flash through your mind. Then a fleetingthought enters your mind. It is a mere wisp of a memory. You recall the poem byHarry Graham called `Politeness’.

My cousin John was most polite;
He led shortsighted Mrs Bond,
By accident, one winter's night
Into a village pond.
Her life perhaps he might have saved
But how genteelly he behaved!

Each time she rose and waved to him
He smiled and bowed and doffed his hat;
Thought he, although I cannot swim,
At least I can do that -
And when for the third time she sank
He stood bareheaded on the bank.

Be civil, then, to young and old;
Especially to persons who
Possess a quantity of gold
Which they might leave to you.
The more they have, it seems to me,
The more polite you ought to be.

An Eleven Plus Group

2012-02-22T20:50:00.002Z

A couple of years ago I was invited to an eleven pluscentre. It was a most interesting experience. The teacher stood at the front ofthe class and went through an eleven plus paper question by question. Thechildren were not expected to work on their own. The very able worked at the samespeed as the less able. There were more than20 children in the group. I wouldlove to know just how many passed!

We know that the size of a group has an impact on learning.As a group gets bigger, changes are likely to occur.

The resources of the group are made bigger in terms ofknowledge, experience and approaches to problem solving. We can see thisclearly at a family get-together where parents, relatives and children gather totry to solve a particular eleven plus question. Auntie Mable may have beenwritten off by the family for being too child centred and being some-one whonever wants to go back to work – but she may be able to solve a very complexquestion by simply applying common sense.

As the group grows bigger every-one has less opportunity touse and exploit opportunities. There may be less time to think out loud.Somebody may consciously (or unconsciously) try to dominate the proceedings. Otherpeople may not want to offer an answer in case it is wrong.

The actual eleven plus candidate may feel that he or she isno longer part of the decision making elements of answering the problem. Theeleven plus pupil may feel that his or her contribution is unrecognised.

The discussion may lose its focus. Instead of concentratingon the problem some members may start to digress. (At school we called this asuccessful red herring!)

The differences between the people may become more marked. Itmay be difficult to end up with a consensus answer.

And finally, the eleven plus student may be entertained fora spell – but as the discussion meanders through many arms – then he or she maywish for everyone to get on with the next question. The candidate may become tiredfrom too much talk.

Is one to one the best answer? For some children it must be.

Is a small group the best answer? For some children it mustbe.

Is a large group the best answer? For some children it mustbe.

Is there a royal road? For some children there must be.

Sleeping Through the Eleven Plus

2012-02-21T20:06:00.003Z

At some stage of the eleven plus year some member of the familyis going to come out with these immortal lines:

“I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about the elevenplus.”

Insomnia, to some, is an inability to sleep. It can be avery tiring condition. We know that there are remedies such as covering theeyes to keep out light. Other people use different forms of earplugs to keep outnoise. Traditionally, taking a teddy bear to bed to cuddle can help. Some peopletry to sleep sitting up supported by pillows. It does not look as if there is agolden rule. All we can do is feel real pity for the sleep starved.

When I was at school, as a ten year old, our class had to learnby heart long sections from Shakespeare. One speech was from Hamlet – the famous;`To be or not to be’ speech.

To die, to sleep;

To sleep, perchance to dream, ay, there’s the rub,

For in the sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off that mortal coil.

Passing the eleven plus is not a matter of life and death.It is also not an examination for parents to lose too much sleep over. Childrendo go on to enjoy successful academic careers in spite of not passing the elevenplus.

Suggestion One – To Try to Help with Insomnia

Work on an eleven plus paper just before going to bed. Thatcould help to calm the mind.

Suggestion Two – To try to help with not being able to go tosleep

Work with your candidate to learn the `To be or not to be’speech’ together.

Eleven Plus Responsibility

2012-02-20T14:25:00.000Z

Back in 1964, Austwick, in his book on `Teaching Machinesand Programming’, maintained that programming led to a much more detailed studyof subject matter. This then meant that there needed to be a preciseconsideration of the type of student for which the programme was intended. Austwickargued that children in primary schools, grammar and technical institutionswould all need different programmes. “The work would need to be appropriate forthe development of mental structures and abilities of children for whom theprogramme is prepared.”

The Eleven Plus examination tries to select children who areall academically around the same level – in spite of different backgrounds andfoundations. The actual eleven plus test, however, is a pen and paper exercise – so however much thechild has been prepared with on-line exercises and tests – in the actual examinationmost candidates will have to pick up their pencils and start completingmultiple choice tests. (There are some variations to multiple choice tests insome schools.)

After a child has reached a level of competence then much elevenplus work can become repetitive and rather mechanical. Some parents may striveto make work on papers and eleven plus exercises rather more palatable. In anideal world an eleven plus child would sometimes want to study on his or herown. This would enable parents to feel that they were not drillmasters but weresharing in the eleven plus experience.

The wise old man called Skinner in an extract called `TeachingMachines’ (1961) wrote:

“In assigning mechanizable functions to machines, theteacher will emerge in his proper role as an indispensable human being”.

Some parents would be grateful for a paraphrase of Skinner’sstatement:

“In encouraging my child to take more responsibility foreleven plus work I will emerge in my proper role as a parent and an indispensablehuman being”.

Seeing the Eleven Plus Light

2012-02-19T18:01:00.000Z

Plato, much loved by educationalists, philosophers and thinkers,used a rather complex simile to explain one of his more profound ideas. We needto imagine human beings dwelling in an underground cave – which is open towardsthe light.

They have been there since childhood with their necks andlegs chained – and they are only able to look into the cave. There is a fire inthe distance – with a bank between the imprisoned men and women. There are movingfigures behind the bank who hold various objects – images of men and animals,ikons of stone and wood.

There are only shadows – and the sounds are vague, confusedand fleeting.

If, however, the denizens are dragged up the slope of the hillinto the light then they would be blinded by an excess of light. Only a few areable to make the transition from illusion to pure thought. The successful arerequired to return to the cave and save their fellows.

Helping an eleven plus child can be like this journey. Youare aware that your child has nearly grasped a concept. You feel that you havealmost explained how to do the process to the best of your ability. You knowthat before the actual examination you will need to do lots more revision and consolidation.You are just waiting for your child to `See the Light’.

Your friends will look at you with envy and wonder as you describehow you and your family left the confines of the eleven plus cave and reached astate of glorious illumination. They will bow before you and look upon you as atrue leader. In your heart of hearts you, however, will know that revision andnagging really did work!

Eleven Plus Problem Solving

2012-02-18T17:18:00.003Z

When you are urging your child to try to solve a problem youwill, naturally, suggest that he or she should evaluate all the options. Itwill be a remarkably rare eleven plus problem where there is one viablesolution.

You may try to explain this to your child in a practicalway. You know that your child needs a new computer to cope with all the elevenplus work. There is also the problem that `best friend’ has just been given anew computer ostensibly for eleven plus work – but really to be able to takefull advantage of all the new games and apps.

Option One

You buy a cheap and cheerful system. This will do the elevenplus job but lacks the bells and whistles.

Option Two

You buy a simple and ordinary system. It will do all the elevenplus work and more. It costs a bit more – but your child only has one elevenplus year so you can rationalise anything.

Option Three

You buy the best. It is far more than your child needs but`he or she will grow into it’. Naturally the price is £300.00 more than youwant to pay. (Your brain emits a little murmur: “If you want the best – pay thebest!”)

Now you ask your child to filter out the less suitableoptions. Which one would your child like, which one can the family afford? Ifyou buy Option One – and it does not seem to work to your satisfaction - thenit would be expensive to try to upgrade. Option Two may be the most sensible. Does youreleven plus child think, however, with the head or with the heart? Option Three– this will meet all your child’s needs – but is there a real need?

You could then explain to your child that looking at all theoptions and rejecting the unlikely ones will certainly give the right solution.

(Please let me know your solution to this problem.)

Reasoned Eleven Plus Answers

2012-02-17T13:19:00.001Z

When you were at school one of your careers teachers mayhave mentioned Karl Manheim. (1893 – 1947) He believed that there should beplanned guidance in the lives of people and that this should be on asociological basis – with the aid of psychology.

He saw society as a whole and integrated, and education wassomething that permeated all its groups and institutions. He thought that thetraining of teachers should not be concerned with the tricks of the trade andwith method – but with the fullest possible education of the educator.

In eleven plus terms – would your child benefit more from ateacher who carefully explained how to do the different processes – or a teacherwho was more involved with helping your child to solve problems?

“But sometimes you do have to tell an eleven plus child howto do something.” Of course, and who could argue with this statement? It youhave to leave it to the child to try to solve the problem you may nevercomplete the exercise or the paper or the task. A big change that could takeplace, however, is trying to change the emphasisin an eleven plus session from instruction and learning to thinking and solvingproblems. Sometimes a parent could consider guiding their eleven plus child toan answer rather than telling him or her how to answer the question.

Jacks, writing in Total Education – 1946 - felt that the trainedteacher was too often the untrained human being. He maintained:

“The era of the training of teachers is past; our businesstoday is with the education of the educator.”

If this is still true eleven plus parents can rejoice. It does not matter if they do not know all theanswers to eleven plus questions. What does matter is that they help theirchild to find ways to reason.

An Eleven Plus Shoe Lace

2012-02-16T18:11:00.002Z

Ask your eleven plus child to tell you how to tie ashoelace. Watch his or her hands. Is it easier to demonstrate how to tie the shoelace or explain the procedure? It is on just this point that some children may becomefrustrated by some forms of eleven plus questions. The children sit down withtheir parents who explain different examples. Being good parents they come backto similar examples on a different occasion. The eleven plus child may rememberthat the topic has been covered – but still may not be sure of how to do thework.

No eleven plus parent would ever dream of saying to theirchild: “You have done this before. Why can’t you remember?” No – oh no – parents would simply make a mentalnote to return to the topic on yet another occasion. The third time arrives –after a suitable passage of time. Has there been any learning in the interval?Once again the parents have to bite their tongues and keep positive. Success isjust around the corner!

The eleven plus child may not be able to cope with sometopics until he or she has been able to come up with their own solution.

The first step would be to try to invent a solution to the problem.

The second step would be committing the method to memory.

The third step would be being able to apply the solution tosubsequent and similar problems.

No matter how much something can be explained and revised ifthe child has been unable to internalise the problem and then categorise thesteps leading to a solution then there may be gaps. One obvious solution is revision andconsolidation. Encouraging your child to explain the process in his or her ownwords can speed the process up. You could, of course, do a little experiment.

Ask your child to describe how to tie a shoe lace.

Encourage your child to go over the steps practically –asking your child to describe what he or she is doing.

Repeat the same process on another day.

Check that your child has been able to describe the sequence.Has learning taken place? We certainly hope so.

Eleven Plus Phobia

2012-02-15T17:42:00.000Z

When repressed fear is transferred to a particular object orsituation the resulting fear is called a phobia.

Most of us have reasonably mild phobias – some people don‘tlike spiders, others fear snakes and some hate vermin. It must be miserable tolive a life with a fear of heights or the dark or even being frightened ofbirds or animals.

When the phobia reaches a certain proportion then a person’slife must be severely restricted. Years ago it was thought that fearsassociated with guilt or shame needed to be repressed. In some cases thereappears to be an element of transfer - where the poor person tries torationalise the phobia – and transfers the fear to similar but differentobject. This must be very confusing for the rest of the family. Everyone knowsthat grand mum hates leaving the house – but why does she actually hate dogstoo?

There is only one good thing about a phobia and that is the namesthat are offered. These names commonly come up in quizzes and the like. “Whatis a fear of snakes called?” “What do you call a person who hates heights?”

Is it likely that there are phobias associated with doingextra work towards the eleven plus?

What do you call a mother with three children – each having activitieson the same afternoon in three different locations - with a car that needs aservice? (Carservicephobia?)

What do you call an eleven plus boy who has to choosebetween playing football for the school and working with a tutor towards the elevenplus? (Elevenplustutorphobia?)

What do you call an elder sister who has passed the elevenplus but won’t help her sister because they have had a falling out?(Siblingphobia?)

What do you call a fear of your child not passing the elevenplus?

(Failurephobia?)

Investors in People and The Eleven Plus

2012-02-14T19:43:00.002Z

A question that must cross the minds of prospective elevenplus parents could be to do with the qualifications and experience of theteachers.

The Extra Tuition Centre had always been involved intraining and development of staff. New ways of doing things were coming and thechange was in the air. The Extra Tuition Centre chose Investors in People as anaide to the mechanism of change. The partners believed that Investors in Peoplewould help them to develop a strong and sustainable business. The first aim wasto try to help the teachers and administrative staff feel that Etc had a strongcommitment towards them. The teachers and staff had to feel that their inputwas valued.

There was also the very important consideration that parentswould be sent a strong signal that training and development of staff wasconsidered to be vitally important. The Extra Tuition Centre also wantedparents to feel that there was a genuine desire to deliver excellence.

Investors in People has a three year audit cycle – anexternal auditor arrives and helps the people who are interviewed to understandtheir role in the organisation – and also how they feel that they areappreciated and involved. The three year cycle helps the Extra Tuition Centre tocontinually identify areas that could be developed – and have been developedfollowing the recommendations of the previous assessment.

The development of young A Level students is an essential ingredient.They are all bright, able and articulate young people. For the children attendingtuition to make progress the A Level students have to understand theirinfluence as role models. Our A Level students have to feel appreciated – and thisis a continual challenge.

Investors in People isthe heart of the Extra Tuition Centre. The owners have passed the mantle ofdeveloping its people to two gifted leaders. Their insight and drive will helpthousands of children in the years to come.

Eleven Plus Aims

2012-02-13T16:06:00.002Z

Will this happen to your child – or did it happen to you? In1963 Musgrove wrote about the `Migratory Elite’. This title was drawn from the regularmigration of grammar school pupils from the home communities where they livedto where they could find professional employment.

The other great treatise on grammar school leavers wasreported in Jackson and Marsden’s 1962 `Education and the Working Class’.

It was felt that pupils in `secondary modern’ schools wouldbe more likely to stay close their home routes.

The 1944 Education Act allowed the escape of children fromsocial and geographical bonds. A bright child from a rural community could be offereda place in a local grammar school.

Taylor in 1963 showed that children used externalexaminations to claim a right to a range of occupations.

Some children will find that a grammar school education willoffer higher job aspirations. Mostparents will hope that their children will aim as high as possible.

The Eleven Plus and Physical Fitness

2012-02-12T19:02:00.000Z

Your child is about to enter a competitive examination. Youhave been duly concerned with developing mental agility and building topicknowledge. You need a fit and healthy child on the day of the examination.Somehow, into the busy day and week, you may find that you need to do a littlefitness training.

Your much loved child may suggest a Wii – along with thefitness package. “Mum, I promise I will never play a game until I have done myeleven plus work and my eleven plus physical work out.” Another option could beto hire a personal trainer for your child. Failing these two options you mayfind that you need to develop a Do It Yourself fitness training program.

Your child’s profile

Reasonably fit and healthy.

Swims three times a week.

Play football.

Rides bicycle.

Like exercise

Would welcome extra attention

Goal Setting

Would be willing to give up some pen and paper eleven pluswork to develop physical fitness eleven plus work.

Will be realistic and understand that you are doing yourbest.

The Weekly Program

Cardiac

Endurance

Will adopt warm up and cool down exercises

Evaluation

Would be willing to evaluate the effectiveness of eachsession

Will accept your feedback (To a degree)

Will demonstrate understanding of what you are trying toachieve.

If your child is able to develop and show sustained progressthen you should be able to award a Level 3 Eleven Plus Physical Fitness badge.You just hope that this badge is the equivalent of ten eleven plus points. Thiscould be the difference between pass or fail.

Eleven Plus Sleep

2012-02-11T15:20:00.002Z

“Go to sleep dear. It is past ten o’clock. You have schooltomorrow. Sleep dear.”

“But mum, I don’t feel tired.”

“But tomorrow is a big day, and you need your sleep.”

In theory, fatigue calls for sleep. It is very difficult totry to deny the demand for sleep. If we all understood how the mechanism ofsleep works we could, possibly, wander around feeling a lot more refreshed –and un-sleepy.

During sleep the blood pressure, pulse rate, metabolism, temperatureand respiration are all greatly reduced. We know too that digestion continuesnormally. Different people, however, need varying amounts of sleep. Many peoplewho are famous for being able to get by on little sleep have naps during theday. We just hope that the eleven plus candidate does not choose to enjoy alittle nap at the start of the examination!

There is a common belief that we need eight hours of sleep anight. The ten year old, mentioned earlier, would enjoy ten hours of slumber ifhe or she did not wake too early!

The unusual case of the twins born in Moscow, Galya and Ira,gave some insight into sleep – but no real solutions. Galya and Ira had onebody – but there were four arms, two necks and two heads. The twins survivedfor a year under expert care and attention. One twin would sleep while the otherwas awake.

We just hope that your candidate sleeps comfortably and peacefullyat night.

Is There an Eleven Plus Personality?

2012-02-10T20:06:00.000Z

“The eleven plus is not in his personality.” This could befamiliar refrain in the minds of some parents. Why does this bright and able, intelligentand warm’ child who is always kind and thoughtful struggle with theseconfounded eleven plus papers? Why does his behaviour deteriorate so much whenhe is confronted by a paper? We never had problem with him learning to read,his swimming teacher said he was a star and he learnt to ride a bike at phenomenallyyoung age. Why?

There are a number of points of view when looking atpersonality.

The ten year old child’s personality is defined bybehaviour. This, however, is only true if the child’s eleven plus intentionsare the same as those of his or her parents.

The eleven plus child’s personality is demonstrated in the differentroles he or she is able to play – the serious student, the likeable dilatant. Ofcourse the attitude of the parents may have a part to play. Parents who are tooanxious may not achieve the results they want. Conversely the laid back parentswho allow a state of near anarchy may also not allow their child to achieve hisor her potential.

Finally, but probably not exclusively, the personality of theeleven plus child is, to a degree, rather a matter of a ménage of subjectiveconcepts. This means, in part, how the childviews himself or herself and how the same child views the immediate environment.If mum and dad expect an eleven plus pass – and this is based on soundsuppositions – then the eleven plus may well be within the `personality’ of theeleven plus child.

Parents will be very aware that their child’s personalitycan be as variable and changeable as the wind on a wind farm. We can just hopethat the eleven plus wind blows strong and steady towards the examinations.

An Eleven Plus Solution

2012-02-09T17:28:00.002Z

When your child’s face crumbles before you at the idea ofdoing any eleven plus work you may need to wind the conversation back. You could, if you so desired, do a littleself-analysis. Was the problem to do with you asserting your authority or yourchild’s unwillingness to show due application to work?

If you felt that your authority was being challenged yourchild may show alleged symptoms of:

Disobedience

Impertinence

Defiance

Temper

Tantrums

Impudence

Rudeness.

If you felt that the problem lies in difficulty inapplication to work – then you would look for:

Lack of Interest

Carelessness

Inattention

Laziness

In your heart you will know that your child is good, normaland healthy. You will also know that the sign of disquiet is but a momentaryaberration. You will also know that your child does not challenge you veryoften – and usually wants to work. You will know that harsh words will notnecessarily solve the problem.

The solution? It is easy. Simple fall back on those wellused words:

“Just wait until your mother gets home.”

“Just wait until your father gets home.”

Multiple Choice Eleven Plus Questions

2012-02-08T09:12:00.004Z

Do you remember being told about Yerkes when you were atschool? He is an important name to remember when you are working throughmultiple choice eleven plus papers with your child. His findings have probablyplayed a significant part in understanding what happens when a `subject’ isconfronted by a multiple choice puzzle. Yerkes published his findings in 1908 –over a hundred years ago – so there is nothing much new in education!

He conducted a historic experiment on human problem solving.He used a box where twelve keys were extended towards the subject. On any giventrial only one of the keys is the correct key. The subject must discover whichit is – in other words its relationship to the other keys. Of course the correctkey was changed from trial to trial! The subject had to discover by what rule thechange was made.

In the first test the key could be the second from the left.

The next rule would have the key appearing in the middle.

The third key from the right.

The right hand key and the left end key.

The first key to the left of the middle and the key to the rightof it.

We hope that our eleven plus child would be able to solvethese problems. We know that any eleven plus parent would manage them easily.Mothers and fathers can do anything!

When helping your child to reject the multiple choiceanswers that simply cannot be correct then remember Yerkes. He showed that itwas possible to work out strategies for coping with multiple choice questions.For example: If the question asked for the answer in kilometres then a multiplechoice answer that had millimetres should not be selected.

Children of course know better. You have told your child toguess the last few answers if time is running out. “You have one chance in fourin getting the answers right.” One child will choose all the left hand answers.Another strategy could be to choose all the answers second from the right. Athird option could be to choose answers at random. Yerkes, however, showed us thatit was possible to develop a method of working out how to select the rightanswer. Why not sit with your child and look closely at the answers. You mayfind that, sometimes, you simply need to read the question and look at the answerswithout doing the working out. You then reject the answers which cannot becorrect. You then do the working out to confirm the correct answer. If thisworks for you it may work for your child.

Yerkes

An Eleven Plus Walk in the Park

2012-02-07T11:32:00.002Z

You are walking, surrounded by your loving family, down alovely wooded path in the middle of a gorgeous little forest. There are veryfew people around so your eleven plus candidate is prepared to allow you tohold hands for a few seconds. (Do you remember that trusting three year oldhand that automatically held tight?)

There is a bit of slush and mud around – but you don’t mindthat – you are wearing the hat and gloves given to you so loving by your familyfor Christmas. (You love it even through you do not own one other green garmentin your entire wardrobe. Green is not your colour.)

A dog, off a leash, comes bounding round the corner. The dogstops and exhibits hostile-suspicious reactions. The head is raised. The tailis erect. The hairs are bristling. There is a low warning growl. Your handtightens on your child’s grasp. The instinct to protect and nurture kicks in.Your adrenaline heats up.

Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive!” throbs into your mind.

First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side.

The dog’s erstwhile owner comes ambling round the corner.“Sit Jasper! Sit!”

The body sinks low, the tail falls limp, the hairlies smoothly. Large pants erupt – and slobber falls to the floor. The dog, theowner, you, your eleven plus candidate and the rest of your family are now allfriends. There is laughter and chatter. You bend down to pat the dog’s head.The tail wags more and more. Your candidate smiles. The world is set to rights.

Move forward an hour or two.

“It is time now for us to do some eleven plus work.”

The head is raised.

The smile leaves the face.

The ipad is relinquished - albeit unwillingly.

The words: “Why me?” are snapped out.

There could even be a little flounce as the `candidate’slinks towards the unwelcome and unfriendly work.

The Eleven Plus Conundrum – how to make your childapproach the work, smiling, eager, positive and happy. You could try a few patson the head. You could try adopting a non-threatening approach. You could try a conciliatory smile. You must,however, never ever offer a little bribe -unless the situation warrants alittle treat.

The Eleven Plus and Europe

2012-02-06T12:18:00.000Z

Last weekend was the opening salvo of the Six Nations Rugby tournament.Six countries come to try to win a prize. Results are recorded and pored overby pundits and the rest of us alike. There are winners and losers.

I thought of this because I remembered the story of GastonVareilles who was selected to play for France against Scotland in 1911. When thetrain arrived at Lyon he jumped off to buy a sandwich. Exactly how long the trainwas supposed to stop remains a mystery – but by the time Gaston had ordered,bought and paid for his bread the train had left. There was no alternative formof transport. (This was well before the days of Easyjet and Ryanair.) The poorman missed the match. He was never again picked to play for France!

Is there an eleven plus moral to the story?

Leave plenty of time to get your child to the examination.

Buy your food and drink the day before.

Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged.

Remember not to offer `choice’ words in front of yourchildren if a problem should arise.

Have a back-up plan in case there is a problem withtransport!

But suppose we have a Six Nations Eleven Plus tournament? Canyou imagine the pride of a mother being able to say that her child had beaten thecream of five other countries? Think how that self-same mother would feel if aletter arrived saying that in spite of being in the top three per cent thelocal grammar school did not have a place for her child!

In England we have an established system of appeals coveringdifferent types of eleven plus problems. Can we imagine the bureaucracy involvedif we could mount an eleven plus appeal to the European Court of Human Justice?We can look back at poor Gaston and wonder, in today’s world, if France wouldhave dared to drop him for simply missing a train. Instead of the eleven plusbeing an examination that has to be passed (or failed) we could add rivalrywith other nations, complex systems of appeal and possibly a European lawcovering a poor mother having a puncture while taking her child to the elevenplus examination.

Eleven Plus Motivation

2012-02-05T13:17:00.002Z

At some time or another some eleven plus parents may need tosell the idea of the eleven plus to their children. Of course advertising abouteleven plus products is aimed at parents – it would, probably, be a remarkably rare child who would take hardwon pocket money to buy an eleven plus book in the face of parent disapproval.

Parents cannot continue to present the same arguments: “Passingwill be good for your education. You should achieve a better job and make moremoney.” At times children may need arather more subtle approach.

A major greeting card company became curious why peoplereally bought greeting cards. The company wanted to make more sales. One thingthat puzzled the company was that year after year one of the best sellers was abarren, gnarled tree standing alone on a wind-swept and snow covered hill. Itwas not a cheerful picture – but had great pulling power. People bought thepicture – and kept on buying year after year.

The company naturally looked at motivation. The key factorin the buying of the card was loneliness. It would be a remarkably sad andmisguided parent who thought that preying on the emotion of the fear ofloneliness would help a child to come to terms with the eleven plus.

Do you also remember the toothpaste company that began to outsellits rivals? The company promised that people did not have to brush their teeth afterevery meal. Of course this rang a bell in the minds of many people. “No dear,you do not have to brush your teeth after working on an eleven plus paper.Tooth bacteria is not the same as adverse feelings about extra work!”

No matter how parents present the advantages of sustainedeleven plus work – children have to feel the same excitement as their parents.There is little need for most children to feel gloomy about the extra workinvolved in preparing for the examination. Many parents will simply rely on thehighly reassuring and well-meant words:

“Don’t worry dear, just do your best. “

Great Ball of Fire - It is the Eleven Plus

2012-02-04T15:38:00.000Z

When Jerry Lee sang the famous `Great Ball of Fire’, awhole generation rocked to the tune and the sentiments.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much love drives a man insane
You broke my will, but what a thrill
Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!!"

The next time your candidate sits down to a paper tryhumming the tune into the `listening ear’. You could then progress to the actualsentiments of the stanza. Take, for example, the first line:

You shake my nerves and rattle my brain

This could easily be a formidable rallying call for elevenplus parents. You want to paint a picture in your child’s mind of a mother or afather in need of help and support. Your child NEEDS to understand that the elevenplus is a matter of give and take.

The third line is also highly significant in eleven plusterms. Parents do not want to break their child’s will – and children, we hope,will let up, occasionally, on the pressure on their parents. “Yes dear, the elevenplus is a matter of give and take. I am so pleased you recognise that.”

But when you come to the line dealing with `Great Balls ofFire’ you could offer a little bonding. Why not try sharing the preparation ofmeal before you start on the paper?

Great Balls Of Fire

455 g hot sausage meat

280 g tomatoes – chopped

2 green chillies – chopped

910 g cheese

1 fresh eleven plus paper

Brown and cook the sausages in the frying pan. Drain andplace in a small slow cooker.

Stir the tomatoes and green chillies

Cut the cheese into chunks and add.

Start on a timed eleven plus paper together.

Cover and cook for one hour.

TIP: This works best if you do not add the eleven plus paperto the pot.

Server with warm hugs and lots of praise. Sing the verseagain – and see how well received it is after your gentle `working togetherness’.Say with great passion: “You achieved over half marks on the paper. Goodnessgracious – great ball of fire!”

Will Anyone Remember Some Eleven Plus Questions?

2012-02-03T13:24:00.000Z

When you were at school you were taught that nouns areinflected for number and case. There are two numbers: singular and plural.There are six cases Nominative, Vocative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative andAblative. There three genders: masculine, Feminine and Neuter. There are fivedeclensions distinguished by the endings.

The First Declension is probably the one many of us will rememberwith affection. It was all to do with a table.

Nom. Mens-a (fem) a table

Voc. Mens-a O table

Acc. Mens-am a table

Gen. Mens-ae to or for a table

Abl. Mens-a by, with or from a table

Your child opens a verbal reasoning book.

“In the first exercise one letter can be moved from the firstword to the second word, thereby making two new words.”

“For these questions, fit the same letter into both sets ofbrackets to complete the words in front of the brackets and begin the wordsafter the brackets.”

Latin has been around for a thousand years. The Eleven Plushas been around for around fifty years. Will the eleven plus still be around ina thousand years? Will anyone in fifty years’ time remember: “For thesequestions, fit the same letter into both sets of brackets to complete the wordsin front of the brackets and begin the words after the brackets.”

In fifty years’ time your child will be in the prime of hisor her life. Would he or she be more likely to remember mensa, mensa, mensam,mensae, mensae, mensam or “For these questions, fit the same letter into bothsets of brackets to complete the words in front of the brackets and begin the wordsafter the brackets.”

Could Tom Sawyer pass the Eleven Plus?

2012-02-02T13:51:00.002Z

Just before Easter in 1989 the police mounted a specialpatrol in London’s Oxford Street and in four weeks eleven officers picked upthree hundred and thirty three children between the ages of seven andsixteen. We must wonder where the childrencame from and why they were there.

It is obvious that discipline with a school is important –and must be crucial to the level of truanting. It must be difficult for someparents to spot if their child is playing truant. A truant will often stay awayfrom home during the hours that he or she is supposed to be in at school.Schools have to keep a register of all children in the classes. Some schoolshave amazing systems to allow children to `clock in’ and parents can then notifiedof absences by text messages and the like.

As a child I used to envy Tom Sawyer who was able to gofloating off down the Mississippi with his great friend Huckleberry Finn. WhenI became a teacher my view of truancy had to change.

I was given a book called The Backward Child by my firstheadmaster – Mr. W. W. Wilson. I had been given the top class of the year groupfor my first three years of teaching and Mr. Wilson offered the fourth streamfor the fourth year – hence handing me on his copy of `The Backward Child’. Myedition is the 1957 edition (The book was first written in 1937.) Sir Cyrilupdated the book to take into account some of the consequences of the 1944Education Act. This was the act which tried to make provision for differenttypes of children. In part, the act lead to the development and extension of theeleven plus examination.

Page 562 gives one of Sir. Cyril Burt’s interpretations oftruancy:

“At school the dull child feels a hopeless failure. His lifemay be one humiliating round of rebuke, disgrace and punishment. He soon comesto dread the daily journey. He is tempted to play truant. Truancy brings freedomand opportunities for enjoyable mischief; and so little by little he drifts intocrime.”

It seems possible that some bright children may also come todread the daily journey. There could be some able children bored by school andall that school offers. The challenge of the eleven plus may be welcome to somechildren. These could be children wholove solving problems and feeling that they are being extended and enriched.

Parent could test this `theory’ themselves. They could offertheir child the choice of a new and innovative eleven plus exercise – or the ennuiof yet another eleven plus paper. Some children would find this an easy choiceto make.

Excuse me – but would the innovative and energetic TomSawyer have passed the eleven plus – if he had had the opportunity?

Is the Eleven Plus a Fair Examination?

2012-02-01T19:49:00.002Z

There may come a moment during the day when your mind maythink of dinner. Of course you will want your child to have a proper meal –sitting at the table – without the benefit of the T.V., ipad, phone and other ancillarymobile devices. In other words you want your much loved child to have a propermeal. To do the meal full justice you will need to set the table.

A Formal Dinner Setup (Or, the family unites during the elevenplus year.)

It is easier to describe the setting from right to left.

3 5 7 (Service Plate) 6 4 2 1

1. Oyster fork (Normally forks are on the left – but if youare serving oysters then the fork is far right.)

2. Soup spoon

3. Fish fork

4. Fish knife

5. Dinner fork

6. Dinner knife

7. Salad fork

If your dinner is a little simpler then all you have to dois leave the odd fork or knife out. (If there is fruit for the first coursethen a spoon will replace the oyster fork.)

Eleven plus mothers and fathers may need a little help with theserving of the meal. If you have helped with eleven plus questions, completed aservice run to drama, prepared the meal, cooked the meal, heard reading, setthe table and called the family together – then you may feel you need a littlehelp with actually serving the meal. What do you do? You call upon your elevenplus child.

“Not now, please, I am struggling with question 35.”

“Please get off the chair, stop watching T.V. and help with thejellied soup.”

“Oh please, not again.”

“We can do a deal. You help with the meal and I will help,afterwards, with question 35 while the rest of the family wash up.”

“It is not fair!”