Page 12 - 11+ Brochure

NEW PUBLICATION 'GRAMMAR SCHOOL INSIDER' LAUNCHES
What is the difference between a grammar school and a comprehensive? Are there any grammar schools my child can even apply to? Thousands of applicants for 150 places? That sounds like a lot - does my child stand any chance of getting in? Non-verbal reasoning - what on earth is that? Some children study two hours a day for their 11-plus? Surely that’s torture?
These were some of the many questions we had about the grammar school system when we came to thinking about a suitable secondary school for my daughter.
Not living in a grammar school area, there were few parents - if any - even thinking about sending their child to a selective state school, so no advice to be gleaned outside the school gate.
We bought books, including one about non-verbal reasoning, we studied grammar school admissions criteria and scoured websites.
So many books to choose from - where do you start? We ended up buying the CGP CEM bundle and my daughter began ploughing her way through the 10-minute non-verbal reasoning tests.
As it turns out she wasn’t examined in non-verbal reasoning and she prepared very little for the second round of her 11-plus which we found out a few weeks before included creative writing.
Luckily my daughter was successful, despite our haphazard preparation.
Throughout the process we wished there was one online home for news, resources, opinions, help and support.
Unfortunately, we hadn’t come across any of the social media groups including the informative and supportive 11+, ISEB, SATs, GCSE & A-level group founded by Agness O’Brien.
Coming from a journalism background I thought how valuable an independent publication dedicated to grammar school entrance would be for parents considering this particular route for their child.
A lot of information we came across was associated with a particular agency - so was not impartial. Some advice was out of date or even incorrect.
So at the end of the journey, I set up Grammar School Insider with the support of several journalism and tutor colleagues.
The stories on the website hopefully show you what we are trying to achieve.
We don’t claim to reduce the amount of work that your son or daughter will have to accomplish, but we do hope to make it easier for you to find him or her the right tools and give you the best advice possible.
Obviously, Covid-19 will have a massive impact on things. We report on efforts to eliminate 11 plus exams this year and detail schools that have delayed their tests. Tutoring will be seen by many as inevitable, and so we have invited tutors to pass on their advice.
We’ll also bring you the best news and comments pieces from the national news media and our own views on how to navigate the 11-plus minefield.
We have links to free exam papers to download and summer courses.
Finally, we are keen to hear from you. If there are things that you would like to see on the site, please drop me an email. You can also write and share your experience of taking your child through the 11-plus adventure (we pay a small fee for these).
Agness will be sharing her 11-plus journey, so be sure to tune in for that shortly - it is sure to be a good read.
Good luck with your preparations for the 11-plus and beyond.
Lucy Jones
Editor
Grammar School Insider
AUGUST 2020 | ISSUE 2 11+, ISEB, SATS, GCSE & A LEVEL Newsletter | Page 12