Application to Grammar School

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Sasuke!

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Report Thread starter 14 years ago

well after watching Admission Impossible on channel 4, it has made me realise how hard it must be to get into a grammar school. my little brother, who is in year 5 when he goes back to school, i want him to go to a grammar school. how would i go about it? i didnt go to a grammar school myself and obviously i want him to do better than me. for the rest of the holidays i am going to buy books and teach him myself. i think that he has teh potential to exceed me and i really want my siblings to do better than me. my brother is a little lazy and need incentives. has anyone else tried to educate their younger brothers or sisters. last year i remember teaching him basic algebrea (sad i know, but what they hell,) i was using banana instead of letters. and i think he has a strength in maths, whilst lacks in english. i kinda worked myself into my grades, no pressure what so ever from my parents, all my educational achievements have been down to me at GCSE, it was pretty average and think i was slacking lots 8A, 6B and C

but i has a little turn around at A-Level AAAb and i think that i am the only one who will push my brother. i want to make my brother better than my cousins and out of my entire faily i have had the best academic achievements i want to continue this with my brother who will exceed me. so if anyone know how i can help my brother please help me. like preparations etc. thanks a lot
sorry it was so long

Kolya

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Report 14 years ago

(Original post by vincent)
i want him to go to a grammar school.

First question, why?

Sasuke!

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(Original post by Lusus Naturae)
First question, why?

because i went to both the local schools and i know that he will not be suited there, why because the local kids are gansta wannabes, how do i know, i have seen them, whats wrong with that? i dont want my brother to be associated with people like that, why? because i think that they are wasters, is this a fair judgement? yes because i know a few of them. that answer your question.
yes i know not all of them are like that, but i think that its not worth the risk

bullyfish

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Report 14 years ago

Well, if you want to help him out, just get him to do loads of those practice test papers they make for grammar applicants, thats what I did, and managed to get in.

Sasuke!

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yeah cheers where can i get hold of them?

Kolya

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Report 14 years ago

(Original post by vincent)
because i went to both the local schools and i know that he will not be suited there, why because the local kids are gansta wannabes, how do i know, i have seen them, whats wrong with that? i dont want my brother to be associated with people like that, why? because i think that they are wasters, is this a fair judgement? yes because i know a few of them. that answer your question.
yes i know not all of them are like that, but i think that its not worth the risk

I think that the school choice is probably far less important for the development of your brother than you may think; I have made my views clear on the Grammar School thread on D&D. However, you came here for advice and therefore I shall give it. Find all the past papers of whatever entrance test they use (11+ etc.) and set them for him to do. The papers can generally be obtained locally as other parents will want to prepare their children as well and where there is money to be made, somebody will be making it. Mark the paper once he has finished and show him how to do all the questions which he incorrectly answered, then set him the next paper to do. I feel this is the best method as the tests are often abstract in nature and academic preparation for them may not be very productive in helping him solve the questions that may arise.

Good luck.

wmv94226

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desmondmac

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Report 14 years ago

what was wrong with it

henryt

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Report 14 years ago

I definitely think that you need to find which schools will suit your brother. I've little-to-no knowledge on grammar schools, but I'd imagine that there is great variation between them, just as there is a big difference between Eton and Westminster. I know that I would've hated Eton when I was offered a place, and so I chose Westminster - similarly, you'll have to first a) decide whether the atmosphere will suit him, and b) then narrow the list of schools you have, assuming there is a list of schools

There are quite a few people who have wilted at my school, for one reason or another, and there are some who would have wilted at another school, or at a grammar school. You have to research your options thoroughly, or it could be a decision that you / he regrets.

I hope that helps

Madprof

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#10

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#10

OP - just to make it clear, you mean a state grammar school, not a private school, right?

Assuming you do, then Lusus Naturae gave some good advice. It's great that you're teaching your brother extra stuff, but it's thinking skills that the 11+ tests rather than knowledge which might be beyond junior school level.

There are plenty of 11+ practice booklets at WH Smith's, Woolworth's etc, or at least there are where I live as it's an 11+ area. There are various different styles, so you should easily be able to find one you think seems good. He's got a whole year before the tests so there's no rush yet - plenty of time.

Sasuke!

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#11

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#11

yeah i mean state grammar school, there are none atually in my bourough, like in SE lonond, so i will need to go t othe next town, kent to try and get him into wither beths,bexley grammar

Tronickus

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#12

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#12

I went to Grammar school, still do in fact, going to the sixth form actually. Where I leave in East Lancashire, you will find that nearly all the towns have/had a grammar school (or independant school like mine is). Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Blackburn (even Darwen and Burnley had one!), and each differ with difficulty in getting in, due to their reputation (Bolton is tough to get in, whereas QEGS in blackburn is alright, where i go to).

Generally you will have an english, maths, and verbal reasoning exam, around Sats level, so just get your brother stuff like that, or search around the internet. When I went there, my brother was in Third Year (Year 9 to those other people lol), so I knew what I had to do to get in.

Also, I had to go for an interview with the Headmaster in his office, because its not so much academic orientated, its hobbies and stuff, so you have to say I like music, I play piano, violin, viola, etc. I play football every sunday, and overall just be relaxed.

Good luck!

SAZZY12345

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#13

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#13

i didnt think they did the 11+ in england i thought that was just in northern ireland

Tronickus

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#14

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#14

Back in the day they had 11+ exams all in england, pre-Sats, and they are considerably harder. One teacher told me that if you passed your 11+ you could go to grammar school for free, without paying fees.

You can still get 11+ exam papers and stuff tho, and some grammar schools refer to 11+ exams (most grammar schools don't bother with sats, just their own entrance exams)

supercat

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#15

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#15

Don't push him! That father last night (Mahmoud was it?) pushed his son way too much and it just wasn't fair. I'm glad the poor kid got in, can't imagine what his father would have done if he hadn't.

By all means by some test papers and go over them with him, but try and make it fun and relaxed.

SAZZY12345

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#16

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#16

you dont have to pay for grammar schools over here lol

kellywood_5

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#17

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#17

To be honest, I don't think there's that much you can do to prepare for the 11+. I went to an absolutely rubbish primary school, did no prepatation other than a couple of practice papers and passed (admittedly by the skin of my teeth) whereas a friend of mine went to a very good primary school where they were coached for weeks and she failed. All you can really do is get him to do practice papers, which you can buy in most bookshops, mark them for him and help him with the questions he got wrong. Make sure he wants to go to a grammar school though. It's admirable that you want to help him succeed, but he might not want a highly academic education and it's still perfectly possible to do well at a comprehensive.

Madprof

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#18

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#18

(Original post by Tronickus)
Back in the day they had 11+ exams all in england, pre-Sats, and they are considerably harder. One teacher told me that if you passed your 11+ you could go to grammar school for free, without paying fees.

You can still get 11+ exam papers and stuff tho, and some grammar schools refer to 11+ exams (most grammar schools don't bother with sats, just their own entrance exams)

Actually, the state grammar schools (three counties in England/Wales still have the grammar and upper school system) do the 11+. These grammar schools obviously don't charge fees, and never have. Private schools (some of which call themselves grammar schools) can set whatever exams they want.

Tronickus

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#19

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#19

(Original post by tinky-winky)
you dont have to pay for grammar schools over here lol

At QEGS (Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School) they have fees which are like the same as being at uni (my dad actually thought it would be cheaper my brother going to uni then going to qegs).

Most grammar schools are ancient, but mine is, as you say, independant, and does charge (unlike Clitheroe which is free, but still calls itself a grammar school).

Kolya

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#20

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#20

(Original post by Tronickus)
Most grammar schools are ancient, but mine is, as you say, independant, and does charge (unlike Clitheroe which is free, but still calls itself a grammar school).

By grammar school, one generally means a state school which uses selective methods to determine its intake.

Wikipedia is, as always, useful:

(Original post by Wikipedia)
Grammar schools are selective, typically taking the top 25% of those from the local catchment area. Following the Education Act 1944 the Tripartite System was established. This placed the grammar school as the place of education for the academically gifted (as determined by the eleven plus exam).

The presently accepted nomenclature was therefore adopted during the introduction of the Tripartite System; however, some schools, such as the one Tronickus referred to, are a reminder of the time when the word grammar described the purpose of the school as, primarily, a place where a child would go to learn to read and write both English and Latin. For most purposes, a school such as yours would be called a selective-independent school and thus is not accepted in the context of a general discussion surrounding grammar schools.