The 11 plus exam results can be a stressful time for both parents and children, especially if you’ve got your heart set on a particular school. To help you prepare yourself and your child for what’s to come, Achieving Success has prepared a handy guide on what the 11 plus exam results mean and planning for your next steps.
How Are The 11 Plus Results Calculated?
When your child receives their exam results, they will receive a standardised score.
The 11 plus exams use standardised scores to allow teachers to identify if a student is performing above or below the national average. These scores also allow each exam paper taken by your child to have an equal weight when calculating the overall score.
Some 11 plus exams are age-standardised, which means that the level your child is performing at will be compared to the ability of a similarly aged child within their year group, allowing for different ages to be taken into consideration.
Within each year group, pupils’ ages can vary up to almost a year and therefore, an older child may be more developed in many areas, such as the level and depth of their vocabulary. Age-standardised tests enable a true and fair comparison.
There are three factors that are considered when calculating the overall score:
- The number of tests taken where each test will have a different number of questions and allocated time in which to take the test
- The age of the child taking the test
- The difficulty of the paper
When Do The 11 Plus Results Come Out?
11 plus exams are taken within the first two weeks of September and your child should receive their 11 plus results around mid-October, which determine whether you and your child will be able to apply for a place at one of your preferred Grammar schools. If the 11 plus exams are passed, you should receive information on which school they have been allocated to by March of the following year.
Keep Busy On The Day
There is no doubt that your child will be feeling anxious on results day, so we suggest you keep them busy and ensure that they are in a state where they are able to handle the news, no matter the outcome. The usual method of results delivery is by letter which will either be received via the post or given to your child by hand at the end of the school day.
When receiving their results, use your child’s behaviour as a sign to determine the best way to deliver them. If they appear relaxed, it may be a great opportunity for them to open the results themselves and share the news, giving them a sense of responsibility and pride.
However, if they seem stressed, anxious or worked up, the pressure of opening their results may only exasperate their mood further. In this case, it may be best to open the results yourself and deliver them the best way you see fit.
Patience is key when receiving these results and not only does this need to be communicated to children during this time, but also needs to be practiced by parents. All results and school allocations are strictly withheld until the appropriate time and the admission departments of your preferred schools will not give you confirmation before the time and date announced.
My Child Has Passed The 11 Plus
Congratulations are in order! If your child has passed their 11 plus exams then it’s time to start applying for a place in your preferred schools. Make sure that you check with your county’s school admissions website for details on the next steps.
Some schools may invite you and your child for an interview to determine suitability and whether they are the right fit for you. These interviews usually consist of talking through your child’s academic ability, hobbies, interests and any extra curricular activities.
If candidates are successful, the school will send through a conditional offer presenting the opportunity to secure a place. Once this place has been accepted by both parties, you and your child will be invited to an induction day to be taken around the school and even participate in some scheduled activities and lessons.
However, passing the exams doesn’t guarantee you a place at your preferred school. Every school has different policies and some children may even be favoured due to a sibling already attending the school, for example. Nevertheless, children usually apply for multiple schools and often are presented with a number of acceptances, giving you the opportunity to determine which school is the best fit for your child and their future.
When receiving your results, we kindly ask you to be mindful of the parents and children that may not be so lucky. Make sure that your child is prepared to be sensitive when returning back to school and ensure that they are humble and don’t brag to those less fortunate as it may result in upset and even a few tears!
My Child Hasn’t Passed The 11 Plus
We’re sorry to hear this, but please don’t worry! It is important to reassure your child that it is not the end of the world and that there are so many other options available for them. Make sure that you are positive about the situation and hide any disappointment you may feel. For every eight applications, only one is successful, so take comfort that you and your child are not alone.
Your child may still have the opportunity to attend one of your preferred schools through the appeal process. Places can also become available closer to September if offers are declined, so it is beneficial to request being placed on a waiting list. Make sure to check the requirements and processes for appeal on each school’s website.
Find out the opportunities that your child will receive from other schools in the local area that you may not have considered before. Focus on the positive aspects of this new adventure, such as making new friends, learning new skills and taking part in activities that their first choice may not have offered.
Most importantly, let your child know that they can talk to you about how they’re feeling and air any worries and concerns they have with you. It will be daunting for them to go back to school and tell their friends about their results, so it may be helpful to talk through the ways in which they can break the news. It is essential to assure your child that together, you will find the best school to suit them.
How to Appeal Your 11 Plus Results
If you would like to appeal your child’s 11 plus exam, bear in mind that more often than not, they are unsuccessful. Due to this, it would be unwise to get your child’s hopes up and don’t make any promises.
The appeal of a result only takes place if the exam body hasn’t followed the correct procedures or because it would be detrimental to your child if they did not attend your school of choice. To have a proper chance of being considered for an appeal, you will need to gather information such as mock results, any awards that your child has achieved and letters of recommendation from teachers.
However, it’s important to remember that there are still many other options available for your child should your appeal not be successful.
Some examples of your child being at harm by not attending your school of choice include:
- Religious reasons
- Difficult family circumstances
- Health issues or any special needs that your preferred school can cater for
- Issues with travel
- Your child showing phenomenal ability in a subject that your preferred school specialises in
- Issues such as bullying
How Can Achieving Success Help You?
At Achieving Success, we understand how important it is for your child and their future to be given the opportunity to secure a place at your school of choice. We also understand that it can be a very stressful time.
To ensure that your child is given the best start in life and achieve the results they are looking for, we provide spaces to learn and examiners to prepare your child for these exams. Our 11 plus grammar school programme covers the key content in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.
We also offer intensive 11 Plus holiday workshops in a classroom setting with a teacher to coach them through the different sections of the examinations.
For more information, please get in touch today to arrange a call-back with one of our team members. Alternatively, you can contact us at info@achieving-success.co.uk or give us a call on 0121 769 2795. We’d be delighted to discuss a bespoke programme for you.