What is the 11+?
The 11+ is an exam sat in certain schools across the UK and held in the final primary year. This is to determine whether the pupil is academically ‘suited’ to a grammar school education. The exams have been held since the early 1970s, yet have slowly been filtered out of the UK due to criticism over their fairness.
The exam features four major subjects: Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning (focusing mainly on language and words) and Non-verbal Reasoning (focusing mainly on shapes geometrical puzzles). Also increasingly, schools are testing their pupils on Science too. As well as different schools testing their pupils on different subjects, the way in which the questions must be answered also varies; some schools favour multiple choice, some favour standard answers and some opt for a combination of the two. These can also change every year; therefore, when preparing for the test, check with the school to ensure you are on the right track.
With so many different elements compressed into one exam the 11+ can seem incredibly daunting to those facing it, thereby causing stress – for more information on how to tackle exam stress, read our blog on how to cope. Pupils could be facing mathematical questions, word puzzles, or even the task of a short story which holds 50% of the English mark. There may be pupils who are entering the 11+ to face their strongest subject but also the subject they need the most help with. In this sense, it may be beneficial for the parents of the pupil to keep in touch with their child’s teacher and engage in communication to gauge where there may be struggles and where there is room for support. Furthermore, whilst the structure of the exam poses difficulties in foolproof prior-preparation, utilising private tuition and revision resources to ensure as firm a grasp as possible on the different subjects and question formats, parents and pupils can go to the exam with an extra dose of all-important confidence.
Feeling confident? Try this quiz on ‘The Telegraph’ and see how well you can answer some 11+ style questions!
The Debate
The existence of the 11+ exams has long been a contentious issue. This is one which we discussed previously in this blog on common entrance exams. Many argue that the test encourages academic segregation and lends toward a sharp social divide. On the other hand, there are those who maintain that the 11+ improves social mobility. For example, as grammar schools are free, those pupils from poorer areas who are unable to afford private education are given the equal opportunity to grammar school education based on their academic merit rather than their wealth.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is in the midst of an ongoing battle to create a new Grammar school in Sevenoaks, Kent; if approved, the school would be the first grammar school built in over fifty years. Furthermore, Prime Minister David Cameron has been vocal about his support of the continued expansion of grammar schools. Cameron stated that grammar schools, “like other schools, if they want to expand they should be able to expand. Just as other good schools sometimes have more pupils wanting to come, they want to get bigger, they shouldn’t find it difficult.”
With over 164 grammar schools remaining in the UK and signs pointing to this number increasing, the 11+ remains as the culmination of many pupils’ primary school experience. It is perhaps the first pivotal moment of their academic lives. Therefore, the demand for additional support in the form of preparatory revision resources and tutors is still very apparent. It is crucial to remember that, surrounded by these politicised debates, are the children who are preparing to sit this (incredibly nerve-wracking) exam. Therefore, regardless of the ‘pros and cons’ of the 11+ selection, it must always be those sitting it who are at the forefront of our minds.
To those who will be sitting their 11+ in the coming year, Kings Tutors wishes you the best of luck! In the words of William Shakespeare:
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.
Resources Available
Websites Consulted
Buckingham Today: The 11+ debate
The Telegraph: David Cameron on Grammar Schools
The Daily Mail: Could you pass the 11+?
TTW: Compiled list of useful resources
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