Managing the Eleven Plus

I was asked today the perennial question: “What can I do to help my child?”

Now mothers are traditionally the real managers of the family. It is mum who makes the decisions about children, food, dogs, walks, school, drinks and the Eleven Plus. Mothers have to work in a dual function. They have to be able to manage – but they also have to be able to do the actual work as well.

Mangers perform the functions of planning, organising, leading and controlling.

Planning

When a mother plans an attack on the `Eleven Plus’ she brings into play the ability to call on a vast sisterhood. Planning includes the key tasks of communication and collecting information. When all the facts have been gathered `mother’ sets out the objectives.

Organising

This is where the mother organises and `sorts out’ all the family’s resources. She has to take into account such diverse functions as transport, food, relationships and control.

Leading

This is the work a mother does to motivate, encourage and inspire not only her Eleven Plus child – but also the rest of the family. After all it is `mother’ who has to have full confidence in her child.

Controlling

This is where a mother sets out to make key decisions about the course of the Eleven Plus saga. She alters, adjusts and plots the events leading up to the examination. On an hour by hour basis she reassesses and alters her plans.

When the results are out she will be able to take quiet pride in the fact that a grammar school place has been secured.