Your Family and the Eleven Plus

It could be interesting to try to follow the family tree of all who have attempted the Eleven Plus examination in your family.

Of course you would start with the rest of your children. Then look at both parents – and their siblings. Look too at their children. A form of a pattern should be emerging.

Now look at the parents of all the adults. This will add to the drama.

You need now to abandon any hope of serious Eleven Plus research and continue with tracing your ancestry. Try adding the collateral lines from a distant forebear by adding the whole of the rest of the family.

While you are doing this mammoth research ask for any details of education. Degrees? Awards? Professional Development?

You may need to look for clues in any family documents. Church and family gravestones are often sources of information.

Print out the whole tree. Use a highlighter to pick out key points. Explain to your child the research you have done. Explain why you did the research.

When your child turns to you to ask why, you have the evidence to say:

There has been no one with a degree in our side of the family. You are going to be the first.

Look – all of our side of the family have been to university. You can not break the line.

You will be the sixth one in our family to try the eleven plus. You can not let us down.

If you pass the Eleven Plus – well and good. If not we won’t mind and will do our best to try to find a place for you in a good school.

It will depend on your aspirations and your background to determine which answer you think will be most appropriate for your child.