Eleven Plus Chances

Some parents will agonise over the question: “What are the chances of my child passing the eleven plus?” For some the question becomes: “Does my child have the potential to pass the eleven plus?”

When the teacher or the tutor tries to answer the question the response could, in some cases, be based around a possibly different question, “What can the child in question hope to get out of eleven plus preparation if certain variables are adhered to – and what needs to change?”

When a teacher or a tutor makes a judgment on the chances of passing an examination, then a parent must be aware that many variables are taken into account. The teacher is wondering about the amount of support at home, the willingness of the child to be diligent as well as the over general ability of the child.

The teacher will have a stake in the answer. The full answer, however, can not be given until the results are out. Some children will pass the eleven plus and not be allocated a grammar school place.

Back in the days when the eleven plus was designed there must have been little stomach to query the relevance of certain types of questions. The euphoria that must have existed over fifty years ago when a child from a deprived background won a place in a highly respected grammar school has possibly been overtaken by the fierce determination of some middle class parents to help their children win places in favoured schools.