What is a Grammar School?
Grammar schools are selective secondary schools in England and Northern Ireland funded by the State. These schools select their pupils for Year 7 through an academic examination called the 11+ Grammar School Admission. The competition for places is generally very high and it requires special preparation to be able to crack the 11+ exam. Just to give the readers a perspective regarding the number of places in Grammar Schools, less than 5% of secondary school pupils in England attend Grammar Schools. We are going to delve into the details of how to prepare your child for the 11+ exam and shall focus on some of the most effective tips for doing so.
- Find out what subjects will your child be tested in–
The content of the examination for each Grammar School in the country is different. Generally, the questions in the exam are based on some or all of the following subjects:-
- English –
Questions on English include those related to vocabulary, grammar, sentence structures, punctuations, spellings, and comprehension. Practise English writing exercises and hone your reading skills to comprehensively cover all these elements/topics of the English language.It is always beneficial to enroll for English courses offered by a renowned institution such as BYITC. Their all-encompassing English language courses equip candidates with the requisite knowledge and the finer details needed to crack the 11 plus exam.
- Maths –
Questions on Maths require the child to have a thorough basic understanding of numeracy and Maths concepts.Do also include in your preparation any material covered in the Key Stage 2 Maths curriculum.
- Verbal reasoning –
The verbal reasoning part of the exam is quite diverse and there could be questions of different types.In general, one should focus on building a sound vocabulary. Besides, the use of practice papers can be of immense help to your child in improving his verbal reasoning skills.
- Non-verbal reasoning –
This section of the exam includes questions on mirror images, spatial awareness, addition and subtraction using objects, different shapes, etc.
It is imperative as well as important for your child to prepare questions from all these domains/topics for the 11+ exam preparation.
- Practice tests –
Taking practice tests is one of the most effective methods to crack the Grammar School entrance exam as they help the child get familiar with the layout of the exam. For 11+ Grammar School Admission exam preparation online, a lot of resources are available on the Internet as comprehensive practice material for the 11+ exam.
- Hone your child’s skills, instead of encouraging him to develop new ones for solving the most difficult questions–
Towards the end of the question paper, the 11+ exam can have some challenging questions. There’s no point in making your child learn new skills to solve these questions, because your child may not have time to attempt them anyway. Rather work on your child’s strengths and hone his existing skills so that he can solve the more straightforward questions with ease.
- Hire a private tutor –
Private tutoring often proves to be very effective for Grammar School entrance exam preparation as it ensures that your child gets undivided attention from someone really in the know of the nuances of the 11+ exam. Although finding a seasoned tutor for the preparation for the 11 plus exam is not easy, you should start seeking one early.
The 11+ exam is a tough nut to crack – Start early, prepare thoroughly
It is indeed a privilege for a child to be studying in a Grammar School. Although this privilege does not come by easily,one can be amongst the lucky few by burning the midnight oil. The key to cracking the entrance exam for Grammar Schools is to start its preparation early. You may also opt for online tutoring.
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