A Parent's Guide to 11Plus Success
Posted 29th September 2021
It is important to view the 11plus as a process of real value which will ultimately improve your child's core skills in Maths and English, whilst providing a great foundation for secondary education.
Starting out on your 11plus journey with an outlook of time well-invested will immediately take the pressure off both you and your child.
Below are 4 powerful ways to ensure that your child's 11plus experience is a positive and enriching one:
1) Set reasonable expectations – Talk to your child about what is expected from them and the level of commitment required. If your child is aware of the process and involved in the decision making, they should be more on board from the outset.
2) Provide plenty of encouragement – As the 11plus is set at a level beyond what is expected from the national curriculum, your child may be faced with topics that they have never seen before. Be sure to make them aware of this, as well as recognising if they begin to feel discouraged. Plenty of praise is essential, especially during the early skill-building stages.
3) Keep-up extracurricular activities – For Year 5 children, 30 minutes of revision a day is ideal to ensure a high level of confidence with the 11plus curriculum. This leaves plenty of time for after school activities and general down-time, both of which are essential to maintaining a healthy body and mind!
4) Make revision a personalised experience – Each child has a unique way of absorbing and retaining information. Identify which learning style your child responds to best and tailor their revision accordingly. This can often be determined by considering your child's interests. Auditory learners may prefer listening and speaking, whilst visual learners prefer visual stimulation. e.g. watching video tutorials or using revision flashcards.
We hope you have found the information in this 11plus guide useful. To help your child hit the ground running with their 11plus preparations, KSOL recommend our award-winning online courses for children in Year 3, 4 or 5. Please contact our educational advisers with any questions on 0121 733 6558.