Parent Interview: Prisha

An interview with Gemma Louise Bull

In this interview, Prisha shares her knowledge of the 11+ process and the experience of supporting her son to achieve a place at Queen Elizabeth's Boys. By request, a stock photo has been used to protect the anonymity of the family.

Why did you decide to apply for a grammar school place?

My son has always been above the expected level right from when he started school in his Reception year. He is particularly strong in Maths but he also enjoys reading and learning new words. It made complete sense to support him to obtain a grammar school place as we wanted him to attend a secondary school with like-minded, academic students.

What were your target schools? Why did you decide on the particular schools?

We live in North London so QE Boys is our closest grammar school. However, even if we didn't live so close to QE, we would have been willing to move closer as, after completing our research, we knew it would be the perfect school for our son. When we went to the open evening, he loved it too!

We did consider applying to other schools/consortiums, such as Kent, Hertfordshire, etc. but we decided to solely focus on QE. It was a risk but it gave us a clear target to work towards!

When did you start the preparation? Why did you opt to start then?

We started with extra Maths and English work at home from Year 3. We read with our son daily and practised his times tables, spellings, etc. We wanted to make sure that he was in a good position to start his 11+ preparations in Year 4.

Did you do any research? Where did you find information about the exam boards, structure of the exams, etc.?

I looked at the QE website and various mum forums. I also found Facebook a good source of information. Groups such as Grammar School Information and The 11+ Journey offered lots of expert advice which was really helpful.

Did you have any concerns at the start of the process? How did you alleviate them?

My main concern was ensuring that my son was at the right level for QE without overwhelming him. We knew he had the potential to succeed but we wanted him to remain motivated throughout the process. So, we made time to talk about his 11+ preparation together to alleviate any of his concerns and our own.

In the middle of Year 5, my son's marks seemed to drop and we were concerned then. But our son's English tutor reassured us that it was normal for marks to fluctuate. With some additional focus, his marks continued to rise!

Did you use a tutor, workbooks, etc.?

Yes, we had a tutor for English from Year 4 and for Maths in Year 5. We knew the focus area for my son would be English so we started early. He attended weekly group sessions which were excellent for him as he enjoys working with other students. Our English tutor created original resources and provided weekly tasks to consolidate learning. She also sent out regular reports which I wasn't expecting! Our Maths tutor was amazing too. He really challenged my son which was exactly what he needed in Maths.

We used a range of workbooks at home. We found the CGP and Bond books the best, although we soon realised we needed more challenging materials for QE. In the Spring term of Year 5, we started completing weekly mock papers. We used a lot of Exam Paper Plus mock papers as we knew they would be the right level for QE.

How easy was it to manage the balance of schoolwork, 11+ prep, extra-curricular activities, family time, etc.? What advice would you give parents about creating an effective schedule at the start of the process?

My son loves playing football and cricket so we kept up his regular sports sessions. It gave him time to have a break from studying although I did test him on vocabulary in the car! We also made sure he had a day off from studying every week so we could spend time together as a family.

My advice would be to balance learning time with extra-curricular activities and family time. The children are still young so they need time off. Saying that, they also need to work hard and be committed to be successful.

Did you do any mock papers?

Yes, we completed weekly mock papers at home from the March of Year 5. My son also completed two in-person mock papers so he could get used to working in exam conditions. He got quite good marks on the mocks but there were still a few areas to work on.

How did you prepare your son just before the exams?

We did some gentle revision with him but we also spent time together as a family. I made sure he was eating good food and he went to bed early the night before so he was refreshed the next day. He wasn't nervous at all; I think my husband and I were way more nervous!

What was it like waiting for your son's results?

Terrible. Although I knew he had worked hard, and tried his best, I was really worried that he would miss out on a place. But he achieved extremely high scores for both English and Maths so I didn't need to worry at all.

How did you celebrate your son's results?

My son wanted to go to Euro Disney so we took him there during the Christmas holiday. It was lovely to spend time with him and celebrate his achievement.

How has your son found his first two terms at QE? Are you happy with your choice?

He loves it! He has made lots of lovely new friends and the teachers are very supportive. So far, he is doing really well in all his subjects and sports. We definitely made the right choice!