{"id":2747,"date":"2024-12-06T15:04:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T15:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/?p=2747"},"modified":"2024-12-06T15:04:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T15:04:46","slug":"understanding-my-childs-11-grammar-school-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/understanding-my-childs-11-grammar-school-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding My Child\u2019s 11+ Grammar School Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Navigating the complex landscape of 11+ exams can be daunting. It&#8217;s crucial to understand the specific requirements of your chosen schools, as different regions and individual schools may have varying exam formats and content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, in Trafford there are 5 grammar schools. All 5 schools are members of the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium and use the same 11+ exam provided by GL Assessment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in Essex there are 11 grammar schools. 10 of these schools are members of the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE) and use the same 11+ exam. However, 1 uses a very different exam provided by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where do I find information about a school\u2019s entrance exam?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A quick online search is a good first step. Search \u2018School Name + entrance exam \/ 11+ exam\u2019. The most reliable source of information will always be the school\u2019s admissions page on their website. Here, you will be able to find information about:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the school\u2019s admissions procedures (including key dates and application deadlines)<\/li><li>the school\u2019s admissions policy (including catchment areas)<\/li><li>information about entrance criteria and admissions tests<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What should I be looking for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of preparing your child for 11+ admissions exams, the most important things you need to know are:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>How many exams, and which exams, do they need to take for your chosen schools?&nbsp;<\/li><li>Approximate exam dates (most 11+ exams take place in the September of Y6).<\/li><li>What are the requirements of those exams?&nbsp;<ol><li>What subjects are included?&nbsp;<\/li><li>How long are the papers?&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Common Exam Providers &amp; Structures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Granada Learning (GL)<\/strong> is now the most common national exam provider for 11+ grammar school exams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>GL publishes practice materials and familiarisation papers<\/li><li>GL divides subjects into individual papers i.e. each paper is only one subject<\/li><li>GL provides papers on all core 11+ subjects, but Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths are the most common for grammar school admissions*<\/li><li>GL content extends beyond the KS2 curriculum a bit more and prioritises skills like logical reasoning and spelling knowledge.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>* Some independent school exams also use GL and are more likely to also include an English paper.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Future Stories Community Enterprise (FCSE) <\/strong>was set up in 2022 to facilitate equal opportunities. As of 2024, 4 grammar schools across the country use this board.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>FCSE exams do not test beyond the Y5 curriculum<\/li><li>FCSE exams only include Maths and English, they do not cover Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning<\/li><li>FCSE includes 3 papers: a multiple choice Maths and English paper, a free response Maths and English paper, and a creative writing paper<\/li><li>FCSE aims to test students\u2019 academic potential rather than test-taking ability.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM)<\/strong> used to be one of the main national providers for grammar school exams. However, it recently switched to online exams and as a result most schools have changed to other providers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schools in some areas join together to create consortiums and use the same regional exam.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE)<\/strong>,<strong> <\/strong>a group of 10 grammar schools in Essex, set their own exam meaning students need only sit one test rather than several.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>CSSE includes an English paper (reading comprehension and creative writing) and a Maths paper<\/li><li>CSSE tests students on the KS2 curriculum, but some questions may be more challenging.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A small number of grammar schools set their own papers, so it is always important to check and not assume that all the schools in your area use the same exam.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any questions or concerns, don&#8217;t hesitate to seek guidance from your child&#8217;s school or consult with our expert tutors. By understanding the specific requirements of your chosen schools and providing consistent support, you can empower your child to excel in their 11+ exams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Navigating the complex landscape of 11+ exams can be daunting. It&#8217;s crucial to understand the specific requirements of your chosen schools, as different regions and individual schools may have varying exam formats and content. For example, in Trafford there are 5 grammar schools. All 5 schools are members of the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101,4,7,18,19,37],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2747","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-11-blogs-articles","8":"category-exams","9":"category-exam-preparation","10":"category-online-tutoring","11":"category-online-tutoring-students","12":"category-school-selection"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2749,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2747\/revisions\/2749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seven-springs.co.uk\/resource-hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}