Is 2024 the year your child wins their place in the secondary school of their choice? Can they do it? Will they do it? A better question is: Will they (and you) do the doing to make it happen? To which the answer, I'm sure, will be YES!
A story of hope to kick of the year, which I hope will inspire you to work and learn and smile till the last full stop or calculation is written on the last paper.
Actually, it's not really a story, it's a few numbers from which you'll be able to imagine the story.
A student I know very well (I may even be related to her, but I'm protecting her identity!) in Year 5, at the start of the year (like now) was beginning to master English story writing, but in a Maths Mock, scored 8%. Yes. 8%. A cause for panic? Despair? Arguments? Abandoning the 11plus path? Of course not. 8% is a number, a story so far. We had only another 92% to go and look for; she had taken the first 8 steps.
By July, the score was 50%. This student is a do-er. We celebrated what wasn't known or understood or enjoyed, and 'did' more of this. We focused on knowing the unknowns, enjoying the un-enjoyables, understanding the mis-understoods. By September? Test time? She passed the Sutton test and joined the grammar school of her choice, with a score that must have been around 90%.
She was the same girl, the same student. Was she worried? Yes. Did we listen to the worry? No. We trusted in doing. We trusted in learning, in the path. We put in around 10-15 hours of learning a week - it was doing that did it. As I think Brian Tracy said, only doing does. What a helpful, judgement-free motto. Why? Because everyone can do the doing if they choose to. As you will choose to. (This is getting Dr Seuss-like!)
Part 2 of the story? The Covid Years of exams. GCSE Maths. A grade 7 predicted, with no chance to sit the exam, so that was it. This student wanted to sit A level Maths. Listen to this - if something similar happens at your school, know that you do not have to listen or accept. Her head of Maths actively tried to discourage her from sitting A level Maths - which she wanted, in order to study Medicine - saying she was unlikely to do well. (Based on what evidence? Based on what model of teaching or learning? He couldn't say. Of course he couldn't; he was scared for his own statistics, not committed to improving hers.)
Her parents - who may have included me, I'm not saying - and the student knew not to listen to negativity. She chose A Level Maths. 2 years later, she DID sit the exam. She also scored an A star - the highest grade!
By doing. By keeping faith in the process. By making improvements each week. By accepting there are things you don't know, understand or like, and then having the adventure and faith to explore the topics and conquer them.
She is now studying Medicine.
How will you support and help you and your child to keep going towards the 11plus? Did any part of this story relate or make you think? Please reach out and let me know. leemottram@11plushappy.com
Let's have an amazing year of learning. You can, you will, you DO!
Lee, London, 2024
