Hi we're applying in Lincs but live just out of county. You need to contact your preferred school to register for the exams which are held in September. You then apply for your preferred school through your current LA usually by the end of October (by which time you'll know the 11+ result), Lincs LA advised us to send them a duplicate of your application so that they know that your applying for a place at one of their schools. Never too late to start practising - we only started a couple of weeks ago. 220 is pass mark but achieving this no guarentee of a place

Phil Honey – You say: ‘this 11+ lark is to decide which school is correct for a child at a particular time in their development.’

I agree that this is the official line, namely, that the test decides which school is suitable for a child at a particular time in their development, but I do not agree with this claim. This is because the number of children who would benefit from a grammar school education in, say, Buckinghamshire, far outstrips the number of places available. The government will not allow the opening of any new grammar schools, despite the obvious demand, but even if they doubled the number in Buckinghamshire, they would still be filled with children who would easily have enough ability to cope with the education.

The same applies in Manchester where I am based – there are thousands of applications to Altrincham Grammar School, and far more than the hundred or so students who pass would be suited to the type of education they provide.

Basically, the parents want more grammar schools, and there are plenty of children who would be suited to them, but the authorities do not wish to provide any more.

Therefore, amongst the many children who would be suited, only a small number are selected. A large tutoring industry has built up because of the huge imbalance of supply and demand. There is a huge demand for places from suitable children and a very small supply. In view of this, no system is going to be totally fair. But the current one, under which those who work the hardest pass, is as fair as any. After all, these are the ones the grammar schools want in preference to those who are clever but unmotivated. This idea that the hard workers pass in preference to the naturally intelligent is not the official line, but it is what happens in my opinion.

In answer to original question - registration has passed, you should contact the local grammar school to be included in the 11+ test. The tests are very early in the new school year, some in primaries, some at the grammar and Caistor grammar does its own tests.
If your child is already level 5 in Y5, you need only do some familiarisation for speed. The tests are VR and NVR and children need to work fast and accurately.

Thanks for the various replies; they've been helpful. I've been in touch with the local grammar school to our new house and have arranged for her to sit the 11+ with them.

I've spent time getting my daughter used to the VR and NVR types of questions and it seems to be going reasonably well. Some of the practice we've done seems harder than the NFER style papers so my daughter shouldn't see anything that she doesn't know how to work out.

Does anyone know whether Lincs does multiple choice or standard style answers?

Your support has been most reassuring and any further advice you can give would be welcome.

Many thanks to all.

If I were in your position, I would take your daughter out of school for at least 2 weeks before exam, or even 4 weeks and teach her yourself.

A child can learn more in 2 weeks at home than 1 term at school.Most state schools do not tutor for 11+.

You may not like this but...

One has to accept, primary school is for "socialising" and by and large provide a poor academic education! (Others will disagree).Socialising is important, but does not help with 11+.

Sacrafice 1 month!

Some teachers are excellent, but some teachers are "stupid" as they teach children the eighth leter of the alphabet is "haitch", when it is actually "aitch". People who say "haitch" are ignorant.

Check any dictionary and you will see "haitch " is not standard English (Oxford, Cambridge). It is thus, wrong. My son is the only child in his class who says "aitch" and everyone thinks he is wrong! It is school led ignorance, leading to an ignorant generation.

You will hear the "haitchers" on television now.

A teacher's job is to teach correctly. If they cannot do so, they should be sacked. Sadly, they are not. Soon they will teach FEF", "LEL", "MEM", "NEN", "RAR" "WUBBLEYOU" etc!

Some teachers complain when a child adds in columns and "carrys" at the top.

They insist they "carry" at the bottom. Of course, this is inefficient, as the child is forced to draw two lines for an "answer box" and rescan the paper with his eye to add the "carry". This wastes time in an 11+ exam.

I informed the teachers to refrain from forcing my children to carry at the bottom, and told them explicitly to ignore the teachers if they told to do so. They learnt how to add in columns before year 2 SATS and now the teacher wanted to change their method 2 years later!

It should not matter where one puts the "carry", as long as one understands what one is doing.Some schools write sarcastic letters when you ask for the year 6 maths syllabus, in year 5, claiming most parents prefer the school to teach maths.Rely on the school, and the child is likely to fail (unless the child is naturally intelligent).

Depressive reading! Some teachers will be upset, but it is a valid view.These are some of the reasons, you may be better off teaching your own child during the build up.CEM, University of Durham claim their 11+ exams are tutor proof. I don't believe it.

Ensure the child has learnt the entire year 6 syllabus in maths (if it is part of the exam) and cover all other topics. Use this site for practice, there is good material. It is the place to start. You can move on to other papers later.

Above all, practice as timing is essential!

If possible, pay for a "mock" to give the child the feeling of a real test under test conditions in an exam hall and understand timing.

Just like to add my voice agreeing with your comments on the "haitchers." My children say it properly because I have taught them, and they have also been told they are wrong! As a tutor, I always correct any kids who come my way on pronunciation. But, I am afraid my efforts are a very small drop in a vast ocean of ignorance.