Eleven plus

I think we were lucky in our small town. Those that "failed" and went to the secondary modern also got a good education and several of them transferred over to the grammar school to do A levels. Those of us who went to the Grammar school were very happy with our lot,and although it was a tiny school, several went on to greater things.

I can remember one English question was to write a sentence using ‘envelope’ with 2 meanings.

My cousin had been doing old 11+ exam papers almost daily and her family had been to order her uniform.
I passed and it was a total shock that she hadn’t.

All I can remember about it is the room it was in; where I was sitting; and most of all, that I became desperate for a pee at some point and unable to carry on the test. I was too scared to ask to go to the loo, but somehow the desperation lessened at some point and I was able to finish the test. If I hadn't been, I would probably have failed and knew that at the time, so it remains one of my strongest childhood memories.

Mine was taken in April, I think, 1964.

Arithmetic, English, comprehension test, essay to write as I recall.

It was on a specific day, we knew it was the 11+.

My parents received a letter with the result. I went to the phone box to ‘phone a friend’ with it, her instructions.

I had passed, she had to go for an interview, so not a pass but not ‘fail’. She seemed thrilled at that, I didn’t say anything, but I would have been disappointed not to pass outright.

We still have the 11+ in our area, my DD didn’t pass, I admit to being disappointed at that. Our DS did pass, as have both his children subsequently.

So different, now they are all tutored to pass about a year in advance of the exam.

Rather pleased that neither of the GC were tutored, and both achieved good passes.

Highly competitive nowadays, I wouldn’t pass now as the ‘reasoning’ tests would be beyond me!

BigBertha1

I remember it clearly. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it and felt fairly certain of a good pass. Modesty prevents me revealing what I was told (not an actual result as that was not given out but some kind remarks by the Headmistress). Anyway got the grammar school place much to my mother's chagrin.

Why to your mother’s chagrin? I’m curious.

I remember being told I would not be going to the grammer school with my friends!! That was awful. My parents were amazing no recriminations. Having ' said ' that I ended up with a first class degree from a good university.
Assessment is very subjective and to test such young children is utter madness!! How can a child be written off aged 11!? and sent to a secondary modern school to receive a sub standard education. Despite my loving parents I always felt a failure. I would hate to see a return of the 11 plus.

I don’t remember the actual test, but do the Chinese meal in a restaurant as a reward for passing, I took my best friend

I don’t remember much about the 11+, except that I found it very easy and assumed I’d pass - I did. Oh, I do remember that one question was completing proverbs and clichés like “as fresh as a (daisy)”. Even at ten I thought it would be a much better test if our intelligence if we had been told to invent a new comparison.

The school I eventually went to had its own entrance exam as well as the 11+. It was much more challenging. I vividly remember when the results came, by letter to my parents. I felt completely sick with fear as they opened the envelope. I so desperately wanted to go to that school. Luckily, it was all right!

I sat the 11 plus in March 1954. I was 10 the previous December. We had to write an essay on dressing a doll. My mam had given me a cone of aniseed balls, and the bag burst all over the classroom floor, just as the exam finished. I too knew I had passed as I was called to the headmistress’s office and given a letter to take home straight away. I remember I was wearing wellies.

I didn't do an 11+ as Scotland had moved to a comprehensive system of education by the time I was old enough. In the last year of primary school, the closest (not that close) private school set tests and offered a bursary to the highest scorer. Needless to say, twasnt I !

I remember it clearly. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it and felt fairly certain of a good pass. Modesty prevents me revealing what I was told (not an actual result as that was not given out but some kind remarks by the Headmistress). Anyway got the grammar school place much to my mother's chagrin.

I sat the 11 plus in January 1960. We were deliberately not told in advance when the exam was. We sat in our usual classroom to take the exam.

Not everybody in our class had to sit the exam, as we had done, so called, intelligence tests the term before.

My results arrived by first post early one morning during the Easter holidays. The local newspaper published the names of the children who had passed along with the school they had got into.

I don’t remember anything about the exam but I do remember the Headmaster making an announcement about the results, and I had the highest marks. It was only a small village school though. I don’t know how my parents were informed.

I remember nothing about it can't even remember how I was told I'd passed. I do remember I was terrified of going on the journey to the new school.

I knew I had passed, because I was sent to the school office to help the secretary sort out the letters. There were two piles, those who had passed and those, who were not so lucky. I didn't see the letters, but was able to work it out from the names in teh piles.
They were then given out at home time.

I remeber there was a maths and English tests, but if I remember correctly, also what were termed intelligence tests.