At the age of 10, for family reasons, I moved from rural Cornwall to
Leeds, Yorkshire, and though my English ability was high I found I was
way behind in mathematics which ultimately (I presume) led to my 11-plus
failure.
Receiving the result was pretty traumatic for me and my working-class
parents who, although on a low income, had supported me by buying
books. A further blow was losing many friends because they went on to
grammar school.
I ended up at a secondary modern school where pupils left at 15
without taking GCEs. I was top of my class in every subject except
maths, getting 100% in English, history and geography, and the head
tried to get me transferred to the local grammar school. However,
because my maths were seen as so poor they refused to accept me. I spent
the rest of my time at school saved from boredom by winning essay
prizes, becoming director of the school’s internal radio programme,
writing and acting in plays, and contributing stories to the school
magazine. Afterwards I got a clerical job at the Home Office and
continued my education at night school. Not easy.
Later, by the way, I went to university, got a good degree, and
enjoyed a 40-year career, first in advertising, then as an English and
drama teacher.
Needless to say, I am vehemently opposed to selective education! William Earl, retired teacher, Spain
The reality then dawned that half of my friends were going to the local comprehensive
No tutoring. Exam was not that hard, as I remember. Afterwards,
talking over the answers with friends realised I had got most of the
same answers so was quietly relieved. When I got the results I was very
happy as I was under the impression that the school that I was going to
was the best. Parents very happy! The reality then dawned that half of
my friends were going to the local comprehensive and that I wouldn’t be
hanging around with them from then on! It was a long summer ...
Overall my experiences at school were good – mainly for making
friends that I still see 25 years on! School was heavily academic (I was
not) and sport-oriented (I was not) – so I was average in most
subjects. I did OK, passed all GCSEs, but left in the fifth year to
study A-levels at FE level at local college.
I was into art and design – this was not accounted for at the grammar
school, all they were interested in was future Oxbridge and university
candidates! Most of the people I know who went to the school have done
well – some exceptionally, and a few others not so brilliantly ... but
on the whole all employed, house-owners, families, etc. Mat Thurston, studio manager, Essex
I sat my 11+ over 10 years ago - I'm now 23. I failed it, miserably. I
went in there with no tuition - my mum didn't believe in it, though she
knew that all the other 11 year old's going to sit this test had forked
out for it. I was bright, but unprepared. I don't think it's fair that
an 10 year old should be familiar with the concept of revision (my
birthday is in July so I was slightly younger). I still remember the
feeling of opening that letter to see that I had been unsuccessful - and
off I went to a normal comprehensive secondary school. I hadn't known
failure before then, I was a bright student. I went on to get 3 As and 1
A* at A Level, and go on to study law at University. The point I'm
trying to make is that an 11+ is an exam which requires tutoring,
revision and a lot of work by the 10/11 year old students. Natural
brightness and intelligence might not always cut it. If I had a child, I
wouldn't put them through that.
To be written off as a ‘failure’ at 10 or 11 is a travesty and there must be a better way
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was in the middle of a difficult time and was not working hard, plus I
had a teacher who was retiring and had lost interest in teaching. I
missed the second exam due to illness and had to do it later on my own. I
was “borderline” and remember having to submit additional work and
information but I did not pass and went to the local secondary modern
school. I wasn’t tutored as my parents did not believe that was the
right thing to do. As both my siblings had failed I was not too bothered
when I heard I had as well. However there was an overriding sense of
“failure” which stayed with me for a long time.
Going to a secondary modern school full of people who were “failures”
was not a positive experience. Defining a thousand plus kids in this
way and putting them in a school together is a recipe for failure. To be
written off as a “failure” at 10 or 11 is a travesty and there must be a
better way. There were some very bright people at the school but
inevitably they did not do as well as they should have done.
Speaking for myself and my family, four of us “failed” the 11-plus.
Over the years two of us have gained postgraduate qualifications, three
of us have degrees, all of us have had good jobs. I would argue that the
system is not an accurate way to assess intelligence, although of
course it could be argued that it did not prevent us from progressing
educationally. However, it has been a battle and the effects at times
are deep-rooted and continue to impact on me 30-odd years later. Anonymous, professional, Yorkshire
I know quite a few women who were shunted off to the secondary modern schools despite very high intelligence
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took it all in my stride. Assumed I would pass and did. I was one of
the brightest in the year at a Catholic prep school (mainly girls) in
Scarborough and took the exam a year early. Our teacher did lots of exam
practice with us so we were very well prepared.
Most of the people who didn’t pass went on to the convent grammar
school anyway as it was direct grant. Just one went to the girls’ high
school so far as I can remember.
I found out years later that some who hadn’t passed were sacrificial
lambs to let more boys “pass” the 11-plus. I know quite a few women who
were shunted off to the secondary modern schools despite very high
intelligence .
Absolutely loved school but when I went into teaching in the 70s I
realised I was greatly in favour of the equal opportunities that a
comprehensive school offers. I had a very privileged education despite
my lowly family background and am sincerely grateful for the friendship
and teaching I experienced. Many were not so lucky.
The secondary modern curriculum was good for some but terrible for
those who had just missed out on passing the 11-plus and who would have
thrived in a more academic milieu. Anonymous, retired teacher, Selby
I went to a local primary school and was bored out of my mind. A
class patiently reading their way through material page by page for
weeks that I had read in its entirety on the first day. Endless
repetition of the most basic arithmetic. Infantile spelling drills.
There were a couple of decent and intelligent teachers who just allowed
me to read at my own pace, otherwise I'd have gone mad.
I had no real idea what the 11+ was when I took it, but after that I
found myself in a school where I had to work, as did the other kids, and
whatever it was, it wasn't boring. It was actually difficult, some of
it, which was a completely novel and disconcerting experience.
I am in retrospect very grateful that I managed to get into an
environment where I was treated as an intellectual adult and in company
with other kids who were being similarly treated and having demands made
on them.
Finally we were around 16 I suppose, and one of the teachers in
assigning work handed out some extracts from a textbook with the remark
that this was US first year college material, so it should be just about
right for us. And it was. And by then we were expected to make our own
way through it and ask questions where we didn't understand something,
and we did.
What we would have done in a modern comprehensive I cannot imagine.
Another six or seven years of boredom, irritation and frustration while
the class patiently worked its way through the obvious, or never even
got beyond the basics. I feel very sorry for those who through no fault
of their own other than being bright have modern British education
inflicted on them in the name of political correctness and one size fits
all teaching. It probably scars them for life.
A B grade was disappointing and C grades were looked down upon
I went to a small primary school and the 11-plus was not given a huge
amount of attention. We had a couple of classes explaining what would
be in the test but otherwise it was down to the parents or private
tutors to teach the exam techniques. My dad gave me a bit of tutoring
and I remember the actual exam being fairly harmless, but I was shocked
to find out that only six of us in the school had passed. When you’re 11
you don’t understand what it means for your education and at the time I
just remember being upset that a lot of my friends weren’t going to go
to the same school as me.
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went to a grammar school in Buckinghamshire and I feel like I was
extremely lucky in the education that I received. As soon as I got there
it was obvious that a lot of students had been privately tutored, with
some students even coming from “preparatory” schools which geared them
towards the 11-plus throughout private school.
I only really started appreciating the quality of the education when I
entered sixth form and started applying for higher education as it made
me realise that the school had geared me towards better universities
than I had expected.
On the downside, my school put an extreme amount of pressure on its
students with regards to grades and university applications. A B grade
was disappointing and C grades were looked down upon. It felt like an
exam factory towards the end of my time there, with the school desperate
for every student to get the best grades possible so that it could get
placed higher in the league tables.
I was nearly breaking down at one point and that kind of pressure on
17- and 18-year-olds doesn’t always work. Even so, I know that the
teachers helped me in every way possible to get the grades I needed, so
for that I’m glad I ended up in the school that I did. Katie, university student, Glasgow
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