In the grammar school where I teach, the vast majority of pupils are tutored – not just for the highly competitive 11-plus entrance exam, but often throughout their school career and sometimes even beyond.
Places at my school are seen as the golden ticket to success. Primary pupils are ferried back and forth to tuition centres several times a week, years before the 11-plus. Some of these centres run intensive holiday courses in years 4 and 5, asking for all-day attendance for a whole week at a time. Children are entered for numerous mock exams. When we hold open evenings, 11-plus tutors tout for business outside the school gates.
Tension in the classroom on exam day is high and parents will challenge the slightest detail in the delivery of the tests. A dropped pencil, a missed question, the child distracting everyone by coughing – any of these might lead to a vital point being lost. Some parents go on to query results in baseline Cat tests at the beginning of year 7, which don’t always match 11-plus performance. The tests are different, after all, and their children haven’t been coached in those specific questions.
