As we start the new year, thoughts inevitably turn to the 11+ exams and interviews.

It can be an anxious time for both children and parents, but Oppidan Education is here to guide your family through every step. This month-by-month guide broadly runs you through the necessary steps for you to take with your child from February of Year 5 through to the Spring of Year 6.

February, March and April

Registration for Open Days are open: this is a fantastic way to get a feel for a prospective school’s ethos, culture and facilities, as well as a good opportunity to meet students and teachers. Clarify the requirements and deadlines for any scholarships that your child might be considering.

We advise visiting all the schools you plan to apply for; a school might be the top-rated in a league table, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right one for your child. Similarly, it pays to have one or two contingency schools in place should they not get into their first choice. It’s imperative you don’t vocalise this hierarchy to your children.

What do you want to get out of a school? The OFSTED website has plenty of reports to see whether it is or they are aligned with your values before you submit an application; even a quick google of a school may bring up some news articles that might provide some useful insights.

During this time, try not to pay too much attention to hearsay from other parents or from forums. Trust your own research and that you know what is best for your child.

May

SATs take place for those in Year 6, usually beginning in the second week, and focus on English and Maths skills.

June

Registration for most Senior Schools close by the end of June, so ensure you’ve registered your child by this time.

July

The Summer is all about balance: it’s important that your child is continuing to consolidate all the knowledge they’ve learnt so far, but also that they have fun, relax and have permission to be a kid! Why not speak to your child’s mentor about how to keep momentum going during this time: discussing current events during meal times, for example, is a great way to ensure they have plenty to talk about come interviews in the Autumn.

If your child is struggling to engage with reading over the summer, it can sometimes help to read the same book as them. This way, you can discuss the book together in an informal way to help practice their comprehension skills: you could perhaps ask their opinion about the writer’s use of language and structure; discuss how ideas and perspectives are portrayed across different texts; and ask their opinion on characters or what they think might happen next.

August

The last week before school is time to ‘hit the ground running’.

A good tip is to create a Spreadsheet with a timeline of when schools hold interviews or internal exams in addition to the ISEB pre-test. Similarly, create a timetable with your child and agree together how much time they will spend revising each week, both after school and on weekends.

If there are areas you’ve jointly identified where they might benefit from a mentor, Oppidan are on hand to help. We’ve supported 1000s of kids with their ISEB; 95% of whom get into their first-choice school. Our mentors use a combination of our 11+ guide and their own resources, some of which they’ve built up over 10 years’ experience.

Some parents also like to get an Academic Profiling Test to give a good comparative measure of their child’s ability. Why not get in touch with Sam, Laura and Nicole from the Client Management team to discuss how we can assist further?

Again, try not to be swayed by advice from friends or forums: everyone ‘seems’ to be more able, have more information and be more intelligent than your child is. Have faith that you know what is best for your them and trust the process: it’s more of a marathon than a sprint.

September

September is often the time to attend all the Open Days you registered for in the Spring. Pre-prepare questions to ask students and teachers to really get a feel as to whether the school is right for your child; think about what both you and they value: what extra-curricular activities are on offer, the quality of the pastoral care, size of classes and length of day; commute time; and amount of outdoor space are good places to start.

Record any notes you’ve made from your Open Days in your Spreadsheet.

October and November

In the days before their exam, ensure your child gets plenty of rest. On the morning of, try to abate their stress by encouraging them to see the exam or interview as a chance to show off all that they’ve learnt.

Afterwards, celebrate your child’s effort and try to steer them away from conversations about where they might have made a mistake. Treat them to something afterwards: perhaps a meal or even an ice-cream!

December

As in August, the Christmas holidays are a chance to let your child slow down and relax, but it’s also important to keep them ticking over the content that they might need to draw on come the New Year. Keeping to a timetable will help to structure clear boundaries between work and time off.

January

Many schools start offering interview places in the first week of January.

Oppidan are very experienced with interview prep, having provided over 20,000 interview sessions since our inception. For this part of the 11+ process, a less-is-more approach trumps - any more could be counter-productive and lead to burnout. All Oppidan mentors are DBS checked and kept informed with the latest updates to the process through regular training sessions run throughout the year

February

Generally speaking, schools start to offer places at the beginning of February, though the wait can continue as late as early summer for schools like Eton and St.Pauls.

Hopefully, the results are what you’re expected. If not, with luck you will have your second-choice schools and know what the next steps are for your child. Communicating this to them will help lessen any dejection they’re feeling and encourage optimism for the next stage in their educational journey.

If your child has been put on the waiting list of your preferred school, it can help to get in touch with the admissions team to inform them of your continued interest and receive information on next steps.

If your child has been offered a place but you’re still unsure about whether the school is the right fit, endeavour to organise another tour or see if there’s an upcoming offer-holder evening. If you’re not interested, reject the place: it allows other candidates to move up the list.

Whatever the outcome, make sure your child knows that you are proud of the work they have put in and all that they’ve learnt throughout the year.