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Eleven plus or 11 plus examinations govern the admissions to various types of secondary schools and are given by some students in their final year of primary education. The name comes from the ages of the children looking for entry to the secondary level i.e. 11-12 years. It is taken by children voluntarily and is used to gain entrance to a specific group of schools. The eleven plus exam The 11 Plus test was introduced in 1944 by the Butler Education Act. Children who successfully passed the test were allocated places at Grammar Schools, while those who were unsuccessful would attend either a Secondary Modern school or the rather fewer Technical Schools that were established by the Butler Education Act.This system was in place till 1976, when the Labour government gave Local Education Authorities the option of discontinuing the Grammar School system and establishing a single-tier system of comprehensive schools instead. Accordingly, a few Grammar Schools were retained, and some schools retained the right to select part of their intake (Partially Selective schools) while yet others retained a grammar stream within an otherwise non-selective school (Bilateral Schools).There are now 164 Grammar Schools remaining in England. The 11 plus test was officially discontinued in Northern Ireland in 2008, although many of the “ex-Grammar Schools” are continuing to use testing to select children by ability, a move that has created considerable political controversy. About the 11 plus The qualification rate for the eleven plus test varies considerably around the United Kingdom. Some schools attract several thousand applicants for as few as 180 places, with a pass rate of perhaps 3 percent. In areas where the grammar system has been retained in full the pass rate is considerably higher.Verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, Mathematics and English are the four separate disciplines used for the eleven plus tests.The most common form of test for the Eleven Plus is Verbal Reasoning, which features in the test in almost every area. Non-Verbal Reasoning papers are also very common. Both of these types of test are believed to test a child’s innate intelligence and potential, rather than skills that have been learned through their education to date. Training and practice papers The competitive nature of the Eleven Plus can make it a very stressful experience for both parents and children. However, there are websites available which are mainly run by parents whose children were going through this stress themselves where they make eleven plus practice papers available to children to boost their confidence.These practice papers are actually sample papers which can be downloaded from the internet and offer exams written by well-respected tutors, Timed 11+ online testing which even allows you to check your answers thereby allowing you to chart your child’s progress and also make available advice to parents.
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