Preparing your child for 7+ Entrance Exams

Lorrae Jaderberg and Katie Krais, Joint Founders and Managing Directors of JK Educate, offer some leading advice...

As the competition for secondary school places continues to intensify, 7+ entrance to independent preparatory schools (especially those with a senior department) is becoming increasingly popular. This means that the competition at 7+ is becoming increasingly fierce; not just for prestigious London schools such as Haberdashers’ Asker’s Boys’ School and Highgate School, but also for academically selective independent schools across the country.

Is the 7+ the right choice for your child?

As for the 11+, a child should be academically assessed before embarking on this journey. If their academic potential doesn’t match up to the school’s expectations, then applying there might be setting them up to fail, even if they can be prepared well enough to secure a place there. Children should not be intensively tutored to get into a school for which they lack the innate aptitude to succeed and thrive once they are there.

The 7+ might facilitate entry to independent prep schools designed to prepare children for entry to academically selective senior schools, or for admission to academically selective independent schools with a senior school.

Once a child is in a school, they still need to work hard and meet the school’s required standards, and may still be examined at 11+, but they often have a less difficult transition into the senior school than those applying from the outside, effectively by-passing the 11+ or 13+ Common Entrance pressures.

How can you prepare your child for the 7+?

The children are younger and there are differences to the 11+, but these assessments still require preparation. It’s unfair to send a child into this unprepared, as they will be at a disadvantage and might find it a traumatic and demoralising experience with a long-term negative impact.

If the child is at a pre-prep, the school may be able to offer help, although this isn’t always the case as they might prefer the child to stay within their school and progress to their prep school if they have one. State primary schools cannot and do not offer extra teaching for 7+ candidates.

Parents don’t need to panic if their child is young in her year. At such a young age, a child born in September will still have a clear developmental advantage over one born the following August. Consideration will be given to relative ages and if tested, verbal and non-verbal reasoning scores are generally weighted against birth date.

Tutoring is sometimes officially frowned upon by schools, but children need to understand what they will face and how best to prepare themselves for it, so a knowledgeable tutor’s help can be the most effective tool.

How is the 7+ assessed?

Written exam content will be primarily English and maths based, whilst spelling, dictation, mental arithmetic and more creative skills may sometimes be assessed verbally on a one-to-one basis. In addition, group exercises are also sometimes used to look at a child’s initiative and their ability to work with others.

The English written paper will usually focus on comprehension of text and story writing. The expectation will be for a good use of vocabulary and a reading level well above average, with good structure and close attention to the precise questions being asked. Good handwriting should be practised as it is a real asset. Prepared and memorised answers will rarely be of use; candidates need to demonstrate the ability to structure answers and write stories to meet the questions or topics set for them on the day.

The written maths exam may include questions on any part of the Year 2 syllabus and sometimes questions will be pitched beyond that level. Mental arithmetic is very important, but be aware that quite complex word problems can also be included.

More schools are starting to include verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning; a lot of children actually enjoy these as puzzles and challenges, but they can be daunting and should be practised.

Additional verbal testing and creative exercises may be added to the written test. Mental arithmetic, memory and spelling skills may be tested in any combination of these ways.

Will there be an interview?

Most schools will call back for interview those children who have done well in the exams, whilst other schools may interview every candidate on the day of the exams. Interviews may comprise a one-to-one conversation with the headteacher and/or group tasks with other candidates. The interview will reveal the child’s social skills, confidence and focus, whilst the group tasks will show their ability to and follow direction and cooperate with other children. Schools will be on the look-out for children who have been told what to say, and what not to say, by parents.

What are schools looking for?

Children aged six and seven are obviously younger and less established in academic life than those tested at 11+. They will often be as yet incapable of much academic rigour and focus, but the schools are very aware of this. They will place value on social skills demonstrated in interview and group tasks, and on creative and verbal or listening skills that are often tested on an assessment day through the group tasks. Schools will be looking for well-rounded children, but it’s a fact that academic performance in a written exam remains the main measure.

Parents should avoid placing pressure on their children and encourage them to see the assessment process as an opportunity to show what they can do, rather than a test they must pass. This will allow them to relax, do their best and be themselves, which can only make a school want them more!

For more information visit jkeducate.co.uk