David lives in Birmingham with his wife and four children. When it came time for his youngest daughter, Davica, to prepare for the West Midlands Grammar Schools' Entrance Test, he expected that schoolwork might be enough. “I’ve got three older children,” he says, “and where we lived before, there wasn’t the 11+. I assumed Davica’s primary school would cover what she needed.” But it didn’t take long for him to realise the 11+ is a different kind of challenge.
“There are nuances,” David explains. “Especially with non-verbal reasoning – it just wasn’t something she was doing at school. And then there’s the timing. On the day, she still had two or three questions she didn’t finish – and she was well-prepared.”
That’s when they decided to try Atom.
Q: Can you share your overall experience using Atom?
A: We found it very, very easy to use. The structure was good and we really enjoyed that it was broken up into different parts. We liked that you could see what the strengths and weaknesses were.
We used Atom very regularly, particularly in the summer holiday before the 11 plus. We’d use it every day for about 35 minutes. We’d pick a subject that Davica was less confident in so she could practise. It also had an exciting look, all the colours and images – we loved it.
Q: What was one of your biggest challenges when preparing for the 11 plus?
A: I think realising that the work she was doing at primary school wasn’t enough to prepare her for the 11 plus. I've got three older children who went through a school system, but we lived in an area where there was no 11 plus. Initially, I thought what she was doing at school would be enough. But, it took me some time to realise that there are particular nuances, especially with non-verbal reasoning – that area was not one of her strengths. I think it was understanding those nuances, as well as the time pressure of the exam.
She was used to doing tests, but suddenly, she had to complete them in a certain amount of time. Even on the day, she still had two or three questions that she didn't answer, which I think most kids do. Nevertheless, that realisation took a bit of time to get used to, and that's why, in the end, we felt we needed something like Atom just to go that little step further.
Q: What features of Atom did you find most valuable?
A: I like the focus on strengths and weaknesses. If there was a subject she wasn’t very strong in, the questions would get easier and she could go back and focus on them. Those tiny subdivisions were very helpful. It was really precise and focused on her specific strengths and weaknesses. We also liked the comparison of where she stood compared to kids who were also going in for that school.
Q: Do you have any advice for other families preparing for the 11 plus?
A: I think doing small bits regularly rather than long, hour chunks. I would also say understanding that, for most kids, what they're doing in primary school is not enough for some of the demands and nuances of the 11 plus.
And lastly, be relaxed about it. We kept saying, “Whatever you come up with, that's fine. We'll be happy.” I think that trying to relax as a parent takes away some of the pressure.
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