After a morning of hoovering and bathroom cleaning to take my mind off things, I joined the massive queue of parents waiting to pick their kids up from the grammar school entrance exam. Would I even find my boy among all these people?
And then I spotted him through the crowd – he’s taller than most and he stands out with his glasses on. He bounded over with a smile on his face.
How was it?
It wasn’t too bad.
Apparently it was easier than Level 6 and harder than Level 5.
For those who don’t know – these are the SATs levels. Kids are supposed to get Level 4 at the end of year 6. A fair few will get Level 5, a very small number will get Level 6. Level 6 is what they’re supposed to get at the age of 14, at the end of year 9. My son, still only 10 and at the start of year 6, had been doing Level 6 papers at school – and getting around 90% in them.
So this was promising.
He talked about biscuits and breaks and toilet queues. He told us who was there from school (we reckon it was about 20% of his year group, which is an awful lot). The detail of the actual test was hazy as it was all so quick. There were two 50 minute papers, with a break (and a queue for the toilet) in between. Each paper covered a number of areas – maths, verbal reasoning, comprehension etc and was in timed sections – they might be 15 minutes, they might be seven minutes. He couldn’t remember how many sections there were or what order they were in. And why would he? It had been an intense experience and the relief he must have felt to get it over would have been huge.
He know he missed two questions and took an educated guess on three, which sounds like pretty good going.
And he was happy. That’s all that really mattered. It was over. The weight was lifted from all our minds. You could see it in the way he moved, hear it in the way he talked. He was relieved, he was excited, he was tired, he was all of these things and more.
He chose Nandos for lunch and had three glasses of fizzy drink (because if you can’t have fizzy drinks after such a huge experience, when can you?). He was given the secondhand smartphone he’d been promised and I surprised him with a new onesie, after his favourite one had got holes in the knee. And then it was home to the Xbox. What more could a boy want?
We have a month until we find out the results. I hope I can put it to the back of my mind and not worry about something which has been done and which we can’t change. We will find out his percentage and his position. We know how many places are available at each school, so we will be able to put the right schools on his secondary school application.
But right now, we’re not going to worry about that. We’re going to enjoy a few days of not worrying.
September 16, 2014
A big well done to your boy, he did so well and has a really good head on his shoulders. Na dos and fizzy drinks would do me just fine too :). I hope the next month flies by and you get the results you need really quickly x
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! So far, so good – I’m definitely stressing a lot less now it’s actually over and done with, but still keeping fingers crossed for month to fly by! x
September 16, 2014
Phew! I feel your relief and your son’s! I have positive feelings about the results 🙂
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! I do too, but mustn’t get too carried away and count our chickens before they’re hatched!
September 16, 2014
Very well done to him from me! I think that’s the best bit – if he’ talking about the breaks and the toilet queues, then he probably breezed the test! I’m confident for him. And what lovely rewards for him after. So good to reward him on test day, rather than results day, because that too lifts the pressure, he knows how proud you are, regardless of results. xx
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! He definitely deserved the rewards, regardless of results, as this has been hanging over him for a long time and even though we tried not to put pressure on, it has been stressful. x
September 16, 2014
What a stressful time for you both, but it sounds like he will have done brilliantly well. xxx
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much, I really hope so! x
September 16, 2014
Well done to the lad. My daughter had a very similar sounding entrance exam yesterday, having had another one at a different school on Saturday. Mother in the Middle had to carry her to her exam desk yesterday because she twisted her ankle on a treat trip to JumpNation on Sunday. Too much stress for all.
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much. Your poor daughter! That really is too much stress for one weekend. Hope the exam went well for her.
September 16, 2014
Well done to your son! You have just brought back my memories of doing the exam – I had to do it at aged 7 and luckily have blocked most of it out! Fingers crossed xx
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! I’m pleased to say I never had to do it myself! It’s a lot of pressure at such a young age. x
September 16, 2014
I am with Emma; I think the way he came out etc is a good sign for sure and I really like that you rewarded him on the day, rather than on results day. I do hope you can all put it to the back of your mind for now. x
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! I think we’re doing pretty well with putting it to the back of our minds (for now at least!). x
September 16, 2014
I read all of this post very intently as although we are not there yet I know that slowly we will start preparing for it in the future and it’s such a relief to hear your son came out with a smile.
I agree best to go for treats straight after and not put the emphasis on the results.
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much! We’re just starting to slowly prepare my daughter now too – she’s just gone into year 4!
September 16, 2014
Thanks very much. I’m going to do my best! x
September 16, 2014
Sounds like he did really well Sarah. It’s totally out of your hands now, and you’ve taken the sensible approach to put it to the back of your mind. Glad he enjoyed his Nandos 🙂 Best of luck for next month!
September 17, 2014
Thanks very much 🙂
September 16, 2014
You must be really proud of him…! Well done to him for getting it out of the way, and big fingers crossed for a month’s time! (:
September 17, 2014
I’m very proud indeed! Thanks.
September 16, 2014
I agree, it does sound very positive!
September 17, 2014
Thank you. let’s hope so!
September 16, 2014
Ohh yum, a nice Nandos for lunch seems like a great treat after his exams. There aren’t any grammer schools round here or I suspect my boy would have wanted to take the exam too, he loves test – very strange! Mich x
September 17, 2014
My boy quite likes tests too! Strange boy. Nandos was definitely a good idea! x
September 17, 2014
Sounds like he did just fine, good luck to him. Nando’s is just the perfect treat for that kind of day x
September 17, 2014
It certainly is! Thanks.
September 17, 2014
oooh best of luck to him
September 17, 2014
Thanks very much.
September 17, 2014
Well done, and I am sure he will get great results!
September 17, 2014
Thank you, I really hope so!
September 17, 2014
Thanks very much.
September 18, 2014
Fingers crossed that he has done well Sarah.
September 18, 2014
A big well done to your boy, I have everything crossed for good results – sounds like he will do just fine!
September 18, 2014
I can’t think of a better way to handle it. What’s done is done, and by the sound of it your son has handled it all admirably well. And his mum too!