Why don’t you publish comments from people who like the 11+ and grammar schools?

In general it is easy to talk about passing the 11+ and enjoying education in a grammar school, while it is much harder to talk about failing and attending the kind of school that lacks ‘bright’ pupils. The mission of 11+ Anonymous is to give a voice to people who find problems with selective education but find it hard to criticise the system openly. There are a huge range of people who feel this way. They might include people who are embarrassed not to pass the test, parents who feel forced to use a grammar school but dislike the system, or teachers who hate the stress the 11+ causes in their schools but are forced to support the test process.

Grammar school supporters can easily talk about their admiration and support for selective schooling, while11+ Anonymous is designed for those critics of selective education who find it hard to speak up.

I added a story to the site, why hasn’t it appeared?

We moderate all submissions to the 11+ Anonymous site, so it can take a few days for comments to appear online. If we feel a comment is not appropriate to the theme of the site then we may decide not publish the story. We will not publish spammy or repetitive contributions, nor will we publish submissions that name individuals or criticise specific schools. If you have a concern about your story not being published you can get in touch, or try adjusting the wording and submitting it again.

What is the 11+ test?

Most of England ditched 11+ tests back in the 1970s, but grammar schools and their tests remain in some areas of the country. Sometimes the tests are given regional names such as the Kent Test or the Medway Test, while in some places the 11+ is known as the Transfer Test. If you haven’t heard of the 11+ you are probably lucky enough to live in one of the areas of England that phased out this test.

Why are contributions anonymous?

We do allow people to write their name if they choose to do so, but we encourage anonymous submissions because it helps avoid identifying family members who might not want to be discussed, and it avoids individual schools being highlighted. It is also the case that people are more likely to write personal stories about the sensitive topic of failing the 11+ if they do not need to put their name to the story.

I have something to say about the 11+ but it doesn’t fit one of your categories?

Please write your story even if it does not fit any of the categories on the site. We will be adding new themes in future. Feel free to write to us to make a suggestion for a new category.

Who can participate in your survey?

Our survey is open to anyone who has attended a secondary school in England, including pupils of non-selective schools, grammar schools and private schools. We particularly welcome responses from those who have taken an 11+ exam, as we are researching views on the test and education in selective areas.

When will your survey close and where will the results be published?

There is no close date for our survey set just yet, we hope to receive as many responses as possible before sharing news of the results here at the site. Please consider sharing the link to the survey with your friends.

How do I campaign to end the 11+?

11+ Anonymous was created by Comprehensive Future, a campaign group that seeks to end 11+ tests and other unfair school admissions. We believe that a plan should be made to remove test admission to grammar schools and open up these schools to all local children.We welcome new supporters joining Comprehensive Future’s campaign, find out more here.

Is there anything I can do to support 11+ Anonymous?

Please share news of this site with people who live in areas that still have an 11+ school system, and encourage your friends to write comments and take our survey. Sometimes the press get in touch with us and want to talk to parents or teachers from selective areas about their experiences, if you might like to help with this please get in touch.

I have another question, how do I get in touch?

You can contact 11+ Anonymous through our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.

How do I add my comments to the site?

It’s easy to add a comment, simply fill in the form below. All submissions will be reviewed before they are published, so please allow a day or two for your story to appear.

Add your story below.

This is an anonymous submission form.

This site is designed to give a voice to critics of the 11+ and selective school systems only. Supporters of the grammar school system have many other channels to share their views. Read more about our policy for publishing stories here, and our Privacy Policy here.