the Latymer School 11+

My first-born got into the Latymer School (N9) a few years ago and now I'm trying to help child 2 to follow their footsteps. This site is in no way intended as a comprehensive look at the whole of the Latymer's Yr 7 entrance tests - it's just some notes and ideas that I hope may be useful to others in a similar position. This site's contents and opinions are in no way endorsed by the Latymer school.


VERBAL REASONING - new type of exercise?

One thing i heard from children who sat the test last year is that the Verbal Reasoning test, set by GL Assessment, had a new type of exercise which i haven't yet seen in any published practice books. Since i had some pretty detailed recollections reported to me about these new question types, I've been making up my own questions to prepare child 2.

I will make some of these available here. It may be that last year was the only time this new exercise was trialled, but i suspect it may crop up again this year, so I'd rather try and be prepared. I hope this may be helpful to someone out there. By the way, when i asked GL directly about this, they seemed reluctant to answer my query.

Each question of this exercise contains 2 'scrambled' words, but in each question a letter is missing - so, the same letter missing from each word within the same question. Please have a look at 5 of my example questions here:
VR "New exercise" questions 36-40 with answers [answers on page 2 of the document]
I assume that when the child gives their answers for this type of exercise, they will merely write which letter is missing for each question.

ENGLISH TEST (reading comprehension and writing)

I've also been focusing on preparation of the English test, comprising reading comprehension and writing. In the past five years there have been four sample English assessments available on the Latymer website, though currently the two older ones seem to have been retired.

I intend to make these available here, even if their style is slightly old fashioned perhaps, as otherwise there's very little specific material available to help prepare for this English test, which is not GL, but written by the school's English department.

The Machine Gunners (2018) [NB - the writing task here is an obsolete type]
Treasure Island TEXT (2019)
Treasure Island QUESTIONS
Treasure Island ANSWERS [NB - these are my own suggested answers, not from the school]

A few years ago, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was also used as a reading comprehension text. If I can find out which passage it was, I may include it here for possible interest.

I've just written my own 'fake Latymer' English practice test, with question types as closely in the school's style as i can, chiefly to help child 2, but as they may aid others, I'll post them here too. For the record, i am an English teacher so hopefully such materials i produce may not be complete rubbish!
Fake test #1: The Old Buccaneer (Treasure Island) TEXT
Fake test #1: The Old Buccaneer (Treasure Island) QUESTIONS
Fake test #2: Peter Pan TEXT
Fake test #2: Peter Pan QUESTIONS

By the way, just recently (June 2020) the Latymer has finally (at a parent's request!) put up some sample answers/mark scheme for both reading and writing. There's also a very recently added additional sample paper (Sinbad the Sailor) on their website. Do have a look if you haven't already.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, London - Friday Forty tips

For the past few weeks I've been trying my luck at the Friday Forty, hoping to get tickets for me and my son. In a short space of time, I've had some luck, but not enough... and I quickly realised that the official info given about how the Friday Forty works is rather insufficient and potentially misleading.

Tip 1 - Even if you get picked from the queue, you can't relax!

I was so relieved to have been picked from the virtual queue, and to be presented with the dates for the following week from which to select my tickets; I thought I was then guaranteed a pair of tickets. At this point I relaxed somewhat and tried to phone my partner to check which date would be best...... Big mistake! I didn't realise that at that point everyone who's been picked (approx 20 people?) are all simultaneously fighting over the 20 pairs of tickets, and that the most popular time slots will get booked first. So I now realise that as soon as you're picked to join the queue you need to book the day you want ASAP before it's snapped up, otherwise you'll be lucky to still get the dregs, i.e. the least popular tickets.

Tip 2 - Beware website 'glitches'

Last Friday the 'Book Now' button appeared at 1pm. I clicked it straight away only to be taken to a web page that said "All tickets have now been sold." I tried a few times, but the same message was displayed each time. I tried messaging HP London through Twitter and Facebook Messenger but of course got no response to give any guidance, so reluctantly had to give up and go back to work. I finally got a response from them (through Messenger) at 4.30pm saying that there had been a glitch and that tickets had gone on sale at 1.20pm, and that of course they'd all now been booked. I replied to protest that this was unfair on the people who'd been there on time and believed the message that there were no more tickets.

I hope to provide more tips as they occur to me...

SUCCESS!

So, for the second time in a couple of months i got lucky. I had three browsers open on my laptop, but both times i got lucky on my Android phone, so maybe there's truth to the rumour that it's best on mobiles.

This time i didn't hang about. I chose my preferred day without delay and then just tapped BOOK IT as quick as poss. It worked!

Sestina

Continuing my experimentation with poetic forms, thanks to Stephen Fry's book (see previous post), here is a 'sestina'.

So easy to threaten my wife’s identity

Just two-way slanging, no real interaction

Self-pity and anger like hot gas expansion

Awareness is nowhere, no calm concentration

Could balance bring harmony, relative order?

In childishness hiding, in dream without freedom

Robotic reaction, no space left for freedom

Self-knowledge alone can yield our true identity

With mind brought to bear, impartially order

Between us, inside us grows clear interaction

Warm feelings emerge which attend concentration

By Jove are we ruled under free love’s expansion

Contraction of ego and caring’s expansion

Habitual grievances give way to freedom

Attention brings energy, joy’s concentration

Sweet sufferings forge will and a stronger identity

No fear, no hate in this quiet interaction

Emotional chaos resolves towards order

  

As equals we speak without needing to order

Can trust be the basis of lustful expansion

As bodies come closer in flesh interaction?

Let go trepidation, grab ecstasy’s freedom

With egoless peace comes our gentler identity

Good will in the heart undergoes concentration

The soul of sensation born of concentration

Acceptance of weakness a hopeful new order

To merge with great Being, a higher identity

Duality’s seen and there’s third-force expansion

Submission to Higher’s not bondage but freedom

Below as above is divine interaction

Exchanges of substances feed interaction

Distilling our essence in pure concentration

External and inside a chance of real freedom

Related and upright in natural order

Encompassing consciousness spreads in expansion

New Self or old Self become wholly identity

Interaction of lesser, perfection of order

Concentration of energy, understanding’s expansion

Increasing our freedom, rebirth of identity

To trudge the road, the odious ode! (adventures in poesy with thanks to Stephen Fry)

I'm reading Mr Fry's "The Ode Less Travelled", and alongside enjoying the poems of others that he shares and learning about different poetic forms, I'm also doing the exercises that he sets, to have a go at writing poems of some of the diverse forms.

And so to exploit a particular feature of this dark age, I shall post some of my efforts to this blog.

Here is a rough draft of a villanelle:


To walk the line too quick to end,
The days with our experience fill,
Earth's life is but a fickle friend.

Each day, what breaks we cannot mend
and bright fresh sparks does habit kill,
To walk the line too quick to end.

Unto the grave our birth does send,
Hearts that now throb, time shall still,
Earth's life is but a fickle friend.

Yet God makes move eternal trend
and entropy energy ever to thrill
to walk the line too quick to end.

For mankind Christ the rules can bend,
Cold void made pure with love's good will,
Earth's life is but a fickle friend.

With higher powers our life can spend
As gloried hope sweets bitter pill
To walk the line too quick to end,
Earth's life is but a fickle friend.

484 months on Earth

Last December I celebrated my birthday: 480 months in this incarnation. Seems a good time to add a new post here. Looking through photos I've taken on my phone and selecting a few I'd like to comment on, from the past few months.

 I went to a Sunday service at the church in the Tower of London (behind me!). Good way to get inside for free.

The lake in Tottenham Cemetery. An area of natural beauty near my workplace! Lots of Canada geese. 

For me the effects of time on this cross are somehow offset by someone's placing the cat there. 

An ex-pub as seen from the platform of White Hart Lane station. 

From the back of the house. 

In preparation for a potential lesson observation, an experimental double horseshoe arrangement of student seating. 

Sunrise. 

The garden at my workplace, including pond of ducks and fish. 

A visitor to my office. 

The view from the loft 'bedroom': Noborito. 

Walking along Tamagawa on the night of Maundy Thursday, 

A quiet street leading up to Tamagawa. 

Someone's workshop near Tamagawa. 

I liked this hymn. Easter vigil service, St Alban's church, Tokyo. 

Spring comes to Tottenham Cemetery.

We liked these 'bero bero' toys in the department store at Mizonoguchi.

Evening cycle ride in the Barnet countryside

This was the area I cycled round today in Totteridge, Barnet, London.

I was amazed how countrysidey it felt, just off the main road.

Can you see the cows in the distance?

Greenfly in situ

Another insect enjoying the flora

Amazing quality of evening sunlight I was hoping to show in some of these pics

How long have these trees been here? What have they seen? How do they feel?

Round here I saw butterflies, dragonfly and a rabbit.