The momentous Education Act of 1944 meant that all children up until the age of 15 would be entitled to free schooling, and with this came the introduction of a tripartite system of grammar, secondary modern and technical schools. All children had to take an &lsquo;11+&rsquo; exam, so-called because of the age at which it was taken: those who passed the exam would go to their local grammar school, whilst those who didn&rsquo;t would go to the alternative secondary modern or technical school. In the 1960s and &rsquo;70s, this system began to be phased out in favor of the introduction of comprehensive schools, which were designed to offer a much more universal education, and many Local Education Authorities shut down their grammar schools or they went private.However, in other regions, grammar schools, and therefore the 11+, were kept in place and many are still in existence today. Wherever you live, though, sending your child to a grammar school is optional and it may well be the case that the local comprehensive is the better choice for them personally. &ldquo;Wise parents will suit the school to the child and not the child to the school,&rdquo; says Susan Hamlyn, education consultant at The Good Schools Guide.If you have decided to enter your child for the 11+ exam in the hope of securing a place at a grammar school, the next step is to find out when all the necessary deadlines are throughout the process. &ldquo;Make sure you&rsquo;ve been to the open days and put in all the application forms,&rdquo; Susan adds.To register your child for the 11+, you will normally need to apply directly to the school in the summer of Year 5. Testing then typically takes place in the September of Year 6, with results coming out by the end of October. It is also important to find out exactly what that particular exam will involve since this can differ considerably depending on where you live. Some regions use the GL exam board, whereas others use CEM; GL tests verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, and English, whereas CEM measures verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. A tutor can sometimes be advisable, even if it&rsquo;s just for a few sessions to explain the format of the exam.Past papers can be an effective form of preparation; these are published by specialist companies such as Bond, which is part of Oxford University Press. &ldquo;It is through practicing realistic questions again and again that children gain confidence in tackling questions in whatever format they may appear,&rdquo; explains Rachel Howells, commissioning editor for Bond. She adds that the exact amount of preparation, and the form it should take, will depend on the individual. &ldquo;For some, a little-and-often approach over a number of years will work well,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Whilst for others, it may be better to start later and focus more practice into concentrated periods ahead of the test.&rdquo; In many ways, the most important preparation of all is to reassure your child that all is going to be fine. It&rsquo;s key to support them every step of the way and to show them that there are plenty of other options out there: getting into the grammar school isn&rsquo;t the be-all and end-all.Talk of the 11+, and the wider debate that this sparks about grammar schools, rumbles on &ndash; but if you are entering your child for the 11+, make sure that you know your stuff. There is information online via your local authority&rsquo;s website, and teachers and tutors are on hand to offer advice too.

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