h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For some reason, I'll never forget the day I took my eleven plus. It was 19 February 1965. 49 years ago today. Because it was a Friday there was a choice of a cheese flan for those who would not eat meat on a Friday for religious reasons. As I went to a Catholic school, I chose the cheese flan, too, to have the same as my friends.

I don't recall much about the exam at all, except for a vague recollection that I didn't manage to finish the last sum.

We were a colourful crowd, all in our different uniforms, maroons, greens, navies, fawns and greys - come to think of it, not all that colourful. Each clique was very wary of those from the other schools, not to mention feeling either very grown up or very intimidated by the size of the unfamiliar school with its adult scale desks and chairs.

The kids who went to the Secondary Modern School where it was held must have got the day off every year to make room for the eleven plus candidates.

As it turned out, I passed, and the rest is history. Well, in fact, this little story is history, too, I suppose. I suppose that makes me quite historical.

As most of the local schools became comprehensive in my final year of primary school, we didn't have to take the 11-plus.

It left the teachers slightly flummoxed as to what to do that year - no final year exam. They went into a bit of a flap, and then organised all sorts of inter-school stuff that hadn't happened in previous years.

We came first in the interschool general knowledge quiz, played chess all over the place and generally met most of the children that we'd be at 'Big' school with the following year. Happy days, most of 'em.

I don't know when I did mine. We did practice 11 plus papers every week and then one week we didn't have one because we'd done it the previousw week.
I was so glad I passed because it meant going to the High School with the green uniform, rather than Princess Margaret Rose Secondary Modern with its purple & grey uniform complete with pudding basin hats.
(mind you a year later I was at boarding school wearing a bonnet)

I didn't do an 11+. but my brother did and went to boarding school. He hated it and kept running away.

I managed to get to boarding school after taking their exams when I was 14. And all I had to do was be very naughty in the comp for 3 years first...

It was possible to take the 11+ at my primary but I was withdrawn by my family. All I remember is being taken to one side by my teacher, who told me that had I been allowed to take it I would have passed easily and that I must never forget that. I then had 5 very miserable years at a comp.

I finally went to grammar school in my 30s, as a teacher.