67 years ago

[Grangela]

I took my eleven plus exam on St David’s Day 67 years ago!
It was no big deal. No cramming, practice papers or anything like that. Quite relaxed.
I was a bit disappointed when I passed because I wanted to go to the secondary modern school carrying a basket of ingredients over my arm, covered by a gingham checked cloth.
I don’t know if it was Shrove Tuesday, but I definitely have no memory of leek and daffodil pancakes for tea.

[MAD87]

I was considered to be too dim to be entered as I'd spoil the school's statistics, so I stayed at the same school for 12 years.

[Nomoss]

I was the first pupil from my (very small, Church) primary school to pass the 11 plus exam. I was stood in front of the whole school and cheered.
It was a very basic school for the local bumpkins; some in my class couldn't read or write, but my townie parents probably thought it was cutely rural.
If I had not had private tuition I would have failed, and perhaps spent my life farming, which might have been quite nice.........

[Sparkle]

I would have failed of that I'm sure - I didn't take the 11 plus exam because I was off school with scarlet fever I was in isolation for 6 weeks.

[L Austin France]

In our town there was a Grammar, Technical & Secondary school with the first two requiring an 11+ pass to qualify for entry.
Much to everyone's surprise I passed the 11+ &, against my wishes, my parents put me down for the Boy's Grammar as my sister attended the Girl's.
I was a 'technical' sort of lad & wanted the Technical school where they had woodworking & engineering workshops plus Technical Drawing lessons as well as the usual academic stuff I wasn't really interested in.
The time came to start school & I refused to go to the Grammar, setting off but never arriving. My parents found out about this after a few days but as I was adament I was going to the Technical school & would not go to the Grammar, had a 'change of heart' & managed to get me a place even though the full years intake was accounted for.
I ended up in an engineering profession running my own very successful business which is what I wanted & often wonder what life would have been like had I not made this stand at 11 years of age.

[Hotrodder]

You could have become another paper pusher that couldn't grab his own backside with both hands.
The world would be a sadder place without technically minded people and of course, doctors.

[Spardo]

Passed mine too in '54, I think, and also the initial euphoria and oneupmanship (although all but one of my closest friends passed and we encouraged the odd one out in his backup attempt at 13) was rather dampened by, instead of going to the secondary modern up the road I was packed off to a rather posh fee-assisted boarding grammar school 20 miles away.
Hated the first year and made my way home several times, loved the rest.