Advertisement

Did you fail your 11 plus?

Robert AshtonI failed my 11 plus. I did it on purpose to annoy my dad. It’s a long story, best left untold. But what I will tell you is why, last night, I realised just how important failing that exam was.  I realised that being rejected at 11 and banished to a second class school, was for many people extraordinarily motivating.

Theodore Agnew, a successful businessman, philanthropist and genuine good guy had organised a meeting to encourage more successful people to sponsor academies. Theo was recently appointed chairman of the government’s ‘Academies Board’, advising Lord Nash. He also set up the Inspiration Trust, sponsor of two primary school academies and a new sixth form focusing on science.

Theo and I both live in Norfolk. It’s where he has picked two struggling primary schools and taken them under his wing. And so it was understandable that he would have arranged this event to encourage more of his local peers to follow his example.

What motivated Theo to sponsor his first academy was simple. He failed his 11 plus. Fortunately his father could afford to send him to private school. The message, although unsaid, was clear. The shock of failure spurred Theo on, never to willingly fail again. He is now a very wealthy man, but still very aware of how close he came to being written off.

That experience resonated strongly with me. My father could not afford private schooling for me, but his employer had a bursary scheme. I took my Common Entrance exam and went for interview at a school in Oxford. Barclays were funding two places and there were three candidates. I was the one who came home to secondary modern school.

Listening later to Lord Nash, who had quite literally dropped in by helicopter, I realised how lucky both Theo and I had been. Nash arrived late and a little flustered, delayed by a Lords  debate, but his speech was typically lacklustre. He covered all the points, dropped in a few local names, then closed with a call to action. But his presentation lacked passion.

And so it dawned on me that failing my 11 plus had perhaps been a blessing in disguise. I came so close to becoming educated, but potentially disconnected. I’m sure Lord Nash is actually a lovely guy, but the contrast between his pitch and Theo’s was stark.

And in today’s world, I think it’s passion we need more.

Robert Ashton
Robert Ashton is a social entrepreneur, author, campaigner and charity patron: www.robertashton.co.uk
Help us break the news – share your information, opinion or analysis
Back to top