11+ entrance preparation

Your child can be flying in class and still look lost when a timed reasoning paper lands on the table. The 11+ is not a test of general brightness. It rewards familiar formats, careful reading, speed and the confidence to move on when a question refuses to budge. Parents often tell us the same thing: the school says their child is doing well, the practice paper says otherwise, and nobody can explain the gap. That gap is normal.

We prepare pupils for 11+ entrance exams with one-to-one lessons, online or at home. Lessons are taught by DBS-checked qualified tutors, and every family gets progress reports for parents. We work with school pupils aged 7-18, so a younger sibling can start with us long before the 11+ and an older one can stay through GCSE and A-level. We began when families kept asking the same tutor to help a younger sibling, then an older one, and the handovers between tutors were messy. One family coordinator and one reporting style grew from that.

What the 11+ actually asks of a child

Most 11+ papers test a mix of maths, English and reasoning. Some schools set their own papers; others use a standard reasoning test. The content is often within reach. The difficulty is the conditions. A ten-year-old might meet a long comprehension passage, a page of arithmetic and a set of shape sequences in one sitting, with a clock running and no teacher to rephrase the question.

Reasoning is a taught skill

Verbal reasoning asks a child to spot word patterns, codes, opposites and odd ones out. Non-verbal reasoning uses shapes, rotations and sequences. These question types rarely appear in ordinary primary school work, so a bright pupil can meet them cold and freeze. We teach the patterns explicitly, then practise them until the child recognises the format without panic.

English and maths carry equal weight

Comprehension rewards close reading and a wide vocabulary. Arithmetic rewards accuracy and speed. We check both early because a child who is strong in one area can hide a gap in the other. If a pupil can solve a fraction problem but takes four minutes, the answer is still wrong when the clock says stop.

Common mistakes are easy to list. Preparing only maths because it feels measurable. Doing full papers before the basics are secure. Chasing five schools with five different formats. Ignoring the questions the child got wrong, so the same error returns a week later. We build review into every lesson for that reason.

Who this suits, and who it does not

11+ preparation suits families considering a grammar school or an independent senior school, and pupils in the last two years of primary school who need to learn the format properly. It also suits a child who is anxious about timed tests. The work is gradual. We start with accuracy, then add speed, then rehearse full papers under exam conditions.

It does not suit every family. If you want a quick burst of tutoring two weeks before the test, we can help with exam technique, but we will be honest about what is realistic. If you want a large group class, we are not the right fit. Every lesson here is one-to-one, so the tutor can stop when a child is confused and move on when the idea lands. And we cannot promise a place at a particular school. No tutor can.

A child who is already exhausted by a heavy timetable may need fewer activities, not more. We will say that in the first conversation if it seems true. A family looking for help with a specialist assessment should speak to their school or GP; tutoring is not a diagnosis.

How the work runs, step by step

1. A conversation about the child

We ask about the schools on your list, the test dates, the subjects involved and what you have noticed at home. We also ask what the school reports say and whether your child has seen a practice paper. This first call is not a sales script. It is how we decide whether we can help.

2. A short assessment

The tutor sets a piece of work that shows how your child reads a question, manages time and reacts to a problem they cannot immediately solve. We use that to build a plan. Some pupils need vocabulary. Some need arithmetic fluency. Some need to stop rewriting every answer three times.

3. Weekly one-to-one lessons

Lessons are online or at home, depending on what works for your family. The tutor teaches a skill, checks understanding, then sets practice that is small enough to finish and specific enough to review. We keep the same tutor where possible so the child does not have to rebuild trust every week.

4. Practice under realistic conditions

Timed sections come later, once accuracy is stable. We use papers that match the schools you are applying to, and we mark them for technique as well as score. Did the child leave blanks? Rush the first page? Miss an instruction? Those details matter more than a raw mark.

5. Progress reports for parents

You receive progress reports for parents that explain what has been covered, what is secure and what still needs work. One family coordinator keeps the thread across siblings, key stages and subjects. If a younger child is starting maths, English or science tuition while an older one prepares for GCSE, you are not repeating the same information to three different people.

What to bring to the first lesson

Bring recent school reports, a sample of exercise books and any practice papers your child has already sat. Note the test dates and the schools on your shortlist. If your child has access arrangements at school, tell us. For online lessons, a quiet room, a charged device and a stable connection are enough. For home lessons, a table and reasonable light help more than a fancy setup.

You do not need to buy a shelf of books before we meet. We will tell you what to use after the assessment. Buying five workbooks in September is a common way to create guilt and clutter.

What affects timing and fees

The start date matters. A pupil beginning in Year 5 has more room to build skills than one beginning in the summer before the test. The number of schools also matters, because different formats need different practice. So does the subject mix: a child preparing for maths and reasoning only has a narrower plan than one sitting English, maths and reasoning.

Online lessons remove travel from the timetable. Home lessons depend on where you live and the tutor's availability. Frequency changes the shape of the plan; two sessions a week allow more practice review than one. Fees are on request, and we confirm the exact arrangement when we speak. Opening hours are confirmed when booking; lesson times are agreed around school schedules and test dates.

Questions parents ask

When should 11+ preparation start?

Most families begin in Year 4 or Year 5 for a Year 6 test. Starting earlier is not automatically better. A short, steady run with regular review usually beats a long slog that leaves a child tired of the whole idea.

Can you help if my child has not done any practice papers?

Yes. We prefer to see how a child thinks before we drown them in papers. The first assessment gives us a starting point, and the plan grows from there.

Do you teach siblings at the same time?

We can coordinate lessons for more than one child, including a younger sibling in maths or English and an older one preparing for GCSE. One family coordinator keeps the timetable and progress reports joined up.

What if we are not sure which school to aim for?

Tell us the options you are weighing. We can explain what each format tends to demand and help you judge the workload. The decision stays with you.

How do we begin?

Call +44 113 9463420, email [email protected] or write to us at 211 High Street. We will ask about your child, the school list and the test date, then suggest a sensible first step. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.