11+ Examinations: When should we start preparing our child?

We would recommend starting 11+ preparation in the Autumn or Spring term of Year 4. Although this may seem early, it means that children can build progress incrementally across the required skills.

With the potential for students to be sitting both independent school papers and grammar school entrance exams, there are several skills to master. Children will need to be building their:

• Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, writing response & comprehension skills for the English paper

• Mental maths and problem-solving skills in line with the Year 6 Maths curriculum and beyond

• Verbal Reasoning & Non Verbal Reasoning skills

• Preparation for interviews if appropriate

An early start reduces stress for both parents and students and allows for focus on exam paper practice in Year 5 and the Autumn term of Year 6. Really importantly, it also means that children are given the space to enjoy the process of learning, as there is ample time for concepts to be embedded. The tuition sessions will often mean that children are ahead of the curve when it comes to the school curriculum; this naturally lends them a confidence that then translates to exam success.

While the tuition sessions are pivotal in giving children the focused attention to lift their confidence and attainment, there is a limit to the content which can be covered in lesson time. Therefore a consistent homework schedule is really important, ideally with adult an adult to support with trickier topics. This ensures that new skills are embedded properly and children have a good insight into their own strengths and weaknesses in order to take an active role in their learning. We set weekly homework and ask tutors to keep an online record of lesson content and homework so that everyone involved can visualise and understand the student’s progress.