Ask us anything about the 11+
Answered by the people who sat these exams themselves, and by the team who prepare children for them every year.
We are thinking about starting
The questions parents ask before they have committed to anything.
6 answersWhich 11+ revision materials actually work?
Match the exam your child will actually sit, keep to real timings and insist on worked answers. Where Bond and CGP fit, whether harder papers help, and why one coherent set beats a shelf bought in a panic.
How do we start practising for 11+ papers?
Sit one full paper under real timings before you buy anything. It turns a worry into a score and shows which topics need work. Then a lesson a week, a little most days, test it again, and mind the two deadlines.
When should we start preparing for the 11+?
There will be frustration, upset and stress. What makes it manageable is starting from your child's ability rather than their age, goals small enough to actually hit, and a routine they can keep without being pestered.
What should we actually be doing at home?
Seven things that make the difference, from how the reading gets done to breaks, fresh air and food. Written by someone who sat these exams.
How much practice is enough, and how do we keep it going?
Thirty minutes a day beats a five hour session at the weekend. Progress is cumulative, habits reinforce each other, and little strokes fell great oaks.
Can a ten year old really learn online?
Slow progress beats no progress. The routines that make independent learning work, and what to do about the days when nothing gets done.
See where your child actually is
A full 50 question maths paper, free. One timed sitting is the fastest way to turn a worry into a score. Straight to your inbox, no card needed.
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We are choosing schools
Which schools, which exams, and what they are like once you are in.
3 answersWhat is Nonsuch High School for Girls really like?
Seven years there, answered question by question: the paper she sat, the morning of the exam, the pressure, and whether she would choose it again.
Choosing the right secondary school for your child
League tables and Ofsted reports tell different stories. Visit, talk to the pupils, look at the facilities your child would actually use, and trust what you see.
What is The Tiffin Girls’ School really like?
The teachers, the house system, the clubs, and the year that took the top GCSE grades of any state school in the country. Would she choose it again? Absolutely.
The exams themselves
What is on the papers, how registration works, what happens on the day.
1 answerWhen it is not going well
Nerves, burnout, and scores that were not the ones you wanted.
2 answersHow do I keep my child calm during exam season?
Burnout is the common problem. Focus holds for about 45 minutes, so work in blocks, break properly, and keep the hobbies going.
What if my child gets a bad score?
Edison did not fail ten thousand times, he found ten thousand things that did not work. Why a disappointing score can be one of the more useful things that can happen.