11 Plus preparation
Selective entry is as much about exam technique and stamina as it is about ability. Both can be taught.
The 11 Plus is a competitive examination, which makes it different from school assessment in a way many families underestimate. A child can be comfortably above average at school and still be unprepared for it, because the paper rewards speed, unfamiliar question formats and the confidence to move on from a question that is not working. We prepare for all three.
What we cover
- English
- Comprehension under time pressure, vocabulary breadth, and writing to a tight brief.
- Mathematics
- Rapid recall, multi-step problems, and the topics that appear far more often than their syllabus weight suggests.
- Verbal and non-verbal reasoning
- Pattern recognition question types that most children have never met before.
- Exam technique
- Timing, question triage, and what to do when a question is not coming.
How we teach it
We start with a diagnostic to establish the real baseline, then work through past papers under timed conditions, marked to the standard the actual examiners apply. Sessions are one-to-one on Google Meet, and you receive a monthly written report showing progress against the target.
Before you book — Formats differ between grammar schools, independent schools and consortium papers. Tell us which schools you are targeting on the assessment call so we prepare for the right paper.
Other examinations
Let's talk about the target and the timeline.
Thirty minutes with Irene, at no cost and no obligation. Bring your examination date.