F.A.Q about 11+

Have a look at our List of Grammar Schools page, which contains a full list of Grammar schools in England and is sectioned by Region/area.

If you are preparing your child for an entrance exam, it is advisable to start preparation at least a year beforehand. So, for example, if your child is taking the 11+, they could start practice at the start of year 5. Many parents though, prefer to start gentle preparations in years 3 or 4, this is so their child becomes familiar with some of the content without the pressure. Ultimately though, it is up to you as to when you think is the best time to begin.

Again, this is down to you. A lot of this depends on how long you have until the exam as well as other commitments and homework they have. The last thing you want to do is overexert a child as they will very quickly burn out. You can take the little and often approach where your child does half an hour after school and a couple of hours at the weekend. Or you could have a focused study day on one of the weekend days, whatever you think works best.

Having a tutor is not a requirement, but having a person specialised in school entrance exams can be a great help for your child. Ideally they would be a qualified teacher and someone who is familiar with the entrance requirements of the schools your child is applying for. One-to-one home tuition is advisable as the child gets work tailored to their needs and the full attention of the tutor. Other options include group tuition at a centre where children cover a syllabus of work.

It is a good idea for your child to consult a range of resources in order to prepare for their exam. Despite claims that may be made, no single publisher covers all aspects and areas of entrance exam preparation. For their Maths exams for example, they might want to complete skills based work, mixed topic exercises, mental maths and sample/past papers. Getting your child to experience study in different formats can also be a way to make the experience more interesting, as well as helping to embed their learning. For instance, they could complete workbooks, worksheets and test papers, use apps/complete online study, read/make notes from revision material and have verbal quizzes. You may find our sample paper section and resources area helpful.

You can consider, as a starting point, their last school report in Maths and English. Children should (at a minimum) be at the national average and ideally be above average. You can discuss this further with your child’s class teacher at parent’s evening. Another factor to remember is how long your child has until the exam and thus much preparation time they have.

Some of the Maths and English content of the exam will be covered at school, but not all of is will. For example, the depth and complexity of many 11+ comprehension exams exceeds what is covered in the year 5 or 6 classroom. In regards to Verbal, Spatial and Non-Verbal Reasoning, these subjects are not covered at school.

If your child has a tutor, this can be discussed with them. If not, you give your child an age appropriate assessment at regular intervals, say once every half term to keep track of their progress. Remember that children will naturally struggle more in some areas and learn other things more quickly. Also, look at the academic progress they are making at school. If they are making good progress at school but not in their exam preparation, there may be an issue with the level of work they are doing at home (too difficult before they have mastered easier work) or the approach being taken. Remember though, that exam preparation work will be at a higher level than the work they are covering in the classroom, so it’s perfectly normal that they have a steady pace in picking some things up.

Children are often refreshed at the start of a term or half-term and this gradually wanes as the term progresses. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep and is eating a nutritional diet with plenty of healthy energy boosting foods. If your child becomes withdrawn or your notice other behaviour changes (such as a loss of motivation to do work, where they were previously keen to study) sit down and have a chat with them. Also, try to embrace a positive attitude where you embrace their small steps of progress. Remember that, just like adults, a child is allowed to have an ‘off day’ once in a while where they are not in the mood to work!

Some children take well to entrance exam study, others are initially not as keen. Some parents find reward systems can be helpful, where rewards can be offered once a goal has been reached or small rewards can be offered intermittently. Another helpful tip is to sit with your child whilst you draw up a schedule, having your child’s input can help them feel valued and can help you understand your child’s preferred study times.

In this situation your child can more actively study the other subjects. However, this does not mean they do not still cover their stronger subject. Regularly refreshers and work ensures they keep doing well in their stronger subject and do not remain at a static level in regards to progress in that subject.

The best thing do in this scenario is to draw up a timetable. It cannot be stressed enough how important having at least a rough routine is in regards to exam preparation. The organised child will ultimately be more focused than the disorganised one. Ask yourself, what things are a priority and what can be reduced or put on the back burner. Your child should still have time for leisure and/or activities they enjoy. The other option if you are lacking in time during term time, is to do holiday booster catch ups, where you child does a fair amount of study during the holiday. This can often be an effective way for a child to make good progress during a short time, although the best approach to study is still little and often.