11+ Guidance

Overall Approach:

Supplementary learning, in the form of preparation for the 11+, should be carried out in a calm, systematic manner. A child must be taught in an inspiring way that aims to achieve a dual objective; consolidating knowledge and skills that are in tune with the national curriculum, whilst generating a love of learning that allows children to embrace those extra demands of the 11+ syllabus. In preparing for this quiz, the intention should always be to provide children with the core fundamentals of learning; the ability to problem solve and think logically, thus making a child a productive learner for the 11+ and beyond.

When should preparation begin?

If we take the avoidance of unnecessary hysteria to be the ultimate goal within 11+ preparation, like when preparing for anything in life, we want to avoid a mad rush. One extra hour a week (no more!), throughout Year 4, is incredibly helpful in introducing a child to the joys that can be gained through a stimulating form of supplementary education. With the demands presented by a vast national curriculum, Year 4 is vital in establishing those all-important solid foundations that will enable a child to hit the floor running when they enter Year 5. An extra hour a week can achieve four main things. It can cite gaps in knowledge that might have been missed as a result of the rapid coverage of topics at school, accelerate learning at a child’s own pace, help to maximise a child’s academic potential and discover a passion for learning.

The Year 5 journey:

These twelve months should be about receiving calm and professional advice, the opportunity to benefit from invigorating teaching, regular assessment and the development of new skills and confidence. The quiz needn’t be mentioned until June! The intention should be to build upon the progress achieved at school and relish the opportunity to learn new topics, such as reasoning, more advanced grammar rules, as well as Maths topics related to ratio, probability and algebra. With the popularity of after-school clubs and the fact that there are 168 hours in a week, two one-hour lessons a week, plus 45 minutes’ homework, is a relaxed and manageable amount of supplementary learning to undertake. The 11+ is not about succeed or fail. It is a mere barometer, serving to highlight whether a Grammar School is likely to be a suitable environment within which a child can learn and flourish at Secondary level.