Blog Posts
11+ Preparation Blogposts
What is the 11+ CEM Select Exam?
What is the CEM Select Exam? CEM Select is a computer assessment designed for selective independent schools, partially-selective state schools and grammar Schools. They are used for 11+, 13+ at Year 7 entry and in other year groups for late transfer. CEM Select...
Preparing for 11+ Interviews
Interviews can be a daunting time for children, especially for those who feel they lack confidence in these situations, but they needn’t be! Have a read of our blog post all about helping your child to prepare for their 11+ interview. Why do schools interview...
How to prepare your child for the 11+ at home!
Preparing for the 11+ examinations is hard work. The top schools are highly competitive and they are looking for the children who ‘stand-out’ from the rest. As tutors, we do everything that we can to help your child reach their full potential in English, maths, VR and...
What is the London 11+ Consortium?
In 2022 the Consortium introduced a new bespoke assessment process, for entry in September 2023 onwards, which goes beyond testing cognitive ability alone and seeks to discover a child’s potential in creative and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and...
What is the 11+ examination?
The 11+ examination is a test which your child might take in the last year of primary school if you are considering sending them to a state-funded grammar school OR a private independent school for secondary school. It tests academic ability. What is the...
Your Guide to 11 Plus Preparation
Is your child planning to apply to a grammar or independent school? Most likely, they will need to take the 11 plus. Students seeking admission to selective grammar or independent schools typically sit the 11 plus exam in Year 6 – but not without proper preparation...
Creative Writing Blogposts
List of 11+ creative writing tasks taken from real exams
The questions your child might be asked in an 11+ creative writing assessment is endless but here is a list which you could use to guide you. These tasks are all taken from real 11+ papers, from schools including Latymer Upper, St Pauls Girls, The Perse School,...
Christmas Creative Writing Ideas for Children
8 Christmas Creative Writing IdeasStruggling to engage your child with reading?Join our next online Children's Book Club — six sessions, lively discussions, creative challenges & just £12.50 per class. Contact us for 10% off your first book club! "My daughter...
How to engage your child with writing
Charlotte and I both taught as primary school teachers for over ten years, teaching from Reception all the way through to year 6, and additionally specialising in 11+ preparation. We have tutored for even longer, supporting children on a 1:1 basis as well as in small...
Six Ways to Build Suspense and Tension in your Writing
To make your story captivating, you will probably want to include some tension and suspense. It’s all about making your reader feel desperate to read on and find out what happens next! However, don’t use all your suspense techniques in one fell swoop! In your stories,...
Six ways to support writers with dyslexia
Did you know that many children with dyslexia are highly creative. At the RCA – the world’s number one art and design university – 29% of current students identify themselves as dyslexic, compared to 5-10% of the overall population. Here are some tips to support...
Encouraging Creative Writing over the Summer
Wondering how to cope over the long summer holidays? Worried your children might forget all they’ve learned at school? We’ve got some great tips here on how you can use the summer break to fuel your children’s love of creative thinking, reading and writing. STEP 1:...
Reading and Comprehension Blogposts
The Complete Guide to Online Book Clubs for Children
Struggling to engage your child with reading?Join our next online Children's Book Club — six sessions, lively discussions, creative challenges & just £12.50 per class. Click below to register your interest and receive 10% off your first purchase. "My daughter...
Summer Holiday Reading Challenge
Reading challenges can be a fun and effective way to encourage children to read more and improve their reading skills. Here are a few ideas for reading challenges that you can use with your primary school-aged children: The Reading Bingo Challenge: Complete...
Getting your Child Interested in the News
Why is it important to encourage your child to be interested in the news? Awareness of the world: The news provides information about current events, both locally and globally. It helps children understand what is happening in the world, including social, political,...
Phonics Blogposts
Phase 1 Phonics
How is Phonics Taught? Phonics is taught in phases, starting in the preschool setting and continuing until year 2. Phase 1 is usually covered in the preschool setting as well as in Reception and is all about speaking and listening. Following on from this, Phase 2...
How to teach my child to read and write
I was a primary school teacher for over ten years, but I focussed on teaching upper primary levels, so generally 8–11-year-olds. When the Covid pandemic hit, lockdown began and my daughter who had just started Reception was suddenly back at home. Soon after that, we...
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
What is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check? The phonics screening check is a test in Year 1 designed to confirm that all children at this stage have learned phonic decoding to an age-appropriate standard. Will my school take the Phonics Screening Check? If your...