WELCOME TO THE S6 TUTORING ACADEMY 11+ CLUB

We provide our students with the opportunity to sit the exam in a controlled environment as it will be on the day of the exam. We replicate the exact format of how the exam will be structured on the day.

Aim of Our aim is to prepare students for the Eleven Plus and Common Entrance exams.

Results of exams sat at the club will be available online within 48 hours.

We also provide you with a detailed synopsis of the key areas your child needs to develop as well as their strengths.

THE OBSERVER NEWSPAPER- PRESS UPDATE 11/10/2009

Venue:

Dates:

Structure:

Cost

Results

Why do children need tutoring for the 11+?

Children need preparation for this exam whether it comes from home or a tutor simply because the 11+ exam is extremely challenging. In addition, it contains elements which do not appear on the National Curriculum until Year 6 or even in some cases until KS3.  Most schools touch upon the subjects which are included but do not teach to the level required for this exam. It is important to seek guidance from a professional who has had experience within this field so that they can advise you on how to develop sufficient language skills and enables them to understand the different techniques in Verbal Reasoning and Maths.

Tutoring can help students to learn and understand various concepts which in turn allows them to apply it to the questions in the exam.  Being taught parrot fashion is a long term recipe for disaster!!

Even if you decide to do your own preparation, you might find it useful to use a tutor in the latter stages to aid in the marking of papers, providing feedback, identifying a work plan in order for you to carry out work on weaker areas. More importantly, you will need to work closely with your child to ensure corrections are done and understood.

I receive a lot of phone calls during the October half term from parents of students who have successfully been offered a place at their chosen grammar school, but are finding it difficult to maintain the pace at grammar school and I can honestly say that this is solely down to poor tuition from the outset!!  Their tutors have simply trawled through paper after paper as opposed to EFFECTIVELY TEACHING AND EXPLAINING EACH AND EVERY CONCEPT. Only once the teaching and learning has taken place can you contemplate carrying out formal assessments.

I will not allow any one of my students to enter the exam unless they understand each and every concept in Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning, which is why I am pleased to say that every student of mine who has received 1-2-1 tuition has obtained their first choice of grammar school. 25% have then gone on to sit their GCSE Maths exam six years ahead of schedule as well as maintaining within the top five of their classes at grammar school.

Having had this preparation, all of students are well within their comfort zone on the day of the exam and are flourishing with confidence.

“The 11+ Club is a really good idea.  It helped me to prepare for the actual exam.  Every Friday before the exam, for about 12 weeks, I went to the Club and sat three papers, English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. These mock exams were almost like sitting the real thing.  At first I felt quite nervous, but I soon got used to the classes, as I knew the other children were all there for the same reason.  I even made some friends there!  Stephanie and Penny, made us all feel very comfortable. They were very patient and took the time to explain everything carefully and just told us to do our best. Penny stayed up nearly all night to make sure we had feedback online the next morning, showing us our results in each test and how these compared to the results we would actually need to pass the 11+.  There was also support for our parents if they had any questions.  They were able to contact Stephanie by e-mail with any questions and concerns. I am glad I went to the 11+ Club, because on the actual day of the 11+ Exam, I found the papers, especially the Verbal Reasoning, had really prepared me for the tests.  It may have sometimes felt that some of the papers at the 11+ Club were difficult, but I realised why we were pushed quite hard!  I would recommend the 11+ Club to anyone thinking of sitting the exam for September 2010.”

-Sabrina Dizdar January 2010

“I thought that the club was an excellent idea and my next son will come when you do it again. He sits in 2010. I just wish you do one for entry for the private schools.  My son sat the Forest exam and got stuck on one maths question and he did not do a third of the paper.  He had forgotten all the time he had spent with you.  So if you did some more say for a month before the Brentwood and Forest school (and any other private schools) exams in the December/January this would be good. Perhaps expand to GCSE's! I would book my daughter on these!”

-R Davies-Jones January 2010

“A brilliant Idea! Just wish you held it for longer than 12 weeks! Thank you Stephanie for your commitment to our son and twin daughters over the past five years!”

Mr and Mrs Marsh. Fryerning. January 2010

"I will say that I think that kind of exam practice was invaluable and I would recommend that to people."

-Sarah

How will my child benefit by attending the S6 Tutoring Academy 11+ Club?

The purpose of my 11+ club enables students to work under exam conditions every week, getting used to working to the exact level of the 11+ and preparing them for the duration of each exam. More importantly, it allows them to focus  on the last exam (VR) which is worth 50% of the overall marks. Getting the timing right under these conditions makes all the difference as we can almost guarantee that 60% of all students who sit the exam every year end up flagging during this exam, which will indefinitely eliminate them from even coming close to a getting a good enough ranking for selective schools.

For instance, I had two students take the 11+ exam this year who had a total difference of  just  4 marks and their difference in rakings resulted in one being ranked 12th and the other having a ranking of 119th!!  

 So this is something for you to bear in mind because I do find a lot of students find the three hours of working under exam conditions the most challenging which is why I have set this up so that they are well prepared for the exam on the day.  

 In terms of feedback from the mock exams, I will be marking them and identifying their strengths as well as the areas to be developed. The results and breakdown of each of the students sitting the exam at the club are then made available on line by logging into the MEMBERS AREA to access their results & rankings. (This gives you an idea of who your competitors will be on the day.)

 The logic behind it is that I train all of my students above and slightly beyond what is expected of them so that the 11+ exam on the day is their comfort zone!!

What is Non Verbal Reasoning?

This exam is a problem solving exercise using diagrams and pictures.

What is Verbal Reasoning?

This exam is used to tests the candidate’s ability to solve problems using literacy and numeracy skills.

How is the 11+ score calculated?

It is weighted as follows: 0.5 Verbal Reasoning, 0.25 Maths and 0.25 English.

What score will I need to gain a place at a selective school?

This depends on the individual school and area.  There is a cut of system in place which varies from year to year.

How do I know if my child is going to do well in the test?

You will be able to judge your childs ability by their school reports which should indicate:
•    Their actual levels
•    The National Curriculum average.
•    I have worked with a lot of children who have been underachieving at school but then with a little bit of hard work have achieved a place at grammar school. On the other hand, students who have been doing well at school do not perform particularly well in the tests.

Can you retake the 11+ exam?

This is the ONLY exam that cannot be retaken. GCSE’s, A-Levels and Diplomas can be retaken but this is the only exam you have one chance at passing.   


Where can I get information about selective schools in my area?  

Your local primary schools will be able to provide you with information. Alternatively, you can contact the National Grammar Schools Association for further information.  

What subjects are tested for 11+ in my area?  

Contact the Admissions Officer at your local grammar school. The S6 Tutoring Academy does not provide support with Non Verbal Reasoning.  

What are the reasons for my child not doing well in the tests?  

Nervousness and lack of preparation is the greatest negative influence. Due to the exam being so difficult, I have found that children respond well to incentives or rewards. It is important to make the reward a certainty as opposed to a condition.

Other causes include the child preferring to go to the local school with his/her friends.

Buddy System