11+ Intensive Course
Our tutors have an expansive knowledge of the exam processes at all stages and are eager to help your child develop and grow.
Why Attend a Course?
Our courses are a very popular way to help your child prepare for the 11+ in a relaxed and stress-free way with a group of children from different schools who are also preparing for their exams. This way the children are able to learn from each other as well as from Emily and Mags, drawing on strategies that they have learned from their school and home revision.
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Just as our tuition is bespoke, we strive to design each course with the needs of the children attending in mind. The amount of content needed to master for the 11+ is extensive and therefore each course is different and will address different skills. This is why many of our families choose to attend multiple courses.
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Our courses help children to become more familiar with the topics, content and question types that might appear on exam day. By having a longer session during courses, we are able to address these topics in a more in-depth way, allowing children to answer questions accurately, efficiently and confidently.
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At the end of the course, each child will receive a written report, outlining what was covered in the week and the next steps that have been identified from their work. This can be used to inform further tuition sessions, home revision and school.
Whats Covered?
Each of our courses take place over 3 days. Five hours in total including lunch, allows your child to cover a huge amount of ground and make progress in these areas.
English (Comprehension)
Our courses cover both traditional (written) as well as ISEB/GL (multiple choice) exam styles, teaching children to analyse texts in order to extract meaning and analysis from them. By working as a group, children work with Emily and Mags to discuss their ideas with each other, sharing their understanding and explanations as well as their answering structure. The longer session allow for a more in-depth discussion of the text, outlining literary techniques, vocabulary, sentence structure used by the author to convey meaning. Children are taught and have time to practise how to structure different question types including P.E.E. (Point, Evidence, Explain), analysing quotes within the text, gaining understanding from context and explaining themselves clearly and succinctly. There are 5 different question types that your child will need to be able to answer as part of a comprehension 11+ exam • Recall • Word Meanings • Types of words and phrases • Inference & deduction • Language techniques & imagery
English (Writing)
In some 11+ exams, children are typically asked to produce a piece of creative writing based on a given title, picture prompt or idea, or to continue a story. However, some schools may ask candidates to write a diary entry, a letter, a recount or a balanced argument (also known as a discursive essay). Written pieces are marked according to the following criteria: • Handwriting • Language and Description (SOAPAIMS – Simile, Onomatopoeia, Alliteration, Personification, Adjectives and Adverbs, Imagery, Metaphors, Senses) • Sentence and Structure • Creative Writing • Spelling and Grammar Our writing sessions allow children to hone their creative writing skills, ensuring that their piece includes enough of each category to gain full marks as well as sharing their work with each other in order to gain ideas from the group
Mathematics
Our course addresses some of the most common areas that children find difficult in the maths curriculum and teach them in an interactive way to ensure that they feel more comfortable and confident in tackling these types of questions. We use a mixture of equations and worded problems as both will be included in the exam papers. There are 19 different topics that could come up in the 11+ exam: • Algebra • Angles & Degrees • BODMAS • Estimation, Rounding & Place Value • Factors & Multiples • Fractions, Decimals & Percentages • Measurements • Money • Operations • Perimeter, Area & Volume • Position & Direction • Probability • Properties of Shapes • Ratio & Proportion • Reflection, Rotations & Symmetry • Sequences • Special Numbers • Speed, Distance & Time • Statistics
Non-Verbal Reasoning
There are 2 main areas of non-verbal reasoning, interpreting shapes and interpreting shapes, that are assessed as part of the 11+ exam. These are further subdivided into specialised categories as shown: • Interpreting Shapes o Recognise and Associate o Extending a Pattern o Finding a Code • Manipulating Shapes o 2D Shapes ▪ Parts within a Shape ▪ Shape Logic ▪ Rotations and Reflections ▪ Following Folds o 3D Shapes ▪ Nets and Cubes ▪ Rotating 3D Shapes ▪ Nets from 3D shapes ▪ Combining 3D Shapes ▪ 3D Shapes from Above In our courses, we show children how to recognise different question types and teach them the strategies needed to solve them.
Verbal Reasoning
In our courses, we show children how to recognise different question types and teach them the strategies needed to solve them. A large part of verbal reasoning is a developed and broad vocabulary; therefore, exposing children to new vocabulary is included. This vocabulary can then also be used to enhance their written work, should they be required to write a creative piece as part of their 11+ process. • Analogies • Compound Words • Embedded Words • Form a Word • Insert a Letter • Letter Analogies • Letter Codes • Letter Sequences • Move a Letter • Number Analogies • Synonyms • Word Completion • Word Match • Word Opposites • Word Pairs • Word Relationships
Critical Thinking and Analysis
From 2022 some schools started to set a separate Critical Thinking and Analysis exam paper. However, all schools will address these skills, usually within Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning papers or as part of the interview. Critical Thinking and Analysis questions are logic based problems that require children to use their understanding of facts, evidence, observations and arguments to form correct judgements in multi-step problems involving words and numbers. Many children will not yet have had direct, explicit teaching of this kind of thinking and analysis so it is a crucial part of the 11+ prep process as many schools are placing a higher value on these kinds of questions.
Meet Our Course Tutors
Dedicated Guides to Your Academic Success.
Mags Pitre
Assistant Director
I am originally from Canada and have been living in the UK for 17 years. I qualified in 2008 and have been teaching various year groups and subjects across Key Stages 1-3 and GCSEs. I have been working with Emily for the past 6 years and our collaboration has developed over that period and I have now joined the company full time as Assistant Director. Since then I have also co-founded our sister company Exam Paper Experts, creating accessible exam prep resources for all. I earned degrees in Marine Biology and History before completing a Masters level qualification in teaching. I strive to make learning fun, incorporating games and song, while nurturing a positive relationship with each child I work with. I am passionate about tailoring lessons to suit each child’s individual needs and finding the learning method that works best for them, in order to enable them to a maximise their potential. One area that I’m particularly passionate about is helping children with SEN and this has been a focus of mine over my teaching career.
Emily Norris
Director
I am a mother of four. Growing up, I attended private schools within North London and have over 20 years’ experience in teaching in both state and independent schools. I strongly believe that in order for children to learn effectively they must be taught as the individual children they are. My method creates an environment where each child feels at ease, safe and, most importantly, happy! My passion is enabling children to realise their own ability. My degree in Childhood Development is integral to my teaching methodology. I strive to find the missing link that stops children from reaching their full potential. I am passionate about igniting children’s learning, not only in their academic life, but throughout their future work life.
Real Voices, Real Experiences
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