You have a lot of choice
There are various resources available to prepare for the 11-plus tests. Books, online worksheets, workbooks, websites…the list is endless. Online subscription sites are one of the many routes you can take to prepare your child for the tests. Even if your child is not taking competitive exams, these sites are a wonderful platform for learning and consolidating concepts taught at school. Moreover, for many home-schooling parents, these are convenient resources.
Suitable for remote learning, these online portals are perfect for the present condition and of course for a post-Covid world, a new era in teaching and learning that has been thrust upon us. Different to the traditional and conventional way of learning, these websites offer an alternative option to tutors. Parents may use these sites to supplement their child’s schoolwork. For many parents, these websites are yet another resource in their kitbag. Many use them to give children a break from the monotony of doing workbooks.
The main attraction of these websites is the interactive nature of learning, where sound effects, graphics and reward points spur children to try just once more, and give it another go. Doesn’t that make a parent’s heart glad? Many kids prefer this to filling in boring workbooks. Although many would agree that there is no substitute for the boring work done in workbooks, online sites can be used to shake things up a little.
Most of these sites provide tutorials to explain topics and concepts and offer flexibility in terms of the length of subscription and payment terms. Read on to learn about a few websites, tried and tested by parents and tutors.
Here's a list
ATOM Learning
ATOM, our affiliate partners (look up our recommended services) is popular with parents helping to prepare for senior school entrance assessments. The platform provides daily LIVE lessons, a library of over 100 recorded lessons with 60,000+ teacher-written practice questions, and detailed performance analysis. The platform is adaptive to stretch children’s learning. Subscription starts from £19.99 with a 5-day free trial.
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning
We have collaborated with them to bring some lessons for free, exclusively to members of our Facebook group. You can watch replays of the FREE sessions.
‘Comprehension techniques’ class and ‘Working on Maths foundations for 11 plus’
11plushelp
Offers unlimited online practice on 11 Plus subjects and subject-wise and topic-wise Practice Tests, Mock Exams, Comprehension Tests, Vocabulary, Synonyms and antonyms, Flashcards, Videos, and Independent English & Maths Past Papers. The platform also helps to keep track of your school’s Applications for FREE. Subscription starts from £4.99 a month.
LinkyThinks
Not your usual subscription site, but a different, fun and enjoyable approach to teaching and learning, the site offers Comprehension, Punctuation and Maths courses, some referred to as boot camps. We have collaborated with them to provide free regular lessons to members of our Facebook group. Watch a replay of the ‘Plot and Structure in Creative Writing’ class.
11 Plus Lifeline
A collection of 11 plus practice papers with full example answers and solutions by RSL Educational, famous for their very detailed and comprehensive books for the 11 plus tests. The platform provides a plethora of FREE Samples and is very popular with parents. Starting at £8.59 a month, they have different types of subscriptions available depending on what you need to help your child with their learning. Robert Lomax of RSL Educational has also conducted a FREE class on MCQ Comprehension recently. It may be accessed here on our Youtube channel.
IXL
Reviews suggest this site is good for Maths. It offers repetitive practice and is aligned with the curriculum, as stated on their website. Prices begin from £12.99 a month.
BOND
Bond Online, one of the oldest platforms, offers separate tests for each 11-plus topic with scores recorded for future reference. The children get feedback after every test to help them tackle tricky questions better next time. Their monthly subscription package starts from £6.50.
EXAMINSIDER
Billed as the full 11-plus solution, they are a hybrid model, not the usual subscription model. They have video tutorials and snail-post study materials to their subscribers. When the children complete the work, parents upload them to a system provided by the company. It is marked and assessed and parents are provided feedback. The platform also offers 1-2-1 parent consultation.
CHUCKRA
This website offers online practice questions. You can also download a collection of worksheets and sample papers.
EDPLACE
Offers a free account, in addition to paid individual and family bundles, either monthly or yearly. This website offers English, Maths and Science practice.
KSOL online
This website offers free downloads apart from its subscription packages starting at £45 a month. It also has 5-minute 11+ tests. Perfect if you are looking for something regular and small to keep the momentum going.
Excel11plus
They have a 90-day online subscription for £20. This, according to their website includes tests, performance indicators, new content, topic tests and mock tests.
PI– ACADEMY
Offers topic-wise exercises. The website is detailed and has loads of information on it.
BOFA
PlanetBOFA works on a test-practice-retest system where questions are personalised. The site offers reports, and an award system to keep children motivated. From a personalised report emailed to parents and explanations for the errors provided, BOFA also insists on positive encouragement rewarding children for timekeeping, commitment and improvement. They offer a flexible subscription length starting from £7.99 a month.
EPRB
We have partnered up with Mandy Broomhead’s EPRB where the team of tutors have put together a DIY course. It is not an app, we are working on that too! but it is a detailed weekly course which has presentations and practice for the topics covered in that week. You can buy weekly at £10 a week in a batch of 4 weeks. All details are available on the EPRB website.