5 Top Tips to Review your Child’s Mock Tests
Mock tests are important for your child to take before the real 11+ exam. Do not waste time and money on mock tests without doing a detailed review of each test. Your child must take at least 2 face-to-face mock tests and 10-15 online mock tests to be fully prepared for the real tests. You […]
What are the CAT4 Tests? A Guide for Parents
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning CAT4 or the Cognitive Abilities Test is an assessment to understand our children’s academic prowess. In this short blog, I will explain its significance, and show you the different strategies to support our children in navigating these assessments with confidence. […]
Revision v Fun: 7 Ways to Find the Right Balance This Summer
As the summer gets closer and closer (only a month to go!), parents find themselves facing a delicate juggling act—supporting their children in their exam preparations for the 11plus in September while also ensuring they have enough time off to relax and enjoy the much-anticipated summer holidays. Finding the right balance between revision and leisure […]
Don’t Miss the 11+ Test Registration Deadlines
The 11 Plus test is a hugely important milestone for students, and their parents, in many regions across the UK, serving as a crucial step towards gaining admission into selective grammar schools. Each year, countless parents and students face the challenge of preparing for this examination while juggling all the various deadlines and requirements. For […]
Help! My child’s mock test was terrible! 5 things you can do to solve this problem.
Your child took a mock test arranged by a tutoring company, and you received the results. The scores are terrible! Now you are wondering if you should continue with the 11+ prep any longer.
Is it worth it?
How can my child improve when the marks are so low?
Is there any hope at all?
Let me simplify it for you. There is a way to improve those scores. You must continue your preparation.
But first, be ready to do some work.
So, what work should you do?
The 11 Plus Journey’s Guide to Rewarding Revision
As a student, exams will play a crucial role in assessing your knowledge and determining your academic success all the way through your time at school. Among what can be a stressful time, one key strategy stands out as your secret weapon to success: Revision. In this blog, we will show you our 7-step plan […]
QE Barnet Test Admission Details
Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet is a renowned secondary school for boys. It is located in North London. Established in 1573, it is one of the oldest schools in the country. It has a long-standing reputation for academic excellence. The school also has an impressive record of sending students to top universities, both in the […]
11+ Course for Year 5 Parents- Getting ready for the tests
The 11-plus process can seem incredibly complicated. What should your child be learning? When should they be learning it? And how can we, as parents teach and support them through this tricky process? We are incredibly proud to announce that we’ve written an amazing course which will support all parents and carers and […]
How can you practise intentional reading with your child?
Updated April 2024 Reading with your child is an incredibly important activity that can have a profound impact on their overall development. BUT! There’s more to reading than you think! It’s not enough to simply read to your child; you must read to them and with them- WITH INTENTION. Intentional reading involves actively engaging with […]
10 Proven ways to be ready for the 11 plus THIS September
This year’s 11 Plus exams are coming around fast. The Easter holidays are just around the corner and the final term of the year is nearly upon us! 11 Plus tests usually happen in September/October, which is only a few months away. So, is this enough time to prepare for the exams if you […]
How to appeal your child’s secondary school place
This is a brief overview of how to lodge an appeal for your child’s secondary school place. Watch this excellent video by the founder of Equality Tuition and independent panellist Sheena Chan here. She gives valuable advice on this subject. By the end of this article, you will be able to do the following. 1. Understand […]
11+ Application & Process Checklist FREE Download
An A4 printable checklist to plan out your 11+ test registration and preparation from June until the end of tests. It will keep you focused towards your goal of supporting your child through the 11 plus tests this summer. Write your affirmation in the space provided at the top of the page. An affirmation is […]
Download for free: Mock Tests- Guided Checklist for Parents
Download Your Free Homophones Worksheet
Donate your pre-loved children’s books so that more children can have a book to call their own!
You can bring a smile to a child by donating a book you have read. We are delighted to work with The Children’s Book Project, Our Charity of the Year. Why not get your child involved too and reinforce the importance of caring for others which is an important part of life. The Children’s Book […]
11 Plus Exam boards- GL and CEM
Selective schools across the UK use different examination boards when testing children at the secondary school entry point. The two main boards are GL- Granada Learning and CEM- Centre for Evaluation & Monitor. A lot of content overlaps between the two exam boards. However, you will find a few differences among the two, formulated in […]
Nurturing a child’s learning and growth mindset
No matter which school a child goes to or wants to go to, an important part of a child’s growing up years is nurturing a growth mindset. A growth mindset is not necessarily a natural skill or something someone is born with. Most children are born with an innate skill to be curious, grow […]
Independent school tests require a slightly different approach to Grammar school tests
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning One of the oft-repeated questions related to preparing children for secondary school is the difference between independent and Grammar schools. When we think of secondary schools in the UK, there is a wide selection of the type of schools that […]
Small wins, big joys
Written by Sabah Hadi, a mum, writer and learning enthusiast. She is the creator of the The 11+ Journal, available on Amazon. It is a book for children, aged 6 to 12, to help children develop all-round personalities and grow up with the powers of gratitude, expression and self-regulation. She is also founder of The […]
Peter Francis’ Non Verbal and Spatial Reasoning bundle- Free Sample
Peter Francis has been creating and illustrating NVR and Spatial reasoning questions for GL 11+ tests for over 30 years. He has worked with Letts and Galore Park and has published under his own company Pass NVR. He has now collaborated with Ieducate to bring a series of video tutorials on the subject. We also […]
Everything you need to know about the 11+ entrance exam process
Guest blog by Sarah Collins, writing for Galore Park, trusted supplier of 11+, pre-test and 13+ educational resources. We collaborate with Galore Park to bring you articles and competitions. Map out your 11+ revision route for the journey ahead It’s unlikely we’d set off on any journey without checking the route first – we’d end […]
Boosting your child’s vocabulary
Guest Post by SLC Tuition & publishing who are also collaborating with us in our Facebook group to provide weekly Vocab Booster Quiz. Recommended reading: An article that includes a list of Vocabulary sources. This list will help you have access to many sources to see what suits you & your child. Whichever 11+ exam […]
11+ exam Techniques, Tips and Tricks
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning 11+ exam Techniques, Tips and Tricks- Free session by ATOM Learning Jono, the Lead tutor and Product Manager at Atom conducted a short and information-packed session in our Facebook group on 11 plus exam techniques. He gave tips on the […]
Atom Learning- Children’s Adaptive learning platform
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning We have partnered with Atom Learning. Atom Learning is the UK’s comprehensive online learning platform. It brings our readers high-quality, teacher-made content with sophisticated technology. It keeps pupils on their optimal learning paths. It is AI-based online education material aimed at […]
Year 11 and Year 12 students- How to make use of your summer break?
This is an article to accompany the video (found below) that Jemma Smith, Director of The Education Hotel Tuition and TopSchoolandUni recorded as part of her ‘How to maximise your summer break?’ session in The Oxbridge & University Journey group. Year 11 and 12 are crucial years to prepare for impending university applications. Students should […]
Comprehension and its links to Creative Writing
Comprehension and Creative writing- two very important features of the 11 plus English tests are not separate entities. Children can learn skills to navigate both these aspects as these are essentially English skills. Watch the video below on how your child can learn and apply these skills. Read the text below the video and take […]
11+ Vocabulary Resources
Click here for 11 Plus Journey OS- A parent hub to master the 11+ process. Vocabulary is one of the most important aspects of the 11 plus English and Verbal Reasoning tests. Reading is the best way to learn new words and add to your vocabulary. It should begin early and as is often […]
The 11+ English Exam – A Recount
Guest blog by Miles, founder of Englishshop.co.uk Miles contributes to a regular feature called English Bites in our Facebook group. His lead-weighted eyelids creaked open, scattering yellow dust onto his pillow. The wider they opened, the more his head hurt at the thought of the day ahead. It was 11 plus English exams day! Sliding out […]
Adapting Revision Time for Pre-Test Success
Guest Blog for our website visitors by Sarah Collins, 11+ and Pre-Test Expert and Author at Galore Park Year 6 can be a stressful time for children whether they are taking SATs tests or assessments set by the prep school so the addition of pre-tests for the Common Entrance can seem rather daunting. […]
Common Application Form or CAF
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning CAF, short for Common Application form is the form that you fill for a school place in the UK. For those wanting their child to go from a primary school to a secondary school, this form is to be filled […]
Recommended 11 plus physical resources
English Books from Galore Park, Collins and S&S. Available on Amazon: Reading and Comprehension Galore Park Reading and Comprehension Workbook Galore Park Reading and Comprehension 11+ Practice PapersCollins 11+ Practice BooksSchofield & Sims- KS2 Comprehension books InferenceBooks by First Past the PostFirst Past the Post Books 1, 2 and 3 Classic and poetryFirst Past […]
Preparing kids for interviews (e.g. 11+)
Guest blog by Kavin, Founder of KidCoachApp Interviews are a part of life and they are not going away. People hire people, and normally they only have 30 – 60 minutes to figure out if you are a good fit for them. This goes for adults in the workplace, but also for children with certain schools. If […]
How many small cubes can fit into a large one?
Guest blog post – Maths tip- by Muhammad Ali, Founder of ‘Maths & Science Tuition.’ How many small cubes can fit into a large one? The trick is to count tiles or cubes etc. Don’t try to work out one area/volume and divide by the smaller one. That’s ok to use for smaller numbers but […]
What is the verbal reasoning section of the 11+?
Get 20% off your first month and a 5-day free trial with Atom Learning Guest blog post by Jonathan Ellis of Atom Learning For a list of online subscription sites for 11 plus, read our blog on the various options you have. The verbal reasoning section can cause its fair share of test anxiety. […]
11 plus Online subscription sites
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 […]
Win £50 worth of Collins Books!
Happy to announce another competition, this time in collaboration with Collins4Parents, part of Harper Collins in The 11 plus Journey group. After our very popular competition in collaboration with Bond11plus, this is another one to get you all excited! To enter, comment on this post with the correct answer to the question in the image below. […]
‘Five a Day’- A great way to learn vocabulary
Guest post by Sheena Ager, author of ‘The Cadwaladr Quests’ series of vocabulary novels, and workbooks, available on Amazon. I have been talking about my ‘Five a Day’ for many years as I did it with Jude, my son, who was not a reader. There are so many ways to learn vocabulary, but we found this to […]
Competition time- Win £50 worth of BOND books
We’ve teamed up with Bond 11+ to give away £50 worth of Bond books to one lucky member of the 11 Plus Journey group. It is easy to enter. All you have to do is join our Facebook group if you are not already a member. To enter, comment on the post with the correct answer to the 11+ non-verbal […]
National Offer Day- Getting a Secondary School Place
11 Plus Journey OS- A parent hub to understand the 11+ process. Click here to find out more. The very first thing that I would say to you as a parent who has been through this process twice is that it will be OK. National Offer Day can be a day full […]
Where and how do I begin my child’s 11 plus preparation?
Year 3, Year 4 or Year 5? If you are a parent new to the 11 plus, a valid and common question you may have is: when should you start preparing your child for the 11 plus tests? How to start is another worry. This is to be expected if you are someone who doesn’t […]