11+ exam preparation

English Tuition in Bradford | English Tuition in Dewsbury | English Tuition in Batley | English Tuition in Ravensthorpe

Included in the selection process for Grammar schools and some private schools is the 11+ examination, taken in year 6 by those students aspiring to attend reputable high schools. It is taken on a set day in September and is compiled of a range of topics including comprehension, mathematics, verbal and non verbal reasoning. Candidates will apply and be invited to their chosen selective school to sit these tests, which will go on to determine whether or not they have succeeded in this scheme. This will be the pre-step in the high school’s decision to take on the pupil as a year 7 student.

Each year, we have many young individuals attend our Grammar school sessions from a range of locations including: Leeds, Dewsbury and Batley. It is no question that parents in Yorkshire are passionate about sending their children to selective secondary schools in the area, particularly Heckmondwike Grammar School. We value all parents who choose Improve Tuition for their child’s 11+ exam preparation journey and can assure you that we will give your child the guidance they need to take on the entrance examination.

At a year 5/6 level, pupils here are expected to understand and work with numbers in a variety of different contexts. This includes being able to break down given scenarios to simple calculations, before proceeding to systematically and speedily provide accurate answers. In order to do this, students must first be aware of the rulings and methodology behind the calculations so that prior understanding can be used. At our institution, we cover a range of topics in the National Curriculum
including Fractions, Decimals, Percentages, Geometry, Statistics and Mental Arithmetic. Pupils will be given consistent tests in exam conditions to examine the progress they are making and detect any weaknesses that need to be dealt with. They will be required to answer times tables and division sums with speed and accuracy as well as use number bonds to perform both low and high level addition and subtraction calculations.

To prepare for the English side of the 11+, we first make sure that pupils have substantial knowledge of adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs. Pupils must reveal that they can provide definitions as well as examples and later use their senses to explore wider connotations. It goes without saying that possessing a complex vocabulary bank is a crucial skills for grammar school pupils – our strategy to this is to continuously use dictionaries and thesaurus’ to find synonyms and then apply these to writing their own full sentences. As well as carrying out spelling tests, we perform regular vocabulary tests with students where they are expected to verbally answer definitions. Once we have mastered the basics, we go onto learning grammatical concepts and punctuation rules, which can be used to first write basis sentences, followed by paragraphs. At a more high level, pupils will use their reading skills, picked up over time, to analyse given text, words and phrases before answering comprehension questions in timed conditions.

Verbal Reasoning | Systematic thinking | Non Verbal Reasoning | | Accuracy

Although verbal reasoning and NVR are NOT part of the National Curriculum, it is important that students come across and attempt these styles of questions beforehand. Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning allows pupils to combine a range of skills including English knowledge – spelling , phonics, definitions, synonyms; logical thinking; problem solving; Maths skills – rotation, reflection, symmetry. To gain all the practice they need, our students will spend their time attempting challenging questions both independently and with the help of our experienced tutors. We conduct both multiple choice as well as standard test formats and give time frames to pupils to complete their work. This is so that we can determine whether students need to work on their timings, which is a crucial consideration for the real exam.