11+ Specialist – Second to None
Single-digit 11 plus tuition group limit (max. 9) allowing my ~
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, PARTICIPATIVE LESSON STYLE
leading to SUCCESS for your child and justifying the UNIQUE MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE detailed below.
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Guarantee of Quality
My faith in the effectiveness of my 11 plus course and team, founded on the success of alumni, is sufficient that, if, having satisfied the terms detailed below, your child still fails the 11 plus exams for Slough Grammar School, Buckinghamshire, and for the Slough area consortium,
I will refund £500.
WHAT ARE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS?
These state secondary schools (i.e. non-fee-paying) are permitted to select pupils on the basis of performance in an examination called the 11 plus. Some grammar schools use other selection criteria, such as catchment (e.g. Herschel, Slough & Buckinghamshire) and religion (e.g. St. Bernard’s Grammar School), in addition to the 11 plus score. Many grammar schools have become academies, but have retained their previous admissions criteria.
IS 11 PLUS ADVISABLE FOR YOUR CHILD?
Please consider the following before deciding:
- Can your child cope with grammar school? A grammar school is a suitable environment for children who are academically able and who can rise to a fast pace of learning and a heavy workload. Children who perform well-above average in numeracy and literacy at school are likely to cope best with considerable demands of grammar school. Children with about average levels of attainment in Key Stage 2 are likely to find the high expectations and pressure in a grammar school overwhelming: this can be highly detrimental to a child’s confidence.
- Can your child cope with this 11 plus course? All the above considerations also apply to this 11 plus course. For the benefit of all concerned, I reserve the right to remove from the course, at any point, a pupil who I have reason to believe is unable to cope with the demands of the course.
- Your child’s primary school is well placed to advise you on the suitability of grammar school for your child. If in doubt, seek their advice: do not rely on the score in a test.
11+ EXAM FOR SLOUGH AREA CONSORTIUM
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Entry to one of these grammar schools requires the child to pass the consortium 11+ exam, which now takes place in September of year 6.
The format of this exam is as follows
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | 80 multiple-choice items over 50 minutes |
| Verbal Reasoning | 80 multiple-choice items in 50 minutes |
Both papers are taken on the same day. I estimate that an average percentage score in the mid to high eighties is needed to pass this 11+ exam. Beware that a pass at 11+ makes children eligible for grammar school, but does not guarantee a grammar school place. A score in the low nineties per cent is likely to be needed in order to obtain an offer of a place.
Registering for the Slough area consortium 11+ exam It would be best to read the prospectus, peruse the website, and visit the schools that interest you before deciding your order of preference. For children who attend a primary school in the Slough area, parents should check registration arrangements with the primary school. For children from out of area, parents should obtain the registration form from the grammar schools themselves when they hold open evenings. The deadline for registration is normally in October of year 6.
11+ EXAM FOR BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Entry to a Buckinghamshire grammar school requires the child to pass the Buckinghamshire 11+ exam. Catchment rules also apply. Pupils normally sit this exam during October of year 6.
The Bucks 11+ exam consists of two papers of Verbal Reasoning. The two papers are taken on two separate days and only the better of the two scores is used. I estimate that to pass requires a percentage score in the low nineties.
Registering for the Buckinghamshire 11+ exams Parents of children attending Bucks primary schools and ‘partner’ schools should ensure that their children are registered through the school. Parents of out of county children should register directly with the Buckinghamshire 11+ Admissions Team, before the autumn term begins, on 01296 383250 (unless the primary school has made other arrangements). The deadline for registering is usually early September of year 6.
POSSIBLE CHANGES
Registration dates, exam dates, exam formats and admissions criteria given above are historically accurate, but are subject to change. There have been changes to all the above in recent years, so it would be prudent to remain prepared for more changes. In the event of such changes I reserve the right to amend, without notice and without consultation, any aspect of the course detailed in this leaflet as I deem necessary, including the structure and content of the course, and pricing: the aim of any such changes would be to prepare the children better.
WHAT IT TAKES TO PASS 11 PLUS EXAMS
Passing the 11+ examinations requires a combination of the following:
- Aptitude The pupil must have the aptitude necessary to perform well-above average in the subjects tested. Tuition and effort will not compensate for insufficient aptitude. If in doubt, seek the primary school’s opinion as to your child’s academic potential.
- Effort The pupil must work diligently throughout the period of preparation. If this is an issue, or becomes one, it is primarily one for parents to address.
- Knowledge & Skills The pupil needs expert instruction in the relevant skills and knowledge. My proven course provides this in a small group format, in a well-structured and very successful way.
- Performance The pupil must perform well on exam day. Beyond ensuring your child is fresh, healthy and free from worry and distractions, there is little else anyone but the child can do on exam day.
Having a ‘plan B’ helps Parents are urged to consider, and cater for, the eventuality that, because passing depends solely on the child’s performance on exam day, even a very capable and thoroughly prepared child might not pass. Also, remember that an offer of a place will not necessarily follow a pass. Parents should also have an acceptable alternative in place that does not require the child to pass an 11 plus exam. Doing so will reduce parental tension, and the pressure your child will be subject to, thus improving their chances of doing their best, and of passing an 11 plus exam.
Laying The Foundations in Earlier Years
The best way to help children in the years before starting 11+ preparations is to fully support their schoolwork and their school. A questioning mind, a positive attitude to learning, and a love of reading would be great assets to the children. If extra resources are required then you can draw on some of the vast range of publications in support of the national curriculum that are available in bookshops and on the internet. Any resources used should be appropriate for the child’s age and level. If your child is not progressing as you believe they should be, you should seek professional help, initially through the child’s school.
Foundation Course (FC) – for Children in Year 4
The aim of the FC is to help children prepare for the more intense and demanding 11+ Course. The FC gives children the opportunity to get accustomed to: the uniquely demanding and effective lesson style; the high quality of work that is demanded; course and study routines; and employing effective study skills as well as doing foundation work relevant to the 11+ programme. The FC runs from January to October.
Choosing Tuition for 11 plus
The tuition must suit yours and your child’s needs and circumstances. If you are in doubt I recommend that you observe the quality, style and environment of the tuition at first hand by sitting in on a lesson. The small-group environment provided in this course is the most effective format for most children, but one-to-one tuition may be more suitable for a child who is very slow and/or very self-conscious: I do not provide one-to-one tuition. If you have the expertise and resources within the family then professional input is not essential, but it is advisable to have your child’s 11+ standard independently measured at various key points.
Schoolwork
Doing schoolwork well and maintaining good relations with the school can help your child in several ways. A child who does well at school, especially in numeracy and literacy, will have a good foundation for 11+ and may have greater self-belief regarding their 11+ potential. Also, in the event of an appeal, the child’s primary school will be asked for input: strong support from the head teacher is vital. The appeals panel may ask to see the child’s schoolwork from Year 6.
- This very successful course has been devised by S’ir Tailor, thus benefiting from many years of classroom experience. The majority of past pupils of this course are now enjoying a grammar school or university education.
- Throughout the course pupils are encouraged to be alert, observant, organised, independent & active learners, and to self-check and ask questions to clarify their own understanding: skills that will serve them well through the 11+ preparations and beyond.
- The uniquely interactive style of teaching, made possible by a group limit of just 9 pupils, enhances the learning experience beyond what is possible in other courses or in one to one tuition.
- Children’s understanding is monitored on an ongoing basis through classroom interaction, weekly homework (some of which is collected and marked by the tutor during Phase 1) and with formal tests at key points in the course. How your child is doing on the course will be evident.
Sir Tailor 2012 11+ Course info