Primary 11 Plus tutors

There is no single UK-wide 11+ exam or syllabus. Grammar-school selection in England and independent-school admissions use different assessments. The examples below show why the school’s current guidance matters; they do not describe every UK school.

Before buying practice materials, check the subjects, answer format and official samples for each target school. Keep test registration and the school application on your own checklist, with the requirements for your child’s entry year.

This invented practice problem starts with a primary fraction skill and adds a second step:

There are 28 pupils. Three quarters walk to school. Two sevenths of the remaining pupils cycle. Everyone else takes the bus. How many take the bus?

A child might calculate 28 ÷ 4 = 7 and stop. That finds one quarter, not three quarters. Split the 28 pupils into four equal groups of seven, then count three groups: 7 × 3 = 21 walkers. There are 28 − 21 = 7 pupils remaining.

The next fraction describes those seven pupils, not the original 28. Two sevenths of seven is 2 cyclists, leaving 7 − 2 = 5 bus passengers. Check the total: 21 + 2 + 5 = 28.

A useful follow-up is to ask the child to explain why the second fraction uses seven. If they can calculate but cannot identify the group, keep working with labelled groups or a bar drawing before adding speed. For a fresh foundation check, three quarters of 36 is 27: the child should be able to explain the four groups of nine.

An inference is a conclusion drawn from clues. Consider this invented sentence:

When the headteacher called his name, Arun gripped his speech, swallowed and stared at the floor.

Asked how Arun feels, a child might answer, ‘He is angry.’ The sentence gives no clear reason for anger. A better-supported answer is: ‘Arun seems nervous because he grips his speech and avoids looking up.’ It connects the feeling to actions in the text. ‘Seems’ also recognises that the feeling is inferred rather than stated.

For multiple-choice comprehension, compare each option with those clues. For a written answer, select a short relevant phrase and explain what it suggests. The aim is an answer the child can justify, not a memorised sentence starter.

Where the school also assesses creative writing, reverse the exercise. Replace ‘The hall was scary’ with ‘Arun’s footsteps echoed between the empty chairs.’ The second sentence gives a sound and a concrete detail that can suggest unease. As a follow-up, write one sentence making the same hall feel welcoming, using a detail such as friends waving from the front row. Then check that the chosen detail supports the intended mood.

Start with the school’s free samples and your child’s ordinary learning. ISEB says additional test practice is not required for its Pre-Tests, and Highgate says specific preparation is unnecessary for its maths paper. Tuition can be considered for an identified difficulty, clearer explanations or feedback; buying a course is not required for these assessments.

Latimer offers a free introductory meeting to discuss goals, approach and arrangements. Use it to hear how a tutor would respond to one actual difficulty. The introduction is a conversation about fit, not a promised free teaching lesson.

Tell the tutor what helps your child learn: one instruction at a time, more thinking time, a diagram beside a calculation or an explanation of unfamiliar words. If English is an additional language, distinguish understanding the maths from understanding the question’s wording. During teaching, the child could explain the calculation using simpler language before returning to the original question.

For a child who finds tests overwhelming, agree a small starting task and a clear stopping point. Ask what felt difficult as well as what was correct. If practice is repeatedly upsetting, reduce the pressure and discuss the workload with the child’s school.

Lesson adaptations and official test arrangements are separate. For additional support in an entrance assessment, contact the school or admissions organiser early and follow its evidence and application process. A tutor cannot approve extra time. In Kent, speak to your primary school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) before registration; the school applies for arrangements. Other schools and authorities have their own procedures.