Find qualified 11 Plus tutors

A teaching qualification, experience with a particular entrance test and the ability to explain a difficult idea each tell you something useful. Start by deciding why you want a qualified teacher: perhaps your child needs help rebuilding primary maths foundations, or you want someone who can explain how their reading is developing.

In England, QTS means qualified teacher status. A PGCE is a postgraduate certificate in education. They are distinct: teacher training can lead to QTS alone, QTS with a PGCE, or a PGCE without QTS. If QTS is essential to you, name it in your enquiry and confirm the tutor’s specific status. For qualifications gained elsewhere, ask which award or professional status the tutor holds and where it applies.

Check the chosen school’s current admissions information for your intended entry year before choosing resources. The following examples show why the test name matters.

For the Kent Test in England, preparation needs to reflect English and maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and use of a separate multiple-choice answer sheet. Kent also has an unmarked writing exercise that may be considered by a headteacher assessment panel.

ISEB Common Pre-Tests, used by participating independent schools, are online adaptive multiple-choice tests in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The maths framework covers content through the end of Year 5. Answers help determine subsequent questions, and candidates cannot skip a question or go back. That makes checking before moving on a relevant habit to practise.

In Northern Ireland, SEAG assesses English or Gaeilge and maths, based on Northern Ireland’s Key Stage 2 curriculum. These are distinct admissions routes; agree the actual assessment and components with the tutor.

These short illustrative examples show explanations you can look for when judging teaching. They draw on upper-primary maths and reading skills, alongside reasoning question types. Actual test materials vary in length and difficulty.

Maths: explain why the parts must be the same size

Suppose a child writes 3/4 + 1/8 = 4/12, adding both the top and bottom numbers. The problem is that quarters and eighths are different-sized parts. Split each quarter in two: three quarters becomes six eighths. Now 6/8 + 1/8 = 7/8.

A clearer response is: “I changed three quarters into six eighths, then added one more eighth.” The denominator stays eight because the parts are still eighths. Follow with 1/2 + 1/8 without prompting. Getting 5/8 and explaining the conversion shows more than copying the first answer. Equivalent fractions and this kind of addition sit within England’s Year 5 maths curriculum.

English: connect an inference to the words

Consider this original passage: “Maya paused at the hall door, twisting the corner of her invitation. When her friend waved, she let out a breath and stepped inside.”

Ask how Maya seems to feel at first. “She is nervous” is a plausible inference, but needs support. A fuller explanation is: “Maya seems nervous because she pauses at the door and twists her invitation.” The actions support the interpretation; there is no need to invent a reason from her past.

Next ask which action suggests she feels more at ease. “She let out a breath and stepped inside” provides evidence of the change. Justifying inferences is an upper-Key Stage 2 reading skill. In a multiple-choice test, the same reasoning helps a child choose between answers; this practice explanation is not a prescribed written exam response.

Reasoning: state the rule before choosing

For the word relationship author : novel :: composer : ?, the link is a person and something they create. “Symphony” fits. “Piano” is connected with music but does not follow that relationship. A follow-up such as poet : poem :: sculptor : ? checks the same idea with new vocabulary: “sculpture” fits.

For a visual pattern, imagine arrows pointing ↑ (up), → (right), ↓ (down). Each turns a quarter-turn clockwise, so the next points ← (left). If their shading also alternates white, black, white, the next arrow must be black. Checking only the shading could leave the child choosing an arrow that points the wrong way. A useful explanation checks both rules against the sequence.

Latimer offers a free introductory meeting before paid lessons to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements. Use it to explain the school or test, the qualification you want and the difficulties you want lessons to address. It is not normally a full teaching lesson.

Latimer is an online-first one-to-one service. Tutors set their own hourly rates and paid lessons are pay as you go. Compare the rate on each profile alongside the teaching you need.

Use the chosen assessment’s official materials to understand its layout and instructions. GL Assessment offers free familiarisation materials, but warns that local tests can differ in timing and question numbers.

ISEB says additional preparation is not required for its Pre-Tests and provides a free test-player walkthrough, including accessibility features. If you choose tuition, give it a specific purpose, such as a fraction misconception or difficulty explaining a reading inference. The walkthrough and school guidance help you discuss that purpose without assuming paid preparation is compulsory.