11+ PREPARATION FOR YEARS 3, 4 AND 5

Strong foundations. .Experienced education

Growing confidence

A personal journey towards 11+ success

CAREFULLY STRUCTURED PROGRAMME
Designed to develop English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning while helping every child feel valued, capable and ready to embrace challenge.

Book an Initial Assessment

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BEGIN WITH AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT

We will listen, identify the right starting point and recommend a clear route forward.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EVERY LEARNER

We create a safe place to think aloud, ask for help, make mistakes and try again. Confidence and self-esteem are protected while pupils are encouraged to aim high.

OUR APPROACH

Small groups, high expectations and individual attention – so every pupil can ask questions, take learning risks, close gaps and make progress at the right pace.

A CAREFULLY SEQUENCED PATHWAY – THE FOCUS AT EACH STAGE

Year 3 – building secure foundations

Year 3 is about developing the knowledge, language and learning habits on which later 11+ work depends. Lessons remain engaging and age-appropriate. The priority is secure understanding rather than speed or excessive testing.

Reading confidence: retrieving information, explaining meaning, making simple inferences and discussing unfamiliar vocabulary.
Vocabulary growth: word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, spelling patterns and confident use of new language.
Mathematical fluency: number facts, place value, written and mental methods, measures and clear mathematical reasoning.
Early reasoning: patterns, sequences, classifications, analogies and visual problem-solving introduced in manageable steps.
Learning habits: listening carefully, showing working, checking answers, explaining choices and persisting when a task feels unfamiliar.

Year 4 – developing breadth and reasoning

In Year 4, pupils extend their knowledge and begin applying it more flexibly. Questions become richer and may combine several skills. Learners are encouraged to compare methods, recognise patterns and explain why an answer is reasonable.

English development: longer comprehension texts, deeper inference, grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary in context and careful evidence selection.
Maths development: secure calculation, fractions, decimals, measures, geometry, multi-step problems and selecting efficient methods.
Reasoning development: a wider range of verbal, non-verbal and spatial question types with emphasis on method as well as accuracy.
Independent thinking: using known strategies in unfamiliar situations, checking work and recognising when a different approach is needed.

resilience.

Year 5 – focused 11+ preparation

Year 5 brings the different strands together. Teaching continues to address knowledge gaps while pupils become more familiar with the pace, format and decision-making required in an 11+ assessment. Timed work is introduced carefully so that it strengthens performance without undermining confidence.

Curriculum consolidation: revisiting priority English and Maths knowledge so that essential skills can be applied accurately and efficiently.
Question-type mastery: recognising common verbal and non-verbal reasoning formats and choosing an appropriate method promptly.
Examination technique: reading instructions, managing time, avoiding preventable errors, moving on strategically and checking effectively.
Mock preparation: suitable practice assessments followed by constructive review, targeted teaching and clear next steps.
Confidence under pressure: using routines that help pupils remain calm, recover from a difficult question and continue positively.

WHAT CHILDREN WILL LEARN

A broad and balanced 11+ curriculum

English

English teaching develops the vocabulary, comprehension and language accuracy needed across the 11+. Pupils learn not only to find an answer, but to understand why it is correct and which evidence supports it.

Comprehension: retrieval, inference, prediction, authorial choices, tone, purpose and evidence-based answers.
Vocabulary: definitions, synonyms, antonyms, roots, prefixes, suffixes and meaning from context.
Language accuracy: spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence construction and editing skills.
Verbal fluency: cloze passages, shuffled sentences, word relationships and careful use of a dictionary where appropriate.
Writing: clear, controlled and imaginative expression where creative or extended writing is relevant to the target school or assessment.

Maths

Maths teaching combines secure calculation with flexible problem-solving. Pupils are expected to show clear working, notice relationships and select methods rather than relying on guesswork.

Number and calculation: place value, the four operations, factors, multiples, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio at an appropriate level.
Problem-solving: one-step and multi-step word problems, identifying relevant information and checking whether an answer is sensible.
Measures and geometry: time, money, length, mass, capacity, perimeter, area, angles, shape and spatial understanding.
Data and reasoning: tables, charts, averages, sequences, patterns and explaining mathematical decisions.
Accuracy and efficiency: mental strategies, written methods, estimation and selecting the quickest reliable approach.

Verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning

Reasoning is taught as a set of understandable strategies, not as a collection of tricks. Pupils learn how to recognise the structure of a question, test a possible rule and explain the reasoning that leads to an answer.

Verbal reasoning: codes, sequences, analogies, word relationships, letter patterns and logical language tasks.
Non-verbal reasoning: shape relationships, rotations, reflections, odd-one-out questions, matrices and changing patterns.
Spatial reasoning: nets, cubes, folding, combining shapes and visualising movement or position.

ASSESSMENT AND TARGETED SUPPORT

Closing gaps through timely intervention

Assessment is used to guide teaching, not to label children. An initial assessment provides a helpful starting profile. During lessons, tutors continue to monitor understanding through questions, discussion, short practice activities and review tasks. This helps us distinguish between a one-off error and a gap that requires further teaching.

Where a specific gap is limiting progress, an intervention session may be recommended. Intervention sessions provide focused, additional support outside the main flow of group teaching. They allow a pupil to revisit an essential concept, practise a priority skill or rebuild confidence before moving forward.

How intervention support works

Identify. We use assessment evidence and lesson observations to define the precise knowledge, skill or misconception that needs attention.
Explain. Parents are told what the gap is, why it matters and how a focused intervention could help. Recommendations are clear and proportionate.
Teach. The intervention concentrates on a manageable priority through clear explanation, modelling, guided practice and carefully chosen independent work.
Revisit. The pupil applies the skill again in later lessons so that learning becomes secure and connects with the wider programme.
Review. We check whether the gap has closed, whether further practice is needed and whether teaching priorities should be adjusted.

INTERVENTION IS PART OF THE PERSONAL JOURNEY

It is not a punishment and it does not mean that a child has failed. It is a positive, targeted response designed to prevent a gap from becoming a barrier.

Progress that can be seen and understood

Progress is reviewed across knowledge, accuracy, reasoning, independence and confidence. We look for secure improvements rather than a temporary increase in scores. Pupils are helped to recognise what has improved and what they are working towards next.

Knowledge: more secure understanding and fewer recurring gaps in English, Maths and reasoning.
Application: greater ability to use learning in unfamiliar or multi-step questions.
Accuracy: fewer preventable errors and stronger checking habits.
Independence: less reliance on prompts and greater confidence in choosing a strategy.
Resilience: a calmer response to challenge and a willingness to try again after a mistake.

A SAFE PLACE TO TAKE LEARNING RISKS

Children should be able to attempt a difficult question, offer an idea and make a mistake without embarrassment. That sense of safety allows genuine confidence and deeper learning to grow.

Why our group environment matters

Our groups are deliberately small so that teaching remains personal. Pupils benefit from hearing different ideas and learning alongside others, while tutors retain the ability to question individuals, check understanding and respond when someone needs a different explanation.

A small-group environment also helps children learn that uncertainty is normal. When pupils see others asking questions, correcting an answer or changing their approach, they become more comfortable taking part themselves. Respectful discussion builds communication, reasoning and confidence.

Every voice matters: pupils are invited to contribute without being put under unnecessary pressure.
Questions are welcomed: children can say when they are unsure and receive an explanation that helps them move forward.
Effort is recognised: we notice persistence, improved thinking and responsible learning habits as well as high scores.
Challenge is responsive: extension is provided where a pupil is secure, while scaffolding is used where more support is needed.
Relationships are respectful: children learn in an atmosphere where kindness, listening and encouragement are expected.

OUR MISSION AND VALUES – WHAT WE WANT EVERY LEARNER TO KNOW

You are valued. Your questions matter. A gap can be closed. A mistake can teach you something. With the right support and sustained effort, you can move forward.

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WHAT A LESSON MAY INCLUDE

Clear teaching, purposeful practice and reflection

Lessons are varied according to the year group and current priorities, but the overall approach remains consistent. Pupils understand what they are learning, why it matters and how they can improve.

Retrieval and readiness: A short activity revisits essential prior learning and helps the tutor identify anything that needs immediate clarification.
Explicit teaching: New knowledge or a strategy is explained clearly and modelled step by step, with careful attention to vocabulary and method.
Guided practice: Pupils attempt examples with questioning, prompts and feedback so that misconceptions can be corrected early.
Independent application: Learners apply the skill with less support, including in unfamiliar or examination-style questions when appropriate.
Review and reflection: The lesson ends by revisiting key learning, recognising progress and identifying the next priority.

THE OUTCOME WE WANT

Ready for the 11+ – and ready for what comes next

The 11+ is an important goal, but our work reaches beyond one assessment. We want pupils to leave the programme with stronger knowledge, richer vocabulary, more flexible reasoning and better learning habits. Just as importantly, we want them to trust their own thinking, ask for help when needed and approach future challenges with resilience.

Developing confidence and self-esteem

Confidence grows from repeated experiences of understanding, trying and improving. We avoid empty praise and instead show pupils what they have done well: a clearer method, a thoughtful question, improved accuracy, stronger vocabulary or the courage to try again.

Feedback is honest but never humiliating. When an answer is incorrect, we focus on the thinking and the next step rather than making the child feel less capable. This helps pupils build a realistic and positive view of themselves as learners.

SUCCESS MEANS MORE THAN A SCORE

It means a child who feels valued, understands how to improve and has the confidence to meet challenge with curiosity, care and determination.

Working in partnership with families

Parents and carers know their children well, and their insight is important. We communicate openly about strengths, gaps, confidence and progress. Where an intervention session or change in priority is recommended, we explain the reason and the intended outcome.

Clear starting information: what the initial assessment suggests and which priorities are most important.
Meaningful feedback: what has been taught, what is becoming secure and what still needs attention.
Practical guidance: manageable ways to support reading, vocabulary, fluency or practice at home without creating unnecessary pressure.
Honest expectations: no guarantees or unrealistic promises, but a clear commitment to high-quality teaching, careful review and supportive challenge.

Begin with a conversation

Tell us about your child’s year group, current experience, strengths and the support you are seeking. We will listen carefully, discuss an appropriate starting assessment and recommend a programme matched to need. You will receive clear advice and the opportunity to ask questions before deciding whether the academy is right for your family.