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Original poster

11 plus tutoring when to begin?

36 replies

user1478188491 · 22/06/2025 22:46

I’ve put my sons name down for a highly recommended 11 tutor a while again she’s now emailed asking if I want to start him this September which will be the beginning of Year 4 twice weekly.
Or to start next September which will be the beginning of year 5.
When do you normally start 11 plus tutoring from your experiences?

Part of me thinks it would be beneficial to get started as soon as possible but then the other part of me thinks that there is a risk of the child becoming bored and stale losing interest and it becoming a chore if we start at year 4….

any advice and thoughts greatly appreciated thank you ☺️

OP posts:
Poonu · 24/06/2025 07:07

In our area they teach things that are not on the curriculum but are in the exam. It works for us and you should do what works for you.

Poonu · 24/06/2025 07:07

Depends on your child. I did year 4

Meredusoleil · 24/06/2025 07:07

It's more usual to start at the beginning of Year 5 for one hour a week ime. However, that is assuming the child is already working at greater depth in both Maths and English.

Pigsteperis · 24/06/2025 07:06

user1478188491 · 22/06/2025 22:46

I’ve put my sons name down for a highly recommended 11 tutor a while again she’s now emailed asking if I want to start him this September which will be the beginning of Year 4 twice weekly.
Or to start next September which will be the beginning of year 5.
When do you normally start 11 plus tutoring from your experiences?

Part of me thinks it would be beneficial to get started as soon as possible but then the other part of me thinks that there is a risk of the child becoming bored and stale losing interest and it becoming a chore if we start at year 4….

any advice and thoughts greatly appreciated thank you ☺️

Please don't start at the beginning of year 4. The start of year 5 is plenty of time. Really, all you are looking to do is familiarise your child with the reasoning side of the test and maybe cover some of the maths that is beyond Y5 curriculum. Then it's test technique - timing and skipping questions etc.

As other posters have suggested, if you really think your child needs 2 years of tutoring to pass, then grammar maybe isn't the right environment for them. I'm in Kent (fully selective system) and the stories I heard from people who were tutored intensely to get into grammar then spent years struggling are quite distressing.

Pigsteperis · 24/06/2025 06:58

Newskool · 24/06/2025 01:44

Miraculously, with no teaching whatsoever? 🤔

Show quote history

It's entirely possibly. Kids like this exist. My daughter had no tutoring, we did a few practice papers and some revision with her and she passed (according to the stats released by our county council) as one of the top 60 girls in the county. Her primary school had suggested as much given what they'd observed of her/CAT4 scores etc.

Newskool · 24/06/2025 01:44

Vivienne1000 · 23/06/2025 21:05

Not going to lie, if you need tutoring from year 4, should you even think about a Grammar. My nephew did one practice paper and was ranked number 2 in a Surrey Grammar. Those are the kids you are competing against…..

Miraculously, with no teaching whatsoever? 🤔

Vivienne1000 · 23/06/2025 21:05

Not going to lie, if you need tutoring from year 4, should you even think about a Grammar. My nephew did one practice paper and was ranked number 2 in a Surrey Grammar. Those are the kids you are competing against…..

MarioLink · 23/06/2025 16:52

Depends on the child, if you've been doing 11+ work at home and how competitive the area is. Our area is very competitive. One of our children has been fine starting at the beginning of year 5 but was doing well with 11+ work at home already and was top of her class, the pace was intense but she coped fine. I'm inclined to start my other child at a less formal group sessions in year 4 as she is more average and doesn't do work at home as easily.

Dido2010 · 23/06/2025 09:18

Hi @user1478188491 !

It depends somewhat on the competition and the level required. Which schools are you looking at?

Newskool · 23/06/2025 08:33

Echoing the above. Once a week from Year 4 would be enough. I left it to Year 5 and it was stressful because the prep I moved them to was rubbish, in spite of rave reviews and Ofsted outstanding. I should have left them in their state primary and just tutored. You can start gently yourself with some age appropriate VR and non-VR. DC didn't mind those. You can tutor without it feeling like tutoring.

Nothankyov · 22/06/2025 23:11

I did only start at the beginning of year 5 with my son and regretted it massively. It felt rushed and honestly if I did it again I would start at year 4. But… we only did it once a week.

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