How does one find an 11+ tutor

[newrecruit]

I don't even know if we are going to have one yet. DS currently in Y4.

However I have no idea where to start. Where do you find them? How do you know who will work for your DC?

It's all very cloak and dagger at the school.

DS is bright but struggles to focus. Exam technique is definitely the issue for him.

Cloak and dagger is the right term!

I think the best thing to do is ask parents with older children (and not one in your child's year, so you're not a 'threat' what they did)

Having said that-most of DS's year had a tutor (except DS ) and very few passed.

DS did pass. Not because he was intrinsically more intelligent, but probably because I did stuff with him at home-not hours and hours, but some past papers/looking at times tables/word types/vocab when in the car/out for a walk etc and he was pretty up for that approach.

The families who paid for tutors did very little with their children and left it solely to the tutor (I was told several times that there was no way DS would pass as he didn't have one) but I firmly believe you can do it at home if you want to.

I agree with you and that is my preferred option.

My challenge this year is to work on my patience and find a way to manage to work with DS. We have a tendency to come to blows as he knows exactly what to do to wind me up.

Sometimes he is just like a horse refusing a fence.

Bribery.

Install some sort of 'pocket money linked to willingness to work' system-it'll pay off! I figured it would have cost other people thousands to pay for a tutor every week (sometimes twice!) for 2-3 years, so I could afford a few quid to give to him!

I've got 3 children through the exam now-all passed with flying colours.

Which area are you in? Is it VR? Creative writing task etc?

I asked around - other parents will recommend a tutor. We had an initial session with the tutor to see if she and dd would work well together. In the end decided to go it alone and bought some past papers and practised them with dd. She passed.
Or you could google! Join here: Eleven Plus Forum
Good luck!

DD didn't really need any subject practice, just a chance to practice technique. In the end we went to Kip McGrath, DD loved the place after her trial session. And it suited the rest of the family too in terms of location and waiting space, as I had a younger DS to entertain every week. I found the whole idea of going on a personal recommendation from an acquaintance a bit too scary.

Cloak and dagger indeed!

Definitely ask parents with older children. They like to brag, and you are no threat to them.

We tutored ourselves, and it worked out alright. But only because dh did maths and I did English. I would have lost it with ds if I had done the maths!

It's the CEM test which is supposedly 'tutor proof' but appears to be anything but.

I've just checked what's in it.

• The verbal reasoning section includes comprehension and reading skills. A wide knowledge of vocabulary is an advantage.
• The numerical section will test mental arithmetic and recognition of mathematical patterns. It will explore problem solving with a greater reading element.
• The non verbal reasoning section eliminates cultural bias in testing and the possible bias against individuals who may have difficulty with verbal elements.

Speed seems to be a big factor.

I suppose the issue I have with doing it myself is guilt. If he doesn't pass I will always feel that it was my fault for not doing it properly, doing the wrong thing.

As I say, I'm undecided but don't want to decide this time next year that he needs a tutor only to discover that they're all gone!

if you want one you need to book one asap. ask the year 6 parents. they will know who gets results and who doesn't.

get him reading as much as possible, bribe if necessary.
buy first news - good for vocab, do the crossword and sudoku puzzle in it every week.

bond books are a good start in VR, NVR, maths

In my area it's a case of finding out which tutor had the leaked sample paper.

There are plenty of agencies providing tuition for all ages and all topics; just Google "private tutors 11plus" and put in your geographic area.

[I was sending links to people, but I'm sure you are perfectly capable of doing it for yourself, and I don't want to risk MNHQ accusing me of breaking rules.]

I tried a tutor first time around and wasn't so impressed. Second time around I did it myself and it was much better. You know your child best and will know where to focus.

Start with bond papers making sure you explain where they are going wrong/not understanding. Build up to 12-13 level for the best schools. For English I like the test papers where they give you a structure for an answer for written papers. For verbal reasoning bond and galore park.

You should talk about interview questions. It's less about giving them answers to the obvious questions, but giving them a chance to think about how they would answer.

I looked for example papers from existing schools who publish, Manchester Grammar is good.

Good luck.