Year 5 priorities for dyslexic DD: specialist tutor or 11+ prep?

[Pigwig22]

I am wondering whether I should stick with our current dyslexia tutor for our DD when she moves into year 5 next year or switch to an 11+ tutor (or maybe even try and do both - or is that risking a major burnout / a bit ridiculous??).

For context, my DD is dyslexic and worked with her current tutor since September F2F 1-1 since September. I really like the tutor, she is focusing on specific areas my DD struggles with and is a specialist dyslexic tutor. I feel my DD has made progress in areas that are challenging for her, including spelling where she is working at a year 2 level.

We want my DD to go to a private secondary school (currently at state) where there will be dyslexic support, but they all still have entrance exams. She tends to struggle under timed and test scenarios and I think she therefore needs some support to know what to expect and how to manage what will be very different style of questions to what she is taught at school i.e. VR and NVR. Our main target school does Cat4 tests and creative writing.

I have found a tutoring school where she could go once a week with 5 other children, she would be in a class that matched her ability and learning goals.

My gut is that long term, the thing that will add value to her is the dyslexic tutor. But equally, I need her to secure a place at one of the private schools as having visited the state schools near us I don't think they would support her properly. But because everybody tutors for these things nowdays, I worry that even with targeting schools that are not academic hot houses, she won't get in.

What should we focus on in year 5, dyslexia tutor and maybe some Atom Learning for the 11+ tests or should I pause the dyslexia tutor and do the 11+ tutoring? Or financially, we could do both, but is that just far too much for a child that lacks confidence and can find school work draining?

The dyslexia tutor said she could do some 11+ work, but this is not her area / she doesn't have tons of experience with the tests.

I’d stick with the specialist tutor for now especially if spelling is at Y2 level.
With a diagnosis of Dyslexia she should be entitled to reasonable adjustments including extra time. I’d explore this too.

For the 11 plus that is.

Agreed, a specialist tutor seems like the best bet. Atom is good but expensive, we use an alternative site for our kids which is around 1/3 the price and does the same thing, can share the link if you want

My DD is dyslexic too but obviously a different individual. Prior to entrance tests in Year 6, we had a tutor to help with English and to run through the types of questions in the verbal/non verbal reasoning. Our tutor was an English/drama teacher from school so not specialist but she had helped with entrance tests before.

It was definitely helpful for DD to be taught how to understand/answer the types of reasoning tests and also tips for the creative writing. She also had an English comprehension test so again our tutor helped her to work out how to tackle it. DD’s prep school also did lessons on the verbal/non verbal reasoning at the time so others may have done this and will probably have done CAT tests, if your DD hasn’t done these before it’s definitely worth practicing.

We did use practice books which are very similar so you could maybe do this yourself? They aren’t too hard at this age (for you, I mean).

I think I would keep her dyslexia tutor for now and add in the practice books. There are 10 min tests so not a huge extra across a week. The see where you are by Christmas and review.

Both, if school doesn’t sipport 11+ prep. Or give up on 11+, but don’t cut the dyslexia tutor!
My oldest is dyslexia, year 5 wasn’t fun, but wax worth it.

I’d keep the dyslexia tutor. Cat4s are a different beast to the normal 11 plus. It’s most likely the creative writing that will be a challenge more than the cat4 and I suspect the dyslexia teacher can do that.

Keep the dyslexia tutor. If funds allow, maybe some 11+ support too but find a tutor who knows about dyslexia. IME, 1-1 teaching is the key, although my DD finds it very tiring on top of "normal" schooling. In terms of her education she gets way more out of the 1-1 stuff.