11 plus - 1 2 1 tuition or group tuition

[Areallywg]

I need some advice regarding what to do about my son; who is moving into year 5 next month.

We live in Berks with a small number of grammar schools nearby, whose admission is based on scores rather than catchment. As result, the 11+ is very competitive because parents who live 5-10+miles away will try and get their child into a grammar school.

I cannot decide between continuing with a 1 2 1 tutor or enrolling him in a group tuition center.

The tuition center has a clear cut plan and timetable to get the student ready for the exam. From speaking to friends, the center tells you exactly what you need to study to pass the exam, it has a system in place which has worked with many students, over many years. It also boasts a really high pass mark, with 80% of the students who attended the course passing.

However, the center will go at a pretty fast pace, with 7 - 10 students in a class, so if a child falls behind they will struggle. My son is fairly quiet, and i am worried he will get overlooked in the classes.

The other options is a 121 tutor. I currently have one but its sometimes hit and miss, and i am trying to find another one. The problem is, it takes 2 - 3 lessons to judge whether the tutor is the right fit for my son. The adv is that she can spend time helpping him with areas of difficulty that the center won't.

My son doesn't pick up things immediately, like some of the brightest students, , which i why i suspect the center won't be ideal for him.
Any advice

Is 70/80% really that high a pass grfe assuming they will all be kids who have a chance of passing anyway?

1 to 1 seems better for your son but if he doesn't pick things up quickly like some won't he just struggle at grammar. Might he be better off going somewhere which suit his pace?

We're in a different area but have 121. I wanted to avoid tuition centres like the plague!

Yes they have a strict and well organised programme but having seen what my friends' son is going through its way too much and over prepping from my POV.

I'm much happier for my son to be with a 121. He can tailor their learning programme to his strengths and weaknesses. I'm expecting he will need a bit more time on VR and English, as he is naturally strong at Maths and NonVR.

If you find the right tutor, I hope he enjoys the lessons and 121 attention so it's doesn't feel like school. If my DS doesn't passes I hope he will still look back and think it's helped prepare him for secondary etc.

We currently have 1:1 and will move to group tuition closer to the time for the final 2 months. 1:1 will get him up to standard. Group tuition is beneficial from being in a room under test conditions.

We went with a group tuition that boasted a very high pass rate.
It was quite fast paced at first....a different subject every week to learn all the skills needed, but then from about Feb they did mixed skill lessons, like short tests to test how much they know the skills. So they would have the "test" for 10 mins then go through the answers and how to answer them best.
If your DC struggled with something they had extra tutors who would take them out of the class and do a 1-1 on the subject they were struggling with.

We personally think that having her walk in alone to her group class in a different building did wonders for her confidence so on test day she wasn't phased walking into an unknown environment.

Everything @yoshiblue says. We tried group and it was awful in all honesty. Like an extension of school, going over stuff my kids already knew, very disruptive students...total waste of money. We've now got a great online tutor who has put together a bespoke programme and it's been fab.