11+ 2025 support thread

[AquaPeer]

Hi all,
I really enjoyed reading previous 11 plus support threads and I think we’re probably ready for a new cohort of year 5s start their prep?

so I thought I’d set up one for next year. All welcome!

we are trying for dame Alice Owen. DD currently has group tutoring once a week but we are looking to increase to twice a week before Xmas.

i am trying to get her to do a cgt GL 15 min tests a day very unsuccessfully! This half term is going to be all about embedding routine 😀

look forward to meeting other parents preparing

@teachermum26sounds like you are taking a measured approach 👍

My son passed both consortium and Ambrose. Actually scored more highly in the more time pressured consortium one. He has ADHD but works quickly, so I think that helped.

@troppibambini6that feedback sheet from Newells looks really good. Our centre gave us the full paper and answers back, really handy to pick out exactly why he when wrong. Sometimes a silly mistake rather than a capability issue.

Bloody hell. Sorry all! I’m on French WiFi here so it’s sent my response 6 times!

@yoshiblue😆 I thought must have felt very strongly!! 😆

😂

In the middle of mocks here too. Seems like everyone in DS' class has been doing them over the last couple of weeks and they've been chatting about scores amongst themselves which I think has helped DS as his friends have scored similarly to him (generally around the early 70s).

We did Newell's and we did get the paper back, complete with the answers DS gave as well as the correct answer. Really, really useful and actually very reassuring as he had obviously panicked in some areas and not read the question properly but this is something he should be able to improve on relatively early. There were a few areas he's not covered in much depth yet with his tutor (and I don't do anything at home with him that he hasn;t done with his tutor first) which he got wrong but again, I'm not worried about that yet.

Those in Trafford who have used Newells before, how do you find they match up to the real exam in terms of difficulty? When my older DS was doing the 11+ we used a different mock company in Urmston and theirs were far too easy in retrospect - the amazingly high scores did not match up to the final result!

How did she find it? Feedback I got was it was easy. Then again , last time I heard that was after one of the mocks in South London ....the results were not so good.

In Bucks doing GL mocks. They've given us the papers back, with analysis and where they sit compared to others that took the mock exam.

@IsThatYouPam Ds last mock for Newells was 92% in September. He consistently getting 80-95% on the papers he was doing at home. He did one mock a month from May to September with the score increasing each time. He also did one Learn North west mock which was much harder especially the comprehension.
He passed Alty boys by 1 mark.
He passed Ambrose by about 38 marks (I would need to check the exact amount)

@IsThatYouPam obviously Ds could have had a bit of a bad day….. he came out pretty happy though so who knows 🙈

It’s best to contact the mock test provider and ask for the percentile score. Generally, a consistent score of around 70% in EPP papers for top grammar and independent schools is enough to secure a place in the top schools. An 80% score is outstanding. Just make sure to understand how your percentage score translates into a percentile.

If you find the right cohort, go for it. The key to identifying a good cohort is that the standard deviation of scores isn’t too erratic. Toward the end of the preparation journey, you don’t want a cohort where scores fluctuate wildly, leaving your child uncertain about where they stand.

You don’t necessarily need a tutor if you consistently do your homework, research the curriculum, and keep pace during Year 4. Not every child needs a tutor—but nearly all benefit from close support, with someone sitting across from them, guiding them through questions. Feel free to DM me if you’d like me to share a detailed curriculum that you can use as a guide—and the best part is, you don’t need to hire me for that!

Hi All,
I was looking at the Exam paper plus website and see there are good no. of 11 plus practice papers specific to schools but they are quite expensive. Has anyone got any feedback on this and if they are recommended?

I'm looking for practice papers for Sutton grammar schools for my son appearing this year. Any suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thanks

The EPP Sutton papers—Exam 1 and 2—are excellent practice resources. A target score of 70-80% is considered excellent, especially given that the Sutton exam is quite challenging—perfect preparation for selective schools like Wilson’s. However, these papers can be expensive and, once completed, leave you at risk of running out of fresh material.
A cost-effective alternative is to use JMC (Junior Maths Challenge) papers, which are widely available and offer a good range of challenging problems to build confidence and sharpen skills.

Very good point - important to be in a group with similar abilities.

@troppibambini6 thank you for the reply, it was really assuring! I love that report I bet that’s really helpful to pinpoint your son’s weak spots. We are with a local tuition centre, they are very good but haven’t received much feedback. I think I need to relax and just trust that he’s doing just fine. We can’t do anymore than what we already are anyway.

Thank you. I did receive a percentage for each subject in his mock. Is that what you mean?
He got
maths 88%
VR 67.5%
NVR 60%

when he does timed practise papers at home he consistently gets between 85-95% hence why I was worried about his mock results. We will keep practicing and try and improve some more

A consistent 70–75% score in challenging mocks is likely to place a child in the top 25–35% of the cohort — often good enough to secure a place depending on cohort performance and catchment. 80%+ is an excellent score — putting a child comfortably in the top decile, which is usually enough to be confident about an offer from even the most competitive local schools. Home practice scores tend to be higher than mock scores because they’re less pressured and often easier. Mocks simulate exam day conditions, so they give a more realistic benchmark.

VR: 67.5% - that’s solid; VR often throws students with tricky wording, but he’s done well.
NVR: 60% - a little lower, but it’s very common for NVR to start a bit weaker, as it’s a different skill

Are these papers (JMC) good for any exams?