11+ support thread 2026

[11plus2026]

Not sure if anyone is around yet but thought I’d open one.

Has anyone started any practice questions yet? Mine will be starting tutoring in September, she’s had an assessment to see where she’s at currently and now just enjoying the sunshine ☀️

Is this for students year 5 now ?

Ooo a friends boy is starting to practice and I sent her this off Twinkl to try and help https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t2-par-71-11-plus-resource-pack

Y4 now, taking the test in 2026. There is a thread for those taking it this September though! Search for 11+ 2025 support thread

Thank you, this looks very helpful

Yes, I've started some prep with my son. We're not paying for a tutor so will be preparing at home.

@Bellibolt Welcome! How is your son finding the prep? Where are you starting from? I know there are CGP and Bond books out there, we might ease mine in from the summer holidays getting 8-9 books. Any thoughts?

How is the prep going? It's all so close now

Has anyone signed up for atom? Or are you only focusing on cpg books for now?

Just wondering if anyone has found any audio content that would help with 11+ prep? We have a yoto player and thinking that would be a great way to break up workbooks. Maybe vocabulary content?

Wondering if anyone’s DC have started prepping yet?

Hi @11plus2026 - we’re prepping here with my Y5 girl, whose Y6 brothers just sat/are sitting the tests. She’s summer born, AuDHD and not as easily to teach as the boys so we need all the time we can get! She is deeply unimpressed to find herself studying after school but having seen her brothers go through the same thing recently has accepted it without a fight!

Hi @11plus2026 - we’re prepping here with my Y5 girl, whose Y6 brothers just sat/are sitting the tests. She’s summer born, AuDHD and not as easily to teach as the boys so we need all the time we can get! She is deeply unimpressed to find herself studying after school but having seen her brothers go through the same thing recently has accepted it without a fight!

We are preparing at home using mainly CGP books. We're not using a tutor. We will probably use atom later on. With my daughter we used atom for 6 months before the test and found that was enough.

Hi, Have a year 5 girl who isn’t really doing much for prep. She’s recently said she doesn’t want to sit the 11*; but here’s my dilemma, I don’t want to pressurise her, but at the same time I think sitting the 11+ would a good idea, as it’ll give her the opportunity to go to grammar (assuming she gets a place)…I’m very torn at the moment. It would also make sense logistically as ds is at the grammar.

My DS (Year 5) is prepping. He has a tutor once a week. Group study.

We have a very long way to go. I'm unsure if he will do well, but he will benefit from the extra learning.

Why don’t you want to pressurise her, @CouldNotStayAway? Many parents at my sons’ school have said this and I don’t know them well enough to risk offending them by asking, but I do always feel a bit curious.

My sons (Y6) were essentially told that they would be taking X exams and expected to pass, their schedule looked like Y from now on and revision would increase in the lead-up to the test according to how much preparation we thought they needed - but they would be rewarded for effort with a quieter period of time between the exams ending and January. They capitulated easily once they realised I was serious and, whilst we’ll never get back the summer in which we squeezed fun around study, there is something about working together toward a mutual goal that is bonding in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I didn’t realise how much pride I would feel in their efforts, respect for how they rose to the pressure. It’s been great for our relationship whether they pass or do not pass, I think. They feel proud and grown-up and independent, and maybe they would have felt all of these things anyway - but it’s been nice. A summer of freedom would have been nice too but I’m glad we got to experience this together, regardless of the outcome, and we’ll do it again with the little ones including current Y5 girl.

May I join? We are prepping with a Year 5 DD, aiming for Sutton grammars and local private schools as a back up. Doing 1,5 hours a week group tuition (+homework) and started on Atom a week ago but not sure I will continue with Atom - DD doesn't really do much on it and it's quite expensive for 10mins a day she spends on it at the moment...

Can I join please? Am late to the party. Y5 girl. Near Worcester Park - Sw london / Surrey border.

no idea what we are doing for September 2027. Let alone how to prepare for entry exams!
She is bright. active (plays sport outside school) young for year. AuDHD. Untutored to date. So no idea what she is capable of!

not even sure what schools would suit her.

any advice? On schools or preparing for exams at this stage?

Hi all, thanks for joining! Mine has started with her tutor who is quite relaxed and she’s enjoying it so far.

@mummybearSW19 have you visited any schools yet? I’d start doing that and ask them lots of questions, take your DD and how she feels about each school.

@MamaKiwithat sounds wonderful, and something I think a lot of parents aspire to achieve (the balance-working together and so on).

i homeschool both of my dc. Oldest wanted to head off to secondary, and I had zero knowledge when it came to the 11+. Honestly, we just winged it; but he was in a different boat compared to dd. He was much further ahead in maths curriculum by the time he reached y6 (at ks3
level), so I don’t think I worried about how well he’d perform.

the home school journey with dd has been different; she’s doing well at her level but isn’t by any means further ahead in any subject. I didn’t want her to be ahead in anything because ds found y7,8and 9 boring when it came to maths - and so with the intention of sending her to secondary ive purposely kept at a slow pace (but of course for 11+ it’s only helpful to be ahead of the game, so to speak). Apologies for the drip feed 😂
I don’t want it to feel like this is the be all end all for her too; and I know we’ll need to work quite hard from now until exam. I didn’t do a lot of extra work with ds, just a case of going through gl assessment papers. However, I know it depends on area, and for some schools there is so much competition you cannot breeze through it.

If in Year 4 you take the test at the beginning of Year 6 which would be September 2027?

Hi @Ahmawa, DD was in Y4 when I wrote the post in June. Now in Y5 so taking the test in 2026 😉

Started prep with DD who is in Y5. Recent CAT4s score 5 points below qualifying score. Not sure whether to continue. Still 1 year of learning before sitting the exam.