A to Z Educational Services vs Pillai Tutors: Parents’ Experiences for Year 5 Grammar School Prep

[ThorSingh]

Looking for parents’ experiences with A to Z Educational Services and/or Pillai Tutors
Has anyone here had first-hand experience with A to Z Educational Services and/or Pillai Tutors for preparing their child for Grammar School entrance exams?
Our DS is currently in Year 5 and, following their respective entrance assessments, he has been offered a place in the coaching classes with both tutors. We are now trying to decide which would be the better fit for him.
Our primary focus is Wilson’s School / the Sutton SET and related selective schools, so I would particularly appreciate hearing from parents whose children have followed either programme with this type of preparation in mind.
If you have experience with either tutor, I’d be grateful if you could share your views on things such as:

• Quality and structure of the teaching
• How well the classes prepare children for the SET/Wilson’s-style exams
• Pace and level of challenge
• Homework, tests and feedback
• How much progress your child made over the course
• Communication with parents
• Anything you particularly liked or disliked
• Most importantly, how your child found the experience

I’m especially interested in genuine first-hand experiences rather than general recommendations, including experiences that were mixed or negative. Many thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience. It would be really helpful as we make the decision for our DS.

My DD was with Pillai Tutors (Manju in particular, I don't know who's teaching now). My DD got a place in her first choice (Wallington girls), also her score was high enough to be approached by Nonsuch asking to consider to go to waiting list on the second round of place allocation (it was our second choice and we did not want it). Also her score was very high for Newstead Wood (our 3rd choice). So with her results she could choose any of these schools and would get a place there. I can't answer all your questions as it was more than 5 years ago, so I just don't remember. But I can say, it was intense, teachers were very strict and if your DC would not catch up with the rest of the class, you will be asked to leave (some of the kids in my DD's class were asked), you will also get a very honest feedback about how your child is doing and capable of.

My son just completed A to Z Year 5 and my daughter is starting their Year 4 class on Sunday. They are the only provider in Sutton I have seen who provide actual admission rates to the grammars (not just those who pass Stage 1 or Stage 2), school by school. They painstakingly follow up with every parent to get this information. Their grammar entrance rates are well above 90%, with just over half of the boys going to Wilson's most years.

One of the reasons their results are so high, of course, is that they are selective. You normally have to score above average in their entrance test (overwhelmingly taken by children whose parents are highly invested in the first place), or score consistently above average in their paper tests.

Pillai, Test Teach, Ace Learning etc. are non-selective. That makes a big difference, and you won't get particularly clear information from them in regard to actual grammar school admission rates from them.

I don't have direct experience of Pillai, but for A to Z, I can say having gone through the process that I don't think their selective nature explains everything when it comes to their results (though it likely explains a lot!). They are extremely thorough and leave no stone unturned. They make a lot of their own materials geared specifically towards the Sutton 11+. They have parent briefings every single week outlining what was covered in class, with individual feedback sessions once a term. They give a lot of homework (around 8 hours a week in Year 5), on top of over 3 hours of teaching classes weekly and paper classes (almost every week in year 5 and every couple of weeks or so in year 4). They have so many candidates taking their paper classes that it's easy to know where you stand, track progress and identify weaknesses. My son improved massively after starting the teaching classes, especially in maths.

In short, they don't mess around and it's a serious commitment - but they don't give anyone false hope and it's highly likely that they push many borderline candidates over the pass threshold (or turn those who may have had one grammar offer into a Wilson's offer).