Introducing: The Writing Club
I think I’m probably one of the few teachers in the world who absolutely loves marking children’s writing. It’s my thing and always has been. Part of it is that I like winning - and when you create a marking dialogue in a child’s book you see progression quickly and...
Don’t be afraid of 11+ Reasoning
As an 11+ tutor of many years my role isn’t limited to teaching primary children how to pass the exam, but it includes nurturing and hand-holding parents through the process too. And I’ve noticed that many of you are really quite anxious about reasoning. Reasoning...
Argh! It’s my child’s 11+ year…
Those of us who pride ourselves on being on top of everything school-related have had our world turned upside-down recently. Parents of Year 5s with the Kent Test on the horizon are particularly anxious. But one of the toughest things to manage in a normal year is...
COVID-19 and our brilliant digital zoom clubs
Our clubs have immediately flipped to live zoom meetings. It's wonderful seeing six smiling faces on screen and matching them up with their own teachers. At the moment schools are closed and as parents we are all feeling overwhelmed. And social media is awash with a...
Mocks, mocks glorious mocks!
Don't go thinking that mock exams should be left until the last minute. Mocks are a fantastic diagnostic tool and should be experienced as early as possible. And they are all running as live, digital sessions at the moment. Ours are warm, reassuring events where we...
7 easy steps to better writing
Today is the day you are going to take action. Your child's writing is poor and you know it. It is easy to feel helpless and to let the situation drift from academic year to year. Probably at school there is a sort of low-level nagging taking place each time a task is...
How’s your child’s work/life balance?
A successful 11+ revision programme should begin with your child's free time. Any work that needs to be done alongside this should be squished (thoughtfully) around the edges. It is so easy for parents to get swept up in a sort of 11+ mania. Exam preparation can...
Secrets of the Kent 11+
The more you know about the Kent Test 11+ exam, the better prepared your child will be. It's great that they have been taught the content. Marvellous that they have scored highly in practice papers. But how can you be sure they will perform well on the actual day?...
New to the 11+? Here’s what you should know before you start
For those of you about to begin your 11+ Kent Test 'journey' - there's something important you need to know. Before you book a tutor or buy a single revision book, you will have to decide if you are fully committed to the 11+ process yourself. You see there is no...
Being better: And how we’ve cracked it
Yes we are better than our competition and proud of it too. And it's easy to see why... A child started with us this week and he brought us his book from his previous tutor agency (a competitor of ours). These finds are like gold dust to us as we get to sneak a look...