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 become a bit like a work project, where we set out short, medium and long-term goals against the background of that looming September deadline. Blocks of time are scheduled for revision, exam details are repeatedly googled, kitchen surfaces are pasted with timetables and vocabulary lists. And we talk about it with our friends all the time…
If you recognise yourself in any of the above, please take a step back.
The joy of handing over the responsibility for your child’s exam pass to our little team, is that we do the worrying, sweating at night and detailed planning for your child, thus sparing you the bother. And as we’ve done it for years, we’ve got pretty good at it.
We have access to so much more information than you do, coupled with an in-depth understanding of the task ahead. We also get to know your child pretty well from the start – how they learn, what they are anxious about, and how to reassure them.
At the heart of our tutoring business is the well-being of the child. I’m lucky enough to have 3 children of my own who have all passed the 11+, and when I’m creating the planning, the revision programmes and even preparing our mocks, I have the individual experience of each child front of mind.
It is heartbreaking to see well-meaning parents pushing inadequate and outdated revision materials under their children’s noses day after day. I spotted one in Wagamama Sevenoaks just last week.
Some parents tell me that they call out maths questions at mealtimes and in the car. And then they worry about the answers and share that worry with their child. Most parents also talk openly about their 11+ anxieties over the heads of their children. Sometimes for years before the actual exam will take place.
So cancel that Amazon order. Drop that shape-shifting programme of work you’ve been trying to pin down. Stop talking about the 11+ in front of your children. In fact, you can stop worrying about it all right now. Get in touch and let us take the burden off your shoulders. We don’t just prepare children for the 11+, we hand-hold their parents too.