11 Plus
At Flying Start Tuition, we run a range of courses designed to prepare your child comprehensively for the 11+ exams. Choose from full year, one term or intensive (one week) holiday courses.
Download our 11+_tuition leaflet
Lessons take place in one of our fully equipped classrooms in Chesham, where each child has access to his / her own computer. All our courses are taught by excellent, fully trained tutors and are carefully planned to help your child maximise his / her chances of 11+ success. Group sizes are kept small with a maximum of eight pupils and lessons are supported by a fully trained classroom assistant, so every pupil receives the individual attention they deserve.
All resources required for each course are included in the fees, such as practice questions, worksheets and help guides. We also provide your child with his / her own user name and password, allowing unlimited access to our online Learning Zone. The Learning Zone is a fantastic resource which enables your child to access over 6,000 unique verbal reasoning questions from home – all you need is a computer with an internet connection. The questions are graded according to difficulty, allowing your child to work through at an appropriate pace and, since all scores and times are saved, providing you, the parent, with ongoing accurate feedback.
Our teachers also provide regular feedback to parents after each lesson, in the form of weekly progress reports, detailing the session’s activities and any homework set. In addition, we hold parents’ evenings at which we will discuss your child’s progress and give you an honest opinion about his / her chances of success and suitability for grammar school.
However, our courses are by no means all about ‘passing’ the 11+. Many of our pupils’ parents enrol their children on a course regardless of whether or not they feel their child would be best suited to a grammar school education. They, like us, believe in giving their child the best possible chance to prepare for the 11+, so that they will be able to approach the test feeling calm, confident and ready to give it their ‘best shot’. In addition, the benefits of attending our courses far exceed preparing for the 11+ because your child will be learning so many other skills along the way… and having fun too!
For further details of our 11+ courses, please see the ‘Courses’ section of this website. Tuition can also be arranged on an individual basis, if required – please email or call us to check for availability.
Why Tutor?
‘Just as it is never too soon to start preparing for these examinations it is never too late either. In a situation where a single percentage point can make all the difference between success and failure it is clear that every minute spent in preparing your child is a minute invested in ensuring his or her future by enhancing his or her chances.’ (Eleven Plus Exams website)
Due to the high competition for grammar school places, more parents than ever are now choosing to have their children tutored in preparation for the 11+ exams. Although the tests are designed to assess innate intellectual ability, it is a fact that practice does make a difference and that pupils who receive good tuition really do improve, giving them a clear advantage over those who do not.
The tests taken vary from county to county, so it is important to choose a tutor who is familiar with the requirements for the area in which you are applying. At Flying Start Tuition, we have experience of both the Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire 11+ and we use an array of relevant resources, designed to motivate children and build confidence. We are also skilled at assessing children’s abilities and will pick out any areas of weakness, planning lessons accordingly, to ensure each child has the best possible chance of success.
When to Start
The type and amount of tuition required will depend upon the individual child, however, many pupils commence tuition around one year in advance of the tests. Most often, this is in the form of weekly individual or group sessions and may be reinforced by an intensive revision course in the school holiday directly beforehand. This approach allows enough time to cover all the necessary areas comprehensively, raising pupils’ confidence and addressing any areas of weakness.
Some pupils begin preparing even sooner, during Year Three or Four, and this is a good idea if your child needs a boost in a certain area or would benefit from a more relaxed pace. However, it is almost never too late to start as last minute tailor-made revision courses can be arranged on request.
For further information about our 11+ courses, please see the ’Courses’ section of this website.