General Information

Please scroll down and open the questions to see if your queries are answered. If not please do not hesitate to contact us
What does the 11 Plus involve?
There are two 11 Plus exams – a Verbal and a Non-Verbal Reasoning. These may be taken at one of the Lincolnshire Grammar Schools or may be taken in the child’s primary school – you will need to check which situation your child will be in. 

The Verbal Reasoning exam will consist of  sections of questions that involve the testing of mathematical ability, codes, sequences and language skills. The Non-Verbal Reasoning exam consists of sequences of patterns and shapes creating visual problems and codes.

This exam is common for most of the Grammar Schools within the Lincolnshire Consortium. Those schools that are in the group and their catchment areas are shown on this map. Please check with your chosen school that  their 11 Plus is based upon the Verbal and Non-Verbal papers

The final score combines the raw marks from each of the tests which is then adjusted. The pass score is 220. This calculation is based on the raw score of the two tests combined which is then modified based on the child’s age within the year. This helps to ensure that those children that are young in the year are not at a disadvantage when being compared against those that could be almost a year older.

Will 11 Plus tutoring disadvantage my child?
We have run tutoring sessions for many years. We have found that many children who would be well suited to a Grammar School environment might not have passed the 11-plus without knowing the skills to answer the style of questions they will be faced with in the 11-Plus exams. By tutoring the children in groups we have found that we don’t ‘hot-house’ the pupils but are able to identify those children that, with preparation, are likely to pass the test. Within a few weeks we will be able to tell you if your child is going to find this a real challenge. Throughout the process we will continue to inform you of any concerns we may have,

In previous years several parents have been told  that their child is unlikely to pass the 11 Plus yet have decided to continue the sessions as they have found a benefit in terms of self confidence in their normal schooling. Occasionally some of these children surprise us and manage to pass the test.

Do you do individual tutoring?
Whilst we will give some extra time to any students that have specific problems we prefer not to offer one-to-one tuition. Our methodology is that the tuition process develops over time and that the students look on it as a series of puzzles and games to solve rather than a chore. Consequently we do the tutoring in groups. We have found that tutoring in the group situation provides an opportunity for humour and mutual support as they help to both build confidence together whilst adding to the children’s knowledge and skills.
What happens if we miss a week?

All that we ask is that you make sure that the relevant homework is completed by the next session. Please use this link to take you to the page to check what the relevant homework is. If you decide that you wish to stop the sessions please let us know as we often have a waiting list of children wanting to join the sessions.

The homework for the week that was missed could also be done and marked at home. If you let us know of any significant problems we will try to address them

We do offer the chance for your child to join the lesson via video link (Microsoft Teams) if you are unable to make the lesson in person.

When do the sessions start?
The lessons will begin in early January in the year that the test will occur and will run weekly from then on during term time unless we tell you to the contrary.  Those parents who have registered their children with us will receive an email confirming details by the middle of the previous month. If you do not receive this by the time the children break up for Christmas please contact us again as your email may have gone astray.

Usually there will be sessions starting at 4.15pm until 5.00pm and, if there is sufficient demand a further session from 5.15pm until 6.00pm

How long do the sessions last?
The sessions will last for 45 minutes with, once the children get through the initial familiarisation period,  roughly 30 minutes being spent on the Verbal Reasoning paper and roughly 15 minutes on the Non-Verbal Reasoning.
What is the cost?

The cost of each session is £12.50. We will ask that you to transfer a month’s worth of money in advance to the account details we will provide in the introductory information we send out in early December

Would one-to-one tutoring sessions be better?
Whilst the sessions have a serious purpose, our aim is not to let them to be too intense and to make them appear like an extension of school. Consequently we have found that tutoring in groups is the most effective way of getting the children to acquire the skills in an un-threatening and fun way. We endeavour to get the children to treat the sessions as a series of puzzles to be solved rather than lessons. Whilst we might offer the occasional one-to-one session for a specific child, it will only be to perhaps allow a new-comer to catch up with the rest of the group or to allow a child get over a specific mental block over a particular style of question. Too many one-to-one sessions would suggest the child might be at risk of getting to a school for which they are unsuited and where they will consequently be unhappy.
What teaching packs are required?

You will be told when teaching packs are required. Please follow the ‘Question Packs’ link to the relevant page for the details. Please make sure you order the question packs early as they frequently run out of stock or go on back order which causes problems. Ig you wish to order all the packs that will be required for the lesson sequence they are all linked on the ‘Question Packs’ above