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Thank you for all your support with our son, Thomas. His hand writing, spelling, maths and reading is progressing beautifully. I would highly recommend your setting to anyone who wishes to give their child a boost or to work on specific learning goals. It has been invaluable. All your tutors are warm, welcoming and professional and Thomas is always made to feel valued. Positive praise and lots of stickers, stamps, rewards, prizes and certificates give that extra special touch to reward and recognise the children’s efforts. Thomas is certainly always proud of his achievements from your centre.
Laura (Thomas’s mum)
“Dear Howard Thank you so much for all these lessons you’ve been giving me!  They really have improved my work at school and now I can put all your help to good use with my SATs.  Thank you so much for everything! From Lewis”
Lewis (student)
We were super happy with your approach and B settled in so well. She looked forward to the tutoring and got a lot out of the sessions. Without a doubt her confidence has grown and I wouldn’t hesitate to use I Love to Learn again in the future. Many thanks, Cat
We are Super Happy!
“I Love to Learn really helped me prepare for my entrance exam.  I give I Love to Learn 10/10.  I Love to Learn helped me understand pie charts, algebra and story writing.  I enjoyed coming to I Love to Learn and would love to come back in the future.”
-Ollie, Student in Portsmouth

She says “I Love to Learn Now!”

Mariana brought her daughter to us as she was having a few problems with maths at school.  She liked it so much that now she comes for English as well!  Mariana says that now “She is more confident with math now and she’s coming to I Love to Learn for pleasure.  She is very happy with her teacher, she says she is very kind and patient.”    
Howard JonesI Love to Learn
I would like to thank you for the enthusiastic way in which you have helped Vicky gain confidence in her abilities to learn.  She has been a different child since coming to you and has a more positive view now!
Vicky's Parents
We brought him to the centre in Year 6 because he just had no idea about maths.  This year won the ‘Most Improved in Maths’ certificate for his year.  He also came top of his class in 2 out of 3 maths exams.  Coming to here is the best thing we ever did!
Mr S White
Albie
Albie had been diagnosed with mild dyslexia and his reading age was around 2 years behind!  The standard in private school is often higher, so we were worried about the Entrance Exams.  Soon after he enrolled he started making rapid progress.  The school say he is now Level  5 in literacy and the teacher can see a lot of difference.  His reading age has shot up and the gaps in maths have been filled in and he has caught up amazingly quickly. It has definitely, definitely made a difference and I have recommended the centre to my friends.
Jilly (Albie’s Mum)
The way you teach is brilliant.  Kids really enjoyed working/learning with you.  Hope to be back next year.  Thank you once again
Mr & Mrs Renji
“We also had a parent’s meeting at his school earlier this week.  I am pleased to say that his maths teacher was very impressed with not only his work, but also his attitude toward it.  I can only say that this is because of the wonderful service you and your colleagues have given.  Thank you so much for this.  Ellis is really enjoying his time with you and also seeing how well he is doing and this has resulted in a positive attitude towards learning.” James (parent) 2021
James Hannon

11+ Common Entrance Exams Guide

11 Plus Common Entrance Assessments Advice and Tips

 

English Student
Improve Your Creative Writing

When and how are the 11+Common Entrance Assessments taken?

11 Plus Common Entrance Assessment

Taken in winter of Year 6 (dates my vary from school to school so please check) : in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

N.B. The exams are set by each independent school individually so may vary.

 

Some regions have 11 Plus Entrance Test for state Grammar Schools.  This is not the case in Hampshire.  The nearest areas with state 11 Plus exams are Dorset, Surrey and Berkshire.

see: https://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/11plus/

When should we start preparing our child for the exams?

This of course will vary from child to child.  For the average to strong child, we would recommend getting a full assessment at about a year before: e.g January of Year 5.  You can do this yourself by buying 11 Plus assessment tests or visit a tutor or tutoring centre that has experience with 11 Plus.  After that you will be able to decide which areas to focus your efforts on.

If students are significantly behind in maths or English, then I would suggest an earlier start in, at least, the beginning of Year 5.

How should I prepare my child for the exam?

Make sure the school you choose is the right one for your child:

Independent schools and grammar schools may be more academically competitive than most.  Some children thrive in this environment, and it is absolutely right for them, but not for everyone.  Also, some schools may also expect excellence in areas like sport and music.  Again, this is wonderful for some children but not so for others. Make sure you do your homework, visit the school and talk to as many people as possible about it.

11plus
Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning Needs Preparation

Get the current class teacher on side:

Chat to your child’s teacher about where your child is at and if there are areas for improvement.  Let them know that you have high expectations for them and want them to be pushed.  They should want to encourage this as it will be good for the school’s results too!

Make a good plan and stick to it:

Make a clear routine and stick to it.  There are a number of routes you can take.  Home learning, employing a tutor, using a specialist tuition centre or online courses.  Most children won’t volunteer to do extra maths and English lessons, so there will need to be some buying in and some rewards at the end (and possibly in the middle).  If you truly believe that the effort will be worthwhile, pass or fail, then it is worth pushing through.

Actively developing a wide range of vocabulary will be essential.

One of the core reasons some children are successful in their 11 Plus Exams and others are not is because some children have a wider vocabulary than others.  This has to be developed in context and can’t really be taught by rote.  Talk about stories, books and characters.  Read stories to them, hear them read and play story CDs in the car.  It helps children to hear stories before they write them.  I am afraid TV is too chopped up and fast moving to hold any narrative, so minimise this.

The secret to good maths basics is rock solid times tables.

Practice and re-enforce basic maths skills such as timed tables.  It’s an essential skill that will improve accuracy but also fluency (getting it right but also completing more questions).

Reduce stress, anxiety and pressure as much as possible.

Of course, all this extra work and preparation is bound to lead to some stress for your child.  This is a normal and natural part of life and you will know how much is too much.  Keep to routine by making sure they are well rested and get plenty of exercise.  Avoid late nights or sleepovers during this time.

Too much pressure reduces mental maths ability and vocabulary recall by around 10%-30%, that’s enough for a bright child to not be as successful as was envisaged.  Be warned, do everything you can to make preparation as fun, relaxed and as enjoyable as possible. Make sure your child knows that the world will not stop turning if they are not successful.

Click here to find out more about the 11+ Exams date in January…

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