What Happens After The Grammar School Exams?

Now that we're half way through September, thousands of children who sat the grammar school entrance exams will have finished the 11+ process and will be moving on to preparing for the 2016 SATs exam.

Although it might seem like a great time to breath a sigh of relief, unwind and avoid doing any form of studying,  this might actually be the time to think about your child's next steps.

These include:

How to help your child after they've sat the 11+ grammar school exams.

• Getting ready for the 2016 SATs exam.
• Sitting the independent school exams in December/January.
• Maintaining your child's academic progress so that they don't slip.

Whilst it's easy for both parents and children to become complacent, it's actually crucial that you make a conscious choice to keep your child's academic future in mind.

In doing so you'll be teaching your child a very positive message:

Life doesn't reward complacency. Click To Tweet!

Don't get me wrong, it's great to give your child a break (and after the 11+ process, they certainly deserve one), but it's also important to ensure that the break that they have is scheduled and purposeful.

I personally recommend giving your child 4 weeks off after the 11+ exam so that they can have as much fun as possible. Then, after those 4 weeks have passed, encourage them to go back to their usual 11+ preparation routine or a routine that's similar.

Communication is vital so it's important that you communicate to your child; tell them that they will have a 4 week break after the 11+ exam to have fun and unwind, but after those 4 weeks have passed, they will return to their usual routine.

During the 4 week break your child can engage in a variety of activities, make friends or go on holiday. Reward them for the hard-work that they've done over the past few months/years and remind them that no matter how they do in the 11+, you'll still love and adore them.

After their break, start focusing on your child's next big goal. For instance, if they're planning to sit the independent school exams in late 2015 or early 2016, create a revision time table for them. You may also consider hiring a tutor to help with preparing for the exam.

If your child isn't sitting any more entrance exams, start preparing them for the KS2 SATs or simply give them work that is of 11+ standard or higher so that they don't forget what they learnt during the 11+ exam process.

As always, stay positive, enthusiastic and loving. Encourage your child to do their best and continue to be their biggest source of support.

I hope these tips were helpful! If you liked them, leave a comment below sharing your favourite tip.

Here's to your child's happiness and success!

Victoria.

Founder, TheTutoress.com.

21 Essential Vocabulary Words For The 11+ Exam

Vocabulary is one of the most important areas that children need to master in order to excel in the 11+.

Vocabulary skills are tested in the Verbal Reasoning exam, in reading comprehensions and during interviews.

It's therefore vital that you constantly remind your child of how important vocabulary is.

When we run our 11+ courses we teach our students how to learn new words (and their synonyms and antonyms) in a way that is fast and fun!

We also love sharing fun posters and worksheets that help with improving vocabulary. 

Take a look at the one below. You're welcome to print it, share it and go through the words with your child.

To make it even more valuable, try doing these activities:

1. Can you spot any of these words in one of your stories or books? Ask your child to look through 3 or 4 of their books and highlight whenever they spot one of these words. How did the author use the word? Why did they choose this particular word?

2. Write a sentence using each of the above vocabulary words. 

3. Identify and write down 3 synonyms and antonyms for each of the vocabulary words in the list. By learning both the synonyms and antonyms your child will learn even words. 

To receive free vocabulary posters, resources and worksheets click here.

11+ Summer Intensive Course

With so many parents requesting details about the 2015 11+ course, I thought it would be a great idea to showcase some of my favourite moments from previous courses.

I'm incredibly proud of the results that our students have achieved as a result of completing the course and the progress they've made is quite simply, astounding.

Take a look at the photo collage below and read about some of my favourite moments from our previous 11+ courses.

Photos from our previous 11+ intensive summer courses.

Here are our top 5 moments from previous 11+ courses:

1. Receiving a bottle of my favourite drink from one of the brightest students I've ever taught.

2. Discovering that Marc had the voice of an angel. 

3. Chantal showing our tutors that she can do Maths GCSE work.

4. Brandon teaching us the Brandon Shake, his signature dance move.

5. Seeing the students ace their interview practice and becoming more confident.

Great moments after the course:

• Discovering that Jay obtained an incredible 179 in his 11+ exam (out of 181)
• Finding out that Joseph passed his exam with flying colours and will attend one of the best schools in Berkshire.
• Hearing that Timmi has moved up 2 academic levels in Maths and English.
• Working on the 2015 course which is going to be incredible!

A Very British Education: How To Pick The Best Private School For Your Expat Child

Choosing the perfect school for a child is a difficult thing. It’s even more complex when your child comes from an expat background and has therefore lived and schooled in several countries and cities throughout their life.

What’s the best way to choose your child’s school and how do you know that a certain school is the best for your child?

Here are some pointers to steer you in the right direction.

#1. Know your child well.

Picking a school just because it has a great reputation or is the most prestigious might be seem like a logical idea but in actuality it can lead to your child feeling unhappy and academically under-performing. When choosing the best school for your child consider your child’s interests, academic ability and needs. For instance, some renowned public and private schools are great for children that are musical whilst others are superb for children that are solely academically inclined.

                        Harrow School, London.

#2. Learn as much about the schools you’re considering as possible.

What’s their academic track record? Do they use a one-size fits all approach to learning or do they tailor lessons to meet the needs of each child? Do they encourage their students to pursue careers in the arts or in STEM fields? Do they care about their students personal and psychological wellbeing or do they only focus on academic performance? These are just a few of the questions that you should be asking yourself when viewing or contacting private and public schools.

#3.  Research boarding options.

Do the schools you’re considering offer boarding facilities? For example, if you live in Dubai but want to send your child to school in the UK but are unable to move here, it’s worth considering schools that allow your child to board. A school with boarding facilities would therefore be a better option than one without in such a case.​

#4. Prepare your child for the entrance exams.

Most private and public schools require applicants to sit an entrance test such as the 7+ or 11+. When considering which private school to send your child to, be mindful of whether your child will need to sit the Common Entrance exam. In order for your child to stand the best chances of winning a place at their desired school, it’s vital to prepare them for any school entrance test that they might sit.

When Is The Best Time To Prepare Your Child For The 11+ Exam?

The 11+ exams are just a few short months away and it's no surprise that parents from all walks of life are extremely nervous.

One of the most common questions we get from parents is:

Did we leave it too late to prepare my child for the 11+?

When should you prepare your child for the 11+ exam? Is there a perfect age?

This question is not only a common one but also perfectly normal to ask.

Is there really an optimal time to prepare your child for eleven plus success?

In today's blog post I'll give you the advice that I give to my tutoring clients. 

The truth is that there is no generic time frame for 11+ preparation. As a rule of thumb however, you should give your child at least one full year to prepare. That's 12 months at a minimum.

Nonetheless, the students that tend to do best in the exams are the ones who have prepared for at least two and a half years. 

What should that preparation involve?

• Reading a variety of great books and literature
• Mastering writing and comprehension skills
• Honing interview questions and exam technique
• Practicing answering questions to time
• Improving skills in all areas of mathematics
• Learning all Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning question types
• Going beyond 11+ questions and attempting higher level work

Obviously, not all students have the time to spend two or more years preparing for the exams but the more time your child has, the better.

If however, your child has 12 months or less, don't fret. There are a number of things you can do to help them catch up and make significant progress.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Encourage them to read for 20 minutes a day or longer
• Ask them questions about the texts they've read, stories they've written, new words they've learnt and how they've arrived at certain mathematical calculations.
• Use the school holidays wisely; this is the time to double up on revision and exam practice
• Encourage your child to work for 1 hour each week day and at least 3 hours on the weekend
• Be positive and don't make them nervous by bringing up how little time they have.

You should also consider the fact that every child is different; children respond differently under pressure. Some do better because of added pressure whilst others do far worse. It's therefore vital that you adapt your child's revision schedule to their own personal needs.

Finally, if your child has a very small amount of time before their 11+, consider enrolling them in an intensive 11+ course or hiring a private tutor.