CSSE 11+ TUITION
Small Group lessons (Max of 3 Children)
CSSE 11+ Tuition
I tutor Maths and English to prepare children for the CSSE 11+ entrance exam, for the Colchester Grammar Schools. Highest standard teaching is at the forefront of my tuition. I draw on over 10 years’ experience as a classroom teacher and take great care to prepare my pupils fully to give them the best opportunity to succeed in their 11+ exam.
Whilst I endeavor to achieve your child’s highest academic level, I do not believe in pressurising young children and I also aim to keep lessons fun and engaging. The 11+ experience, above all else, should be a positive one, increasing your child’s confidence, where everyone feels proud of their achievements.
I keep parents informed of progress throughout the 11+ journey and give honest appraisals of your child’s ability. Competition for school places is high and the 11+ exam is tough. My aim is to ensure that all children who are put forward for the exam achieve their absolute best on the day.
11+ Groups
Children working towards the 11+ are tutored in small groups (3 pupils maximum) from the same year group. Ideally children will start at the beginning of Year 4, although some may begin in Year 5. My planning takes each child’s individual ability into account, and work is differentiated within a small group to ensure a very personal learning experience.
I do an initial individual assessment (at the same rate) where I assess your child using the National Curriculum attainment targets. This enables me to assess your child’s ability, and tailor my lesson plans to ensure weaknesses are found and addressed early. It also gives me the opportunity to get to know your child so that they will feel more at ease and confident in a group setting.
The Curriculum
The 11+ exam consists of two papers. An English paper, which includes a reading comprehension, some verbal reasoning and two short writing tasks. The reading comprehension is the largest section of the exam and often uses old fashioned texts that include particularly challenging vocabulary. It is therefore vitally important that your child is a confident reader and enjoys reading a range of challenging texts. The maths exam is in line with the National Curriculum but is extremely challenging and well above the chronological age of the children. It includes Year 6 objectives and some Key Stage 3 objectives. Hence, I would only encourage the more able children to attempt the exam.
Year 4 focuses on bringing children up a level. By the end of Year 4 the aim is to cover the majority of the Year 5 Curriculum and ensure all areas of Year 4 are secure. In Year 5 we can then focus on the more challenging concepts in the 11+ paper and 11+ exam preparation. Exam preparation is key, and this becomes more of a focus as exam day draws nearer. Preparation will include doing 11+ practice papers to familiarize children with the exam, and to identify areas that need further consolidation. It is possible to begin tuition in Year 5, and some of my pupils have gone on to successfully be awarded places. It is amazing how much progress a child can make in a year, but they will have a steeper learning curve than a child who has begun tuition in Year 4.