11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi, I am new here and I've already read few threads and found them really helpful.
My DD (year 5) has shown an interest recently to go to Tiffin school, I know it's a bit late now to prepare for the test as I heard people start with private tuition since year 4!
My DD is doing very good at school and I believe she has a good chance if she prepares for the test. We also live 5 minutes drive from the school so the distance is not a problem.
So, my question is: can a child pass the test and grant a place without private tuition?
I am planning to buy some books and to teach her at home, but I am not sure which books to buy and which level? Do she needs to start with 9-10 or 10-11 books?
And which level should she finish before starting to practice mock tests on the summer holiday?

Any advice is much appreciated as I am new to this experience and I have no idea about the exam process and preparations.

Thanks in advance

It has been some years since we went through the process. Hope some one more current gives you better advice.

For start, familiarise with KS2 syllabus. By the end of year 5, your DD should have covered the entire syllabus, it won’t have been done at school.

Doing well at school gives a false sense of security. At Tiffin tests, she will be up against 100s of girls, possibly all on Top tables in their schools.

Attention on vocabulary and writing, reading good books and classics for children. Reported on few occasions that passages for comprehension and story writing came from books being read by years 9-10 (age 14plus).

For exam familiarity, I think GL and FPTP practice papers may be quite useful. You can use Bond papers at earlier stage, but these are considered easy and not to the level seen at Tiffins.

Most children do well in Maths at Tiffin tests, English often makes the difference.

Try to book one or two good mock tests to get familiarity with exam environment and to assess strengths and weaknesses, such as Sutton mocks or other Sutton grammar schools’ mocks.

Good Luck.

It is fine to start in Y5 and do it at home yourself provided you are prepared to put the work in.

The Sutton/Wallington/Wilson mocks will help you enormously as you will have the chance to compare her results against other Y5s, some of which will have been preparing since Y4.

It is important to get a starting point and track improvements.

Small and often is the key. You will be surprised with how much she can improve with regular study. DG

Not too late but loadsof work ahead of you if you really have your heart set on the school. I have pmed you.

Dear Toto123,

You can do this but will need to be planned and both will need to be on board.

If you live 5 mins away check the admissions policy you may come under the inner area rather than the designated area.

There are several mock exams going on, Sgs, Wilson and Wallington all run by the PTA for May, June, August. Book you dd on a couple so she eats the experience sitting under exam conditions and time constraints.

The GL and bond mock test are good papers to sit later on this year but to start with I would probably start with Bond books 11+...both for maths and English. If this is too hard start with 10-11 to get her confidence.

Start getting a vocab book and make sure she writes all the words she doesn’t understand.

Good luck..it can be done but it will be a commitment from yourself as well as your dd.

I think **** books are the best.. Hard to start with but you will defo see the difference at the end.
Good luck

Edited by moderator