Best books for Latymer Upper preparation

[Freakout]

Can someone please offer some advise on the best papers to get for Latymer Upper preparation? My daughter recently sat the Tiffin VR and NVR exam so we've done those to death but I'm wondering which of the many English and Maths books might be best suited to the Latymer Upper exam.

[fairyelephant]

Being more North London, I don't know Latymer Upper but my kids used past papers on websites for independents all over the country - North London Consortium and Highgate as those were the school's we were targeting, but also the Perse School, Oundle, Manchester Grammar maths (the English is quite unusual), Habs etc etc. we didn't use books except to check "how to do" type things. Have said many times on here but in the Bond How to do Comprehension book there is an example near the middle of not so good, good and great answers to a whole comp which really showed my DC what was needed in terms of length of answer, full sentences, detail etc. I didnt really use the rest of the book but that bit is great.

[Freakout]

Thank you fairy, that's enourmously helpful. I shall check out the other schools' sites and get that Bond book as it really is difficult to know exactly what is expected in these tests. I'm so I glad I never had to go through all this when I was ten!

[Daogroupie]

I totally agree. Timing and preparation with actual questions is the key at this stage, not books. Have you done any work on creative writing or comprehension questions? DG

[Freakout]

Well, Dd went to *** classes last year for VR, NVR, English and maths, so she did a fair bit there. At home, we really focused on her maths, VR, NVR because they were her weakest areas and the grammar schools near us did those exams first. Now we're clear of the purely VR, NVR, tests I've turned my attention back to English, which was her strongest subject, only to find it's all gone a bit to pot! I need to get her back on track. I like the idea of a book showing the difference between answers that are just ok and those that are really good. It gives us both a better idea of what she needs to aiming for. But I agree that doing papers is the best way forward.