Please help me to find a good CEM tutor with a rock solid

[Aflower]

Hi everyone,

Firstly, I'm new to the forum and to the grammar school exam process.

I would be grateful if you could please kindly help me. My son is currently in year 4 and is about to commence year 5 this September. He has good core skills but he hasn't been formally "tutored" by anyone. As he is my first born and the first grandchild from both sides, there was no reference point or anyone to guide/advise me.

I know this sounds really ignorant but I thought you sit the 11 plus in year 6 when you are 11 years old... I bet a lot of people will laugh at this. I could seriously kick myself for this oversight. I've had sleepless nights thinking I've already let my son down .

I live in Balsall Common (just past Solihull) and my son will be sitting the CEM exams. We will be trying to get him through to one of the Warwickshire grammar schools. I would be ever so grateful if you could please kindly provide me with the details of a very good 1 to 1 tutor who could guide him through this. I'd say he is bright, picks up things quickly, is very keen to learn, enjoys learning and has a strong work ethic but he is NOT a genius. However, with the right support and with some hard work I believe/hope he has the potential to get through.

I believe that he would really enjoy and thrive being in a school environment where he is being challenged and stretched. I have already tried to teach him all the basics (which I believe he is competent at) but what I need support with is the typical kind of questions that come up in exams. A particular challenge is working quickly under pressure (time management) as he likes to mull over his answers even when they are completed wasting valuable time! I need a tutor who can provide exam technique and rather than just re-inforcing the basics (which is no-doubt v important), someone who can provide him with lots of practice on typical exam style questions e.g. maths problem solving and thinking outside of the box!

Whenever I ring any tutor in Birmingham they tell me that anything between 85% to 100% of their students have got through to a Birmingham grammar school. This is probably true for some tutors but how can it be true for all tutors (including tuition centres who have hundreds of students?) At this rate half of Birmingham's year 7 should be at a grammar school!!! Who to trust? As I've left it so late I don't have time to experiment with different tutors. My son is resilient and gets on with it and understands the need for constructive critisism. If any one has details of a CEM experienced tutor with a solid and proven track record/success rate then please very kindly pm me. I'm happy to travel to Birmingham if required. I'm also happy to pay extra for mileage and travel time if someone could travel to us.

Thank you so very very much in advance.

Flower

[Turtlegirl]

Welcome to the forum Aflower.

We try to keep the forum as safe as possible - we don't allow tutors or tutoring organisations (other than school/PTA and non-commercial organisations) to be openly recommended, because it attracts posts with fake recommendations ('dodgy' advertising solely designed to solicit business on the internet).
It is also not unknown for unscrupulous competitors to 'plant' negative posts, seeking to denigrate the opposition!

Genuine recommendations from forum members by PM only (private message) are permitted - but be aware of the possibility that someone who appears to be a 'helpful parent' offering advice may not be all they seem! There could be an ulterior motive.

Always treat recommendations from unknown persons with great caution.
However, we have many long standing members - check carefully the date of joining and number of posts) - who make a very valuable contribution to the forum. If you receive a private recommendation from one of them, it could be worth considering.

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[DGM]

The courses recommended in the links - are they only in Harrow?

[Northdad]

We are neither in the area nor are we through the process yet (3 months to go). However i) you are not too late at all and ii) there is a lot you can do yourself until you get a tutor...or you might find you don't need one. For grammars/CEM we are DIY'ing. Unlike in written english composition, with CEM there is always a right and wrong answer and there are plenty of materials around. Don't panic. Focus on vocab and getting basic maths right. Make sure your material is clearly marked CEM though. good luck.

[JamesDean]

I live in Balsall Common (just past Solihull) and my son will be sitting the CEM exams. We will be trying to get him through to one of the Warwick grammar schools.

Hi AFlower - I'm assuming you mean the Warwickshire grammars, located in Stratford, Alcester and Rugby? There are no grammar schools in Warwick, but there is an independent school which your DS would need to separate entrance exam for.

Can't help with the tutoring, I'm afraid, but good luck. And its far from too late for you; my own DS only decided to take the test at the end of his yr 5!

JD

[Aflower]

Thank you everyone for your speedy response. What lovely people you all are. I feel a little more reassured now. I keep telling my son to have a "can do" and not "can't do" attitude. I should practice what I preach. Haha.

JamesDean please excuse the typo - yes I meant Warwickshire. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Northdad great advise.

Good luck to everyone on their journey.

P.s. If anyone knows of a good tutor please do pm me

[Aflower]

Thank you Turtlegirl. Very valid points that I hadn't thought of. Really appreciate it.

[sparkles18]

Hi

I've sent you a PM about the company we used for our son.

Also did you know that KES has an opening morning on Saturday 18th June 9am-12pm and Alcester Grammar's open evening is Tuesday 5th July 5.00-8.25pm.

[JamesDean]

No problem, Aflower, just making sure you were in the right town And Sparkles is right, going to the open events and seeing the schools first-hand can really help focus their minds as they know what they are aiming for.

Good luck!

JD

[Aflower]

Thank-you for letting me know about the open days. I guess I'd better get organised and that too fast.

Thanks all.