Parents often ask me when they should “start the 11+”. Some ask when their child is in Reception, which always makes me smile. I have been preparing children for the 10+ and 11+ for more than fifteen years, and I am a mum of two who has been through it at home. My answer has not changed: start the right things at the right time, and do not start everything at once.
Here is how I would plan it, year by year. The dates are for the Sutton SET, but most grammar tests in and around London sit in the same autumn, so the shape holds for Kent, Bexley and the others too.
The short version
- Years 3 and 4: reading, times tables, handwriting and the habit of daily homework. No practice papers yet.
- Year 5, September to Easter: structured teaching of the curriculum the test is built on, with writing every week.
- Year 5, summer: register for the test (May to July), sit full mocks, practise under time.
- Year 6, September: the test, then the second stage, then the council form by 31 October.
Year 3: build the habits
In Year 3 the job is not the 11+. The job is a child who reads for pleasure and can sit down for twenty minutes to do something a bit difficult without a fight.
- Read every day, and read to them as well, even when they can read to themselves. Hearing harder books read aloud builds vocabulary faster than anything else.
- Times tables. Aim for every table up to 12 by the end of Year 4. Little and often, in the car, at breakfast.
- Handwriting. It sounds old fashioned, but a child who writes slowly or illegibly will struggle with the written second stage.
Year 4: foundations
Children sit the national multiplication tables check in June of Year 4, which is a useful milestone for everyone. This is also the year I like children to start doing a small amount of structured work at home, about half an hour a day, with weekends free.
If your child joins us in Year 4, they are guaranteed a place in our Year 5 programme. That helps, because we keep Year 5 groups small.
Weekends are for family. A child who has had a proper rest works better on Monday than one who has done five papers on Sunday.
Manju Pillai
Year 5: the main year
September to Christmas
Year 5 is where the proper preparation starts. Our Year 5 programme begins in the middle of September, in small ability groups, with lessons face to face with me and online with Mrs Leila Boumazouna each month. Homework is about an hour a day, five days a week.
This term is about teaching, not testing. Children cover the parts of the English and Maths curriculum the test draws on, often a little ahead of school. They write every week.
January to Easter
Now we build speed and accuracy. Children begin to see questions in the multiple-choice format and learn how to manage time on a paper. Writing becomes more demanding, with timed pieces and proper feedback.
Easter to July
- Register for the test. For the Sutton SET, registration ran from 1 May to 31 July. Do it early, then relax.
- Mock exams. Our mocks run on Sundays at Harris Academy Purley and are sat under real exam conditions. Our teachers mark the written papers and return them within a week with a ranking.
- Practice papers. From April we set monthly practice papers so children get used to full-length tests.
- Summer. Some families choose our summer intensive, six days of four hours. It is useful, but it is not a replacement for the year’s steady work.
Preparing for the 11+?Our Year 4 and Year 5 classes run in Croydon, Sutton and online. Start with a short assessment and we will recommend the right group.
Year 6: September
The SET is in mid September. The girls’ and boys’ second stages follow within three weeks, results come in mid October, and your council form is due by 31 October. We have a separate guide on what happens after the SET.
What you can leave until later
- Practice papers before Year 5. They test what a child already knows. They do not teach it.
- Verbal and non-verbal reasoning for the SET. The Sutton test does not include them. If you are also sitting a test that does, such as some schools outside Sutton, add reasoning in Year 5.
- Every extra class at once. One good programme, done properly, beats three half-done.
A word about pace
Every child moves at a different speed. Some are ready for Year 5 work in Year 4. Others need until Christmas of Year 5 to settle. A short assessment will tell you where your child is, so you can plan from facts rather than from what other parents are doing at the school gate.
Is it too late to start in Year 5?
No. Most of our children start in September of Year 5. Starting after Christmas is possible too, but the earlier in Year 5 the better, because the written skills take time.
How many hours a week is sensible?
About half an hour a day in Year 4, and about an hour a day, five days a week, in Year 5. Keep weekends free.
Should we do online or face-to-face lessons?
Our Year 5 programme uses both each month. Face-to-face lessons are best for writing feedback and building confidence. Online lessons work well for practice and are easier on busy weeks.
