Exam Advice & School Guides

School Admissions Guides
City Of London School For Boys: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice (10+ & 11+)

City Of London School For Boys: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice (10+ & 11+)

City of London School For Boys is unusual because the first entry point is in Year 6 (“Old Grammar”, as they call it), with a 10-plus entrance exam and interview in Year 5. Around 40 boys join at this stage, with most of the rest joining for Year 7, after sitting 11-plus papers. In this article, I’ll give my advice for the exams and interviews at both levels, setting out everything you need to know in order to give your child the best chance of success.

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Jul 23, 2018 27 Comments
School Admissions Guides
King Edward’s (KES) Birmingham: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice

King Edward’s (KES) Birmingham: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice

King Edward’s School has an admirably clear, easily understood entrance process. This cannot be said of all independent schools! The exams are fairly challenging, but within the reach of any child with a good grasp of the core primary curriculum, who has practised carefully with similar kinds of test paper.

In this article I will explain exactly how to prepare your child to show themselves at their best in the KES entrance exams and interview.

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Jun 3, 2018 22 Comments
School Admissions Guides
St Paul’s Girls’: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice

St Paul’s Girls’: Admissions & Entrance Exam Advice

I’ve prepared many children for the St Paul’s Girls’ School entrance exams over the years: often, I’m happy to say, with success. They are some of the most challenging 11+ tests set by a UK school, and also some of the most interesting.

In this article I outline the admissions process, explaining how best to practise for each stage.

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May 21, 2018 34 Comments
School Admissions Guides
The Essex CSSE 11-Plus Exam: Preparation Advice

The Essex CSSE 11-Plus Exam: Preparation Advice

The Essex (CSSE) 11+ papers are some of the more traditional entrance tests used by grammar schools. In many ways they are similar to exams often set in the independent sector. The questions are varied and sometimes challenging. This means that they give children the opportunity to show their skills and to be creative.

In this post I’ll take you through the most important areas which your child will need to cover for effective CSSE preparation. These are relevant to all 11-plus exams, but with a special Essex focus!

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May 13, 2018 31 Comments
Exam Advice
How much homework should my child do?

How much homework should my child do?

As a tutor, I find homework a difficult thing to get right. It is easy to set: a minute later I close the door behind me and step into the street with my mind already full of plans for the evening. But the child is left with another burden on their time, already sliced and diced by the demands of school teachers – not to mention parents, some of whom will be setting extra work of their own. As an author of academic materials for young people, I am part of this problem too!

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Nov 3, 2016 30 Comments