English Tuition For 11+ with Robert Lomax
My online 11-Plus English classes focus on practical exam skills for comprehension and creative writing. They are fun, uplifting and highly interactive. Children learn not only by talking about their own work, but by considering other people’s ideas.
To sign up for any class, just click on it in the calendar or lesson list below, then follow the instructions.
Booking is open for classes up to the 18th of May. Times for the end of May and for June will be added in due course! If you want to know when new classes are made available, join my mailing list at this link.
Not sure whether my classes are right for your child? Try one and see! Above all else, I aim to make every lesson fun and engaging. If you’d like a free trial lesson, send me an email.
My teaching will help your child to feel well supported and positive about their abilities. By meeting other children and discussing each other’s work in an encouraging environment, they will discover that they aren’t alone in the challenges that they face.
My online 11-Plus English classes focus on practical exam skills for comprehension and creative writing. They are fun, uplifting and highly interactive. Children learn not only by talking about their own work, but by considering other people’s ideas.
To sign up for any class, just click on it in the calendar or lesson list below, then follow the instructions.
Booking is open for classes up to the 18th of May. Times for the end of May and for June will be added in due course! If you want to know when new classes are made available, join my mailing list at this link.
Not sure whether my classes are right for your child? Try one and see! Above all else, I aim to make every lesson fun and engaging. If you’d like a free trial lesson, send me an email.
My teaching will help your child to feel well supported and positive about their abilities. By meeting other children and discussing each other’s work in an encouraging environment, they will discover that they aren’t alone in the challenges that they face.
Book as many lessons as you like by clicking on the calendar below. You can save money with the following discount packages. Click the buttons to view payment information:
There’s more information about my discount packages in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Scroll down beneath the lesson calendar to learn more about my classes.
My exam-level written comprehension lessons (blue in the calendar) are for children in Years 5 & 6. These teach children to read a text well and to understand what the examiner is looking for: how to respond to each question accurately, in an effective and time-efficient manner.
Core comprehension skills: these lessons (orange in the calendar) are ideal for children in Years 4 and 5 who want to build a solid foundation before they move on to exam-level work. How do you work out what a question is asking you to do? How do you explain your ideas, and how do you use quotations to support them? When a question asks you to use your own words, how should you plan and structure your answer?
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- Many children lie between the standard of my exam-level and core skills comprehension classes. These students are likely to benefit from both formats, but should probably concentrate more on the core skills lessons until they feel confident with these. If you are unsure which class is more appropriate for your child, have a look at the lesson worksheets linked in the calendar above.
Creative and descriptive writing lessons (green in the calendar) are particularly fun, full of imagination. Children share their writing about all manner of scenes and situations. How do you start a story, and how should it end? How should you plan your work in an exam? What is the difference between a description and a story? What goes into a letter, and how do you write a convincing essay? These classes are less age-specific than my comprehension lessons, and are for students across Years 4, 5 and 6: everybody – including me – has something to learn, and something to teach.
My reading skills lessons (violet in the calendar; ideal for Years 5 and 6, but advanced Year 4 students are also welcome) see us discuss a range of texts. We look at how to interpret meaning and how to read between the lines. How does the writer influence our thoughts and feelings – and how can we learn to do similar things in our own writing? What techniques do they use, and why? These reading skills classes are an important foundation for all comprehension and writing work at 11+.
My multiple-choice comprehension classes (red in the calendar; for Years 5 and 6) are ideal for grammar school candidates taking GL or CEM exams, for independent school candidates sitting multiple-choice tests, and also for students preparing for online assessments such as the ISEB Pretest and CEM Select. Multiple-choice work involves its own techniques, and a solid grasp of them can make a crucial difference.
Pre-lesson homework will be sent to you by email as soon as you book. Set aside about 45 minutes for your child to complete it. Your confirmation email will explain how to send it back to me. (This is so that it can be discussed in the lesson; if you want homework to be marked in full, please see 11 Plus Lifeline.) Sending your child’s work to me is optional – you are free not to – but it will help them to benefit more from the lesson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these separate lessons or do I need to book a course?
Each lesson is separate. You can make your own course by arranging several lessons over a period of time – in which case your child will learn many useful skills – but you are also free to join lessons occasionally, or even just book a one-off class on a subject that your child wants to practise. It’s completely up to you.
Some children turn up several times every week; others drop in from time to time. I will be delighted to see your child either way!
How do I book a lesson?
Click on a lesson in the calendar to view more details. If you like what you see, click “Book Event” and follow the instructions.
There is a box to enter your code if you have bought a discount package.
Which platform do you use for your lessons? How do I join?
My lessons are held on Zoom. You do not need a Zoom account to join: just click the link in your booking confirmation email, which will open Zoom in your web browser.
Does it matter if my child only attends occasionally? Or can they join several times in one week?
Your child can join as often or as infrequently as you like. Book lessons in whatever way is best for them and for you.
When should my child do their lesson homework?
Lesson homework is not compulsory, but children who complete it learn more than those who don’t!
Homework should be done before the lesson and emailed to me at least 30 minutes before the start time. There will be guidance for how to submit work in your booking confirmation email.
You can see the homework for each lesson before you book if you click on it in the calendar.
Can I try a lesson before I decide to book?
Yes, so long as none of your children have joined a class before. Choose a lesson in the calendar and send me an email to request a free trial.
Do you only teach English?
At present my lessons are all for English. I may add some maths and reasoning in the future.
What do lessons cost?
Each lesson costs £30 if bought individually. You can save money by buying a discount package. You are welcome to try your first class for free (just send me an email).
How do discount packages work?
You pay for a set of lessons (e.g. 20 lessons for the price of 17) and I send you a discount code by email. This code allows you to book a number of lessons (e.g. 20) for free.
You can book lessons one at a time: you do not need to choose your 20 (or 10, or 5) lessons all at once.
You can use the code whenever you want. It will be valid for at least 12 months, and probably longer.
Buy a discount package by clicking the relevant button above on this page. This will show you more details, and then you can decide whether to purchase the package.
Do you teach skills for specific schools?
My lessons aren’t school-specific, but that’s because lots of schools require similar skills!
Certain lessons are more relevant to some schools than to others: for instance, my multiple-choice (MCQ) lessons teach important skills for the GL Assessment tests used by most grammar schools and for the ISEB Pretest – and for other MCQ exams.
Having said that, many grammar school candidates also join my written comprehension and writing classes, because English skills in one area improve English skills in all others.
Which lessons are best for grammar school candidates?
All my lessons will be useful for grammar school applicants, but my multiple-choice (MCQ) comprehension classes look most similar to the commonly used GL Assessment exams.
Some grammar schools set written-answer comprehension, and quite a few require creative writing.
I don't see lessons for next month. Will you be teaching then?
I usually schedule new lessons 1 to 4 weeks in advance. An empty period in my calendar doesn’t mean no lessons! When I know that I will be away or otherwise unavailable, I post “No Lessons” slots in the calendar to make this clear.
What is your refund policy?
You can cancel your booking up to 24 hours before the lesson start time. Email me to request a refund. After that, your fee is not refundable.
If for some reason I need to cancel a lesson, I will refund your payment.
Discount packages are refundable up to 24 hours before the start of the first lesson you have booked with your discount code. No refund is possible after that point.
Do you offer one-to-one teaching?
I do not offer one-to-one teaching. However, you can receive individual feedback through 11 Plus Lifeline. Try it for free here.
Can I join the lesson with my child?
Yes, but please sit off-camera so that the other students don’t have the feeling that lots of adults are judging them!
I have two children. Do I need to pay for both of them?
If only one of them will submit work for the class, then you only need to pay once. Book one lesson slot for them to share. I would prefer if they both sat in front of the same camera.
If they will both submit work, then you need to book a lesson slot for each child. However, I will offer a refund of £10 for the second child (and the third, potentially!) if you get in touch to ask for it after booking. Please book first, then email me to request the refund. If they want to sit in front of different cameras, that is fine.
Here’s a summary:
- 2 siblings, 1 piece of work: Book one slot and they can both join the lesson. It’s best if they share a camera.
- 2 siblings, 2 pieces of work: Book two slots, then email me to request a £10 refund. They can sit in front of different cameras/computers if you like.
Are the lesson times in UK time?
Of course the lesson times are in UK time!
I have another question!
Seriously?!
OK … maybe I haven’t thought of everything. Send me an email or phone me on 07426 477551.
You can cancel your booking up to 24 hours before the lesson start time. Email me to request a refund. After that, your fee is not refundable.
If for some reason I need to cancel a lesson, I will refund your payment.
Discount packages are refundable up to 24 hours before the start of the first lesson you have booked with your discount code. No refund is possible after that point.
Your child’s work may be presented and discussed during the lesson. This will always be handled sensitively and supportively.
Robert Lomax
Robert Lomax has been a tutor in London, Hong Kong and Italy and a teacher at Christ’s Hospital. His books for school students are popular in the UK and internationally. He took five A-levels including three in maths and has a double First in English from the University of Oxford.