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About Us
About Us
A good education is one of the most important gifts you can give to your child. In the highly competitive environment of grammar school entrance tests, we understand the importance of finding an experienced, quality tutor. Our team will help you make the right decision about your child’s educational future and tailor our services to meet your child’s needs.
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We are a small team of experienced tutors who specialise in delivering high quality tuition to prepare children for 11 plus exams in and around Manchester. All our tutors are qualified teachers with several years of teaching experience, who have been fully screened and DBS checked. We ensure each session is individualised, enabling your child to develop the skills he or she needs in order to succeed. We will first discuss your child’s ability and needs over the telephone, before arranging a time for a one to one assessment of your child’s current level. This will give us an idea of the key areas we will need to focus on and we will develop an individual action plan for your child.
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We take pride in offering a range of specialist services:
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We have a small team who deliver 11 Plus tuition services exclusively in Manchester, including preparation for the Trafford Grammar Schools, Manchester Grammar School and Bury Grammar School.
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We now also have a number of specialists who deliver 11 Plus tuition for grammar schools outside Manchester, including Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, Huddersfield Grammar School and others in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
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One member of the team delivers distance tuition over Skype. This has proved popular with candidates in London, Essex and internationally (the USA and Brunei) who have needed preparation for 11 Plus entrance tests far from Manchester.
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We offer 11 Plus mock exams every summer for children to experience 11 Plus tests in a real exam environment.
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Although we focus on delivering high quality 11 Plus tuition, some of our tutors also deliver Key Stage 2 tuition to improve English and maths and to prepare children for SATS tests.
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We have a 13 Plus specialist who focuses on preparing pupils for entrance tests for grammar schools in years 8, 9 and 10.
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Some schools choose to interview candidates in addition to requiring them to sit an exam. All our tutors have been trained in providing interview skills, practice and useful advice to prepare pupils for grammar school interview.
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Contact us today to book an assessment and discuss your child’s educational future. We will provide the best advice and help you make the right decision.
The 10 & 11 Plus Exams
The 11 Plus exam is a grammar school entrance exam that is sat at the start of year 6. It is called the 11 Plus because the age at which pupils start grammar school is 11. Most children will be 10 years old when they sit the 11 Plus exam. There are 164 grammar schools in England. The issue of academic selection at the age of 10 is a highly contentious political one. There is enormous variation in pass rates throughout England. Some areas with around four grammar schools have pass rates of below 5% due to the mass of applicants for just a few school places. Other areas have pass rates at above 30% because they have a full grammar school system.
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The 11 Plus can test English (comprehension, writing, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and grammar), mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Some schools will not test the latter two elements. Independent schools set their own tests.
Higher scores will be expected of candidates who live further away from the school. The exam is based on the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 maths and English. However, as pupils sit the exam at the start of year 6, much of the more difficult content would not yet have been covered in schools and this is why tuition can be so helpful.
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Some schools administer a ’10 Plus’ exam, allowing pupils to enter in year 6. This exam will normally be sat in September of year 5.
One-to-One Tuition
We consider one-to-one tuition to be by far the most effective way for a pupil to learn. The progress one pupil can make in a matter of weeks can be immense. There are a number of reasons why it works so well:
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Pupils feel more confident when they have the full attention of a specialist who assesses their work in their presence and guides them as they work.
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There are no distractions for the pupil when they work one-to-one.
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The tutor can offer their full lesson time to one pupil alone.
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We will first assess your child, then create a personalised action plan in order to maximise their chances of success in the 11 Plus exam. Our tutors draw on a wide range of teaching methods. Pupils find our approach caring, enjoyable and highly motivating. All our tutors are DBS checked and qualified.
If you would like more information or to request a tutor, please fill in the callback form and we will be in touch shortly.
Mock Exams and Writing Skills Courses
Sometimes even highly able pupils fail the 11 Plus exam. One reason for this is lack of exam practice in exam conditions. We offer 6 11 Plus mock exams during the summer to prepare pupils for the real, competitive environment of 11 Plus tests alongside other candidates. Tests are marked and returned to parents within 3 days.
Please see our courses page for more information. For more details or to purchase a package, please fill in the callback form below and we will be in touch shortly.
We also offer creative writing skills courses. These intensive sessions offer your child the opportunity to improve his or her writing skills through a range of activities and learning methods. The emphasis is on helping children to think imaginatively and to come up with their own original ideas, whilst also writing to a strong standard using effective planning and structure.