When Should You Start 11+ Preparation?

The 11+ can feel a long way away when your child is in year 4, but starting preparation at the right time is the key to a less stressful and successful 11+ experience. While year 5 is the main preparation year for most children, there are significant advantages to building strong foundations before then.

At North Finchley Tutors, we tutor children from Year 3 through to Year 5, allowing preparation to develop naturally over time. We have a decade of experience and know exactly the skills students need to obtain their best possible results in their 11 plus exams.

Year 3

Whilst year 3 is generally too early for intensive 11 plus preparation, it is an excellent time to ensure fundamental academic skills are well practiced.

Strong performance in the 11+ depends on skills such as mental arithmetic, mathematical reading, vocabulary knowledge and problem solving ability. By developing and practicing these skills early, raised the platform for students when more formal 11+ preparation begins.

At North Finchley Tutors, Year 3 tutoring focuses on building confidence and strengthening these core academic skills. For many children, an early start can also identify areas where additional support will be beneficial, giving them plenty of time to improve, without the pressure of an approaching entrance examination.

Year 4

Year 4 is an excellent time to begin more structured preparation, particularly for children who are aiming for highly selective schools such as Queen Elizabeth’s School, Latymer or Dame Alice Owens.

At this stage, preparation can gradually introduce the types of reasoning, problem solving and English questions that children may encounter later. Starting in Year 4 allows the emphasis to remain to developing ability rather than simply practicing exam technique.

Year 5

Year 5 is when 11+ preparation becomes the main focus.

By this point children should be developing the knowledge and skills required by their target schools, and increasingly become familiar with the format and demands of their entrance examinations.

At North Finchley Tutors, our Year 5 11 plus course combines academic development, 11+ question practice and focussed examination technique. As the course progresses towards the time of the admission tests, our preparation becomes increasingly focused on working accurately under time pressure, recognising different question types and deve,loping the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems.

Why start before year 5?

Starting 11 plus preparation early doesn’t mean putting your child through two or three years of intensive exam preparation. Rather than discovering in Year 5 that your child has significant gaps in their Maths, English or reasoning skills, beginning in Year 3 or 4 allows those areas to be identified and developed well before the entrance examination. By the time Year 5 arrives, they no longer need to cram everything into the final few months, allowing them to reduce the stress and anxiety that can often come with this.

North Finchley Tutors

At North Finchley Tutors, we work with children across all three years, tailoring the level of preparation to their age and ability. Our goal is not simply to get children through an entrance examination, it is build the academic ability and confidence that gives them the best possible chance of succeeding when the examination arrives.

Feel free to get in contact with us below for more support or information about our 11 plus courses: