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Preparation Plans

Practical, child-centred ways to organise 11+ preparation without relying on cramming.

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How to Prepare for the 11 Plus: a Year by Year Plan

Use a short set of questions to choose what to review, then build a flexible 11+ preparation plan around your child and local test.

  • 10 min read

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Preparation Plans guides

11 Plus Preparation in Year 5

Plan 11 plus preparation in Year 5 around your chosen schools, registration windows and test dates. Use a manageable study plan and review it as your child learns.

Read11 minPublished

11 Plus Books, Papers and Online Practice: What Is Worth Buying

Compare the published formats from Bond, CGP, Schofield & Sims and Collins, then check sample answers and local test fit before buying. Start with free official familiarisation material.

Read8 minPublished

Is the 11 Plus Hard? Difficulty, Competition and Managing Pressure

The 11+ can be hard to sit and harder to turn into a school place. See the difference between a qualifying score, a school offer and a Selection Review, with current official examples.

Read14 minPublished

How to Pass the 11 Plus: Exam Technique and Timing Strategy

Use your target test’s instructions to plan practice, understand timing and review errors. Worked pacing examples are optional planning aids, not a guarantee of qualification.

Read6 minPublished

A Flexible 11 Plus Revision Timetable

Three sample 11 plus revision timetables (12 months, 6 months and 6 weeks), to adapt around your child, target test date and family routine.

Read12 minPublished

Starting 11 Plus Preparation in Year 4: What Actually Matters

Build reading, vocabulary and maths foundations in Year 4. Use school-specific registration and test dates, termly checks and a manageable workload to plan what comes next.

Read13 minPublished

How to Add Structure to Home Education Without Recreating School

The law does not prescribe a timetable, set hours or marked work. This guide offers optional ideas for planning and keeping examples of learning, not a required system or a guarantee about whether provision is suitable.

Read11 minPublished

How to Choose an 11 Plus Learning Platform

A disclosed buyer guide written by a company that sells one: how to compare adaptive practice, progress reports, content, prices and trial terms.

Read14 minPublished

When Your Child Hates 11 Plus Practice: A Lower-Pressure Reset

Practical ways to respond when 11 plus practice becomes a source of conflict, talk with your child and decide whether to change or stop practice.

Read5 minPublished

Short Daily 11+ Practice: Building a Flexible Routine

Use spacing and recall thoughtfully, choose a manageable task, and adjust practice around your child. No universal daily quota or guaranteed outcome.

Read7 minPublished

11 Plus Tutors, Apps and Self Study: Costs and How to Choose

Compare current published examples for tutors, apps and free familiarisation materials, then work out which kind of support fits your child and budget.

Read9 minPublished

When should a child start 11+ preparation? What to do in Years 3 to 6

A calm, practical guide to building foundations in Years 3 and 4, adding structured preparation in Year 5 and using timed practice proportionately.

Read6 minPublished

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