TUITION OFFERING

Engenius Tuition takes on a new cohort of 11+ tutees every September. Whilst we do take on 11+ tutees at other points of the year, September is the best time to join, as it guarantees at least one full academic year of study before the exam.

In terms of 12+ tutees, the best time to join is dependent on the score achieved in the 11+, but around six months of tuition is advisable if the child was not too far away from passing. With the 12+ exam taking place every February, it is best for 12+ tutees to start tuition around August, but we ask that you be realistic about the likelihood of your child being offered a space. Hundreds of children sit the 12+ exam each year, but very few grammar school places, if any, have been given to 12+ students due to no spaces becoming available.

Most 11+ tutees tend to be in year four or five at school, but we would recommend starting earlier for those children who have literacy or numeracy difficulties, or are working below the expected standard in English and/or Maths at school. We have successfully tutored children for the 11+ from year three upwards. Tuition needs to be a minimum of one hour a week - ideally two hours if a child starts part-way through the year - with work completed at home as well. Engenius Tuition will guide on this.

At the end of each 11+/12+ tuition session, children will come home with work to complete in each of their four topic books, whilst also being given a vocabulary task. There is an additional expectation that children will read at least three chapters a week of a challenging book, in order to further increase their vocabulary. The amount of work set is consistent across all tutees, but this can be adjusted to suit, on an individual basis, if need be.

In every lesson, progress is tracked. All children, irrespective of when they join, are required to sit an 11+ mock exam so that we have a baseline score for them - even 12+ tutees. We can then track progress from this. Full analysis of this mock exam allows us to see areas of strength and weakness, so that lessons can be tailored to children individually. We are then able to hit the ground running! Baseline mocks take place in either July or August, and would therefore take place just before, or just as, your child joins us. Whilst the July mock is a standalone one, the August mock is part of the Engenius Tuition 11+ summer school - the ‘11+ Masterclass’. All new tutees are invited to attend this, ahead of their start date the following month, as it is a fantastic introduction to all things 11+, whilst also being a fantastic recap for 12+ tutees.

Each mock exam costs £119 including VAT, and provides parents with feedback via email, consisting of: their child’s score, the areas of strength and weakness (out of those tested), and a confidential ranking. The areas of weakness inform the teaching and learning that happens in tuition sessions to come, whilst the areas of strength allow us to see which topics we do not need to spend as much time on. ‘Ideal’ percentages are given so that parents can see how close or far away a ‘pass’ is.

Mock exams for 11+ tutees take place regularly, throughout the year, and are most often sat in October, December, April, July and August. It is really important that 11+ tutees can attend all or most of the mock exams, as they provide invaluable exam experience, help to settle exam nerves, improve confidence, and provide a realistic view of where your child is ranking in relation to their peers. Being able to concentrate in exam conditions is as important as knowing the skills and techniques for the exam - and it requires practise! Each mock is also a fantastic checkpoint, to ensure progress is being made, and that the 11+ route remains the right choice. 12+ tutees are welcome to join any of the 11+ mocks, in order to aid their practise too.

All of our mock exams take place face-to-face, at our business premises (Engenius Tuition Ltd, Unit 4, Mount Mill Farm, Wicken, Buckinghamshire, MK19 6DG), where children sit in strict exam and time conditions, to mimic the actual 11+ exam. Mocks can be made available online, in exceptional circumstances, but this requires a lot of parental management and a significant amount of preparation time. As such, it is much better to attend them in person, where possible.

Yes - the English and Verbal Reasoning (VR) scores are added together, to make up 50% of the exam, whilst Non-verbal Reasoning (NVR) and Maths together make up the remaining 50% (25% each).