11 Plus & Entrance Exams
Explore Learning tuition is the best possible support on your journey into grammar school.
We want every child to reach their potential and do their very best in school. For the 11 Plus or other entrance examinations this means:
High level of maths and English skills
Speed, accuracy and exam technique
Strong understanding and application in verbal and non verbal reasoning
High level of confidence and self-belief
15 years of experience
Over the last 15 years Explore Learning has developed an 11 Plus and Entrance Exam offering that is tailored to suit the schools in the local area. Whether your child is sitting a CEM, GL Assessment or a school’s own entrance paper, we adapt our tools to prepare for many of the local consortia.
Find your local centre to see which exams are supported in your area
Ages 4-14
Ofsted registered
No booking required
Open 7 days a week
Unique Approach
Our course is open to all. We don’t pre-test; we welcome all children with the ambition and drive to go to grammar or independent school.
Students on the 11 Plus course attend twice a week; one exam preparation class using conventional paper based tools and one tailored, flexible session using predominantly digital tools that focuses on developing core maths and English skills. 11 Plus members also have access to a fantastic online resource with unlimited non-verbal and verbal reasoning exam style questions – perfect for home practise whenever you want it.
Our courses run for 12 months in the lead up to the exam – or this year you can start even earlier with our ‘Introduction to the 11 Plus’ over the summer holidays. Please book early to reserve your space.
Exam Preparation Class
Experienced tutors work with a maximum of six children in all sessions. A perfect balance to ensure individual tutor attention and learning from peers.
The hour long classes happen at a fixed time each week and the centre is open only to 11 Plus members at this time ensuring that exam conditions can be created when needed. Our tutors use material that has been tailored to suit the focus of exams in the local area, it broadly covers:
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-verbal Reasoning
- Maths including arithmetic and reasoning
- Writing composition
- Reading comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Punctuation, grammar and spelling
TAilored Flexible Session
The key to success at 11 Plus is a strong foundation in core maths and English skills. Our maths and English curriculum is completely adaptable allowing us to create a programme that meets your child’s individual needs. It’s all about identifying your child’s current level of mastery and stretching and challenging from that point.
Using technology enables us to make this the most effective tutoring session. We can ensure that the material is exactly right for your child, feedback is immediate, material is completely individualised, there’s no need to wait for others to catch up. It’s all the benefits of 1:1 tuition and group tutoring combined. Individual attention from a tutor and targeted curriculum in a warm, friendly, club-like environment.
Completely unique and wonderfully effective!
Not only will your child be prepared for the entrance exam, they’ll be prepared for their SATs and the secondary school curriculum beyond.
For more information on the maths and English curriculum click here
Online Home Practice Resources
Practice makes perfect and with our online verbal and non-verbal tests our 11 Plus members can practise whenever and wherever they want. There are brand new questions in every test, options to choose specific questions or follow a guided course which steps up in difficulty.
It also includes some great analysis tools highlighting skills that your son or daughter is excelling at and those that need further practise. You will also receive an email summary of every test completed.
When to start?
The earlier, the better! From experience we know that the best preparation for the exams cannot be achieved in a short period of time. That’s why we commence our course 12 months prior to the exam for Year 5 members. Excitingly, this year our new ‘Introduction to the 11 Plus’ course means that Year 4s can make the most of the six-week summer holidays to get a head start.
They key to success in the 11 Plus is high levels of confidence and ability in core maths and English skills. These will not only be tested within the exam, but are key to ensuring that your child is able to thrive in a grammar school environment. That’s why our support for children in Year 4 and younger gives a fantastic foundation for the 11 Plus even before our courses start. Find out about the specific offering in your area by attending a free trial in your local centre.
Verbal Reasoning
Our verbal reasoning exam preparation increases your child’s vocabulary and reasoning skills using our challenging paper based and online resources. Read more…
Non-verbal Reasoning
Seen as a ‘pure intelligence measure’ by examiners our non-verbal reasoning exam preparation utilises a sophisticated online learning tool. To find out more, click here.
11 Plus Maths
Our maths exam preparation will encourage your child to be confident in their arithmetic, speed, reasoning and problem solving skills. All essential for the exam and beyond. Read here to find out more…
11 Plus English
Developing comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and writing skills are the focus of our exam preparation English course, click here to find out more…
Contact us to find out which are available in your area
Beyond the exam
We do not believe in simply ‘teaching to a test’ after all, the test is the very beginning of your child’s journey into their secondary career. To support your child in the run up to, during and once they have made this transition to secondary education we can continue to support them with the new challenges they face.
Depending on your child’s individual needs we will develop the tailored sessions to revise key primary concepts or focus on new secondary maths and literacy skills during two individual learning sessions per week.
Alternatively, your child may benefit from one individual learning session alongside a class lesson each week delivered through our Succeed in secondary class – giving students in secondary school or those about to start, the skills to succeed.
Proud to be rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot
We believe delivering the best standard of education shouldn’t cost the earth.
That’s why we offer our award-winning service at a price that’s accessible for everyone.
Our membership is simple and great value. Childcare vouchers and the childcare element of Working Tax Credits could enable you to save on your monthly membership*, and we also offer a limited number of scholarship places which gives a 50% discount to parents receiving Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance. This means anyone can access our award-winning service, because delivering the best standard of education shouldn’t cost the earth. Our members can also take advantage of our ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme, which can reduce their monthly membership to as little as £24 a month – simply by introducing other families to Explore Learning.
To find out our membership prices, find your nearest centre
*excluding Cardiff, East Kilbride & Aberdeen
