Entrance Examinations and Common Entrance

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I prepared four pupils for entrance examinations. I am very proud of my Little Pickles as ALL of them were offered places at their first choice schools. One pupil was offered a place at both of her choices, both academic, sought after and top class schools. She also won an offer of an academic scholarship to BOTH schools – she now has an enjoyable and important choice to make! 

Transfer from a Primary or Preparatory school to a secondary Independent school can be quite a complex process.

Firstly you need to identify what it is you require from a school, then visit a range of schools to gain a ‘feeling’ for the school, its ethos and see the effect it will have on your child by looking at the pupils who are already there.

When you decide upon a short list of three or four you need to ascertain the entry requirements. Some schools will look for a standardised score expectation, some will look at National Curriculum levels and some Common Entrance results. This is where Clever Little Pickles can help by preparing your child for the examination, interview and where necessary the scholarship process in order to realise your wishes.

You wouldn’t expect to pass a driving test without coaching help, entrance exams require similar input, practice, knowledge and specialist intervention. Clever Little Pickles can give all of these to your child.

SATs Tests

In England, the tests are compulsory for all seven and 11 year olds. Despite all the information you’ll receive from your child’s teacher, SATs can still seem baffling for the average 10-11 year old. Some children find the SATs process disconcerting and stressful.

Children are tested on what they have been learning at school. In Year 6, your child will sit in exam conditions to take written tests in reading, writing (including handwriting), spelling, maths, mental arithmetic, and science. There is also some teacher assessment that will cover English and maths.

Some children do become anxious over the tests but they don’t involve a pass or fail – they just reflect how well the child has understood what they’re learning at school.

At the end of Year 6 the children sit Maths SATs exams, made up of three papers:

  • Mathematics Papers 1 and 2, each lasting 45 minutes
  • Mathematics Paper 3, a 20-minute mental maths test

Clever Little Pickles can take the stress out of the tests by providing the subject knowledge your child needs to excel at the tests and the practice at the format to give them confidence and technique.

11+ Examinations & Secondary Transfer Tests

It is never too early to give your child a chance for a good education, especially as not all primary schools support the 11+ and grammar school preparation. A good parent will do all they can to help their child themselves as far as education is concerned but can you work with your child towards this examination without adding more tension? If not Clever Little Pickles can provide the help you need.

Research your local schools

I would really suggest that you find out about what the schools do in your area before spending money on books, tutors etc. they may provide help and input. However, if you feel you need more, Clever Little Pickles can provide your child with an individual learning scheme tailored to the specific school for which you hope to sit.

Preparation

Good 11+ tutoring prepares children for the type of papers and questions they will be facing in the 11+. Many schools do not teach VR and NVR. Tutoring also gets them used to working under pressure and to time limits, which is something else they may not get at school.