While there are excellent workbooks and commercially available 11+ practice papers available which I will recommend at the end of this post, it is possible to start with the freely available specimen papers available by a wide variety of selective secondary schools. My key recommendation is to start with papers from less selective schools and […]
Free 11+ sample papers Read More »
With the ongoing uncertainty during the pandemic, there are no final answers as to how 11+ academic testing will look in the autumn term, but at least there are plans, some of which might change. Here is an overview of what different schools in London are planning at the moment. Co-educational Schools Co-educational schools are
Changes to the 11+ process this year Read More »
This is a guest post by Faisal Nasim of exampapersplus.co.uk (see further info and bio below). What is the 7+? The 7+ assessment is a competitive selection exam used by an increasing number of top schools in London for entry into Year 3. Your child will sit the exam whilst in Year 2. Most schools
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Following recent press coverage on oversubscribed London nursery schools, I was kindly invited by the most oversubscribed nursery of them all, Broadhurst School in Hampstead, to come for a visit and meet Principal Miss Deirdre Berkery and Head Mistress Mrs Alison Fisher. The nursery is located on Greencroft Gardens, a mere 2 minute walk from
A visit to Broadhurst School in Hampstead Read More »
Guest post by MaiHanh DeLorenzo, Metal Rocks Education Advisors (see further info and bio below) When Anke asked me to write about the 11+ exam, my first response was that it was like trying to write another Churchill biography, that is: What new is there left to say? But then, realising that new Churchill biographies come out
Insights into the 11+ exam Read More »
Advice and insights for the 2016 exams by guest author Faisal Nasim, tutor and director of Exampapersplus.co.uk (see further info and bio below) The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the topics and styles that came up last year as well as to offer advice on how best to prepare. The article is relevant to anyone
What came up in last year’s 7+ and 8+ exams? Read More »
In early October, I attended a debate calling for an end of the “Tyranny of the Test”, a motion supported by Tony Little, recently departed Eton Headmaster, and Tristram Hunt, former shadow education secretary for the Labour Party. Former Wellington Master Sir Anthony Seldon moderated the debate, while Toby Young, founder of the West London
Are schools preparing our kids for the future? Read More »
I was honoured to be quoted several times in a recent Financial Times article on the trend of wealthy expats hiring consultants to advise them on choosing the best nurseries and schools for their children. The article was more balanced than I expected, as you never know what angle journalists might take on such a
Financial Times article on London nursery consultants Read More »
I keep getting asked by readers and clients if it is better to choose a pre-prep and focus on 7+ / 8+ exams, or a prep that goes all the way to 11+ or 13+. I was reminded of this debate on Sunday during a dinner with friends whose daughter is just preparing for her
7+ vs 11+/13+? Or one school all the way to 18? What is best? Read More »
I had often walked past the Kensington Prep School, located in a former convent building in Parsons Green, wondering what was going on behind the walls, and was happy to finally get a chance to visit last week. I arrived on a Friday morning following the morning assembly, and on the inside, the school was
Kensington Prep school visit Read More »
For many children, the long journey that is education does not only start when they enter school. It begins at home, and for many children some time between 5 months and 3 years, it continues in nurseries or pre-schools. The best of these can offer an enjoyable and smooth transition from toddlerhood to the Reception
London’s top nursery and preschools Read More »
