(for years 4-5)
Course dates: (5 days) 28th July – 1st August 2025
Now taking bookings
Course subjects
Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Why we offer an 11+ foundation course for year 4 students
In addition to parents’ requests for a course for children sitting 10+ examinations at independent schools, in recent years we have had requests from an increasing number of parents wanting to start 11+ preparation earlier to spread the workload more evenly and reduce the need for a ‘heavy’ and potentially stressful year 5. We now offer an 11+ foundation course that has been designed as an early introduction to 11+ skills at an age-appropriate level for students whose families want to have a more moderate two-year preparation rather than the potential intensity of a one-year or shorter preparation. The course also serves as an excellent revision course (with practice mock) for those students about to sit 10+ selection tests.
11-plus exams are difficult and competitive, so good preparation is important. Your child will get one chance at the 11-plus and we want to help them succeed, so why not start early to give your child the best possible start with their preparation while there is still plenty of time to discover and address any weaknesses?
What to expect from our 11-plus foundation course
Before the course – meeting your child’s needs
When you complete the booking form, we will ask you to tell us about your child, your aspirations for them, their strengths and weaknesses and also if they have any mobility, health or educational needs.
Your child will be asked to complete a pre-course assessment to give us an idea of their starting point so that the sessions on the course can be targeted effectively.
Our on-line pre-course assessments in maths and English will provide you with instant feedback, which will give you a realistic idea of your child’s current level of achievement and will help you focus support, tuition and practice at home more meaningfully in the run up to the course.
During the course – revision, exam technique and mock exam
We will introduce and teach some of the major topics for English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning in an age-appropriate, fun way and provide guidance and tips on examination technique. We endeavour, as far as possible, to teach flexibly, responding to the needs and existing skill sets of the children in each group. There will, therefore, sometimes be variation in the breadth and depth of cover and practice between groups.
Our experienced and qualified tutors will use a range of didactic, exploratory, collaborative, discursive and interactive teaching methods to make the learning fun and engaging and to motivate your child to see the benefits of preparing for success.
Your child will have the opportunity to sit mock exams to familiarise them and give a sense of what they are aiming for. Reports will be provided that will detail progress during the week and achievement in the mock tests.
After the course – feedback
Mock exam papers are marked and either posted or emailed to you with a written report within one week. If the tutor suggests that your child needs to do extra work in a particular area, we will offer as much help as possible, including providing an appropriate tutor who will be matched to your child’s particular personality, abilities and needs. This will be entirely up to you; you will be under no pressure from us to do that if you prefer to make your own arrangements.
Many of our previous year 4 students’ parents have found the course helpful not just in getting started, but also in the motivating effect that it has had on their children who have gone on to cope with the 11+ preparation in a more motivated and measured way than their older siblings who undertook the preparation more intensely in one year.
Course topics
English:
Comprehension techniques:
- Reading for meaning in timed conditions
- Interpreting questions
- Multiple Choice Skills
- Written answers
- How to support answers using short quotations
- Addressing the mark scheme
Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation:
The course includes some instruction and practice relating to grammar and writing skills at sentence level. We do not cover extended writing or story writing on this course. Our separate Creative Writing Course may be of interest to those taking examinations that include extended or creative writing tasks.
- Handwriting and presentation – first impressions
- Importance of spelling, grammar and punctuation
- Vocabulary development
- Introduction and exploration of figurative language
Maths:
Our Maths curriculum on this course revises the Year 4 curriculum and where possible (depending on the strengths of the group), extends into next steps. Core topics include:
- Number, Place Value and Calculation
- Fractions and Decimals
- Measure (including time problems, length, mass, capacity)
- Statistics (Interpreting graphs and charts)
- Shape and Space (including 2D and 3D shapes and properties; Area and Perimeter, Reflection, Translation)
- Geometry (Angles and triangles)
Each session includes a revision of basic knowledge and skills for specific topics followed by related problem solving and word problem practice. We endeavour, as far as possible, to teach flexibly, responding to the needs and existing skill sets of the children in each group. There will, therefore, sometimes be variation in the breadth and depth of coverage and practice between groups.
Verbal reasoning:
Our Verbal sessions cover a mixture of word, number and logic questions, for example:
- Word, letter and number sequences and patterns
- Vocabulary based problems: synonyms, antonyms, compound words
- Code breaking
- Worded logic problems
- Analogies and relationships
- Anagrams
- Ordering sentences/identifying superfluous words
- Cloze sequence
- Substitution
- Odd one out
- Missing words
- Missing letters
Non-verbal reasoning:
Our Non-Verbal sessions introduce and practise a mixture of non-language-based problems using patterns, shapes, pictures and symbols, for example:
- Similar shapes
- Odd one out
- Sequences
- Completing a Matrix
- Nets and cubes
- 3D visualisation
- Amalgamation of shapes
- Reflection
- Rotation
- Analogies
Group size
Teaching groups will be kept small, with approximately twelve children. This allows time for each child to receive individual support when needed. In addition to the course tutor there may be a second tutor to provide additional support during maths or other sessions if deemed necessary.
Course tutors
All our course leaders are current or retired-from-school, qualified teachers and have been carefully selected and vetted. They have extensive 11-plus experience, excellent references and were also chosen for their caring nature, friendly personalities and enthusiastic teaching style to help engage, encourage and motivate our young students.
Course sessions
The total study time is 23 hours and 45 minutes. Each course runs over five days and is arranged as follows:
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 9.15 - 10.30 |
| Break | |
| 2 | 10.45 - 12.00 |
| Lunch | |
| 3 | 1.00 - 2.15 |
| Break | |
| 4 | 2.30 - 3.30 |
Course venue
Ripley Arts Centre, Bromley Arts Council, 24 Sundridge Avenue, Bromley. BR1 2PX. For full details click venue .
Break periods and lunch
Soft drinks and biscuits will be provided free of charge during break periods. Children must bring a packed lunch.
Course fees
The 5-day 11-plus summer foundation course = £590
Payment method
- We accept payment by bank transfer, credit card, debit card and Paypal™. We do not accept payment by cheque. Please contact us if you have any questions about payment
- Deposits are only accepted if you pay by bank transfer. If you are paying by credit card, debit card or Paypal™, payments must be made in full at the time of booking
Payment policy
- A deposit of £290 must be paid to hold a place if you are not paying in full at the time of booking
- Unless a course becomes unavailable, deposits are non-refundable
- The balance of a course must be paid 6 weeks before the start of the course
- On request, fees can be paid in instalments
Now taking bookings
Please phone or Contact us to check availability before completing the Booking form.
What some parents have to say…
Lorraine Childs, 11-plus summer revision course. 2018 – 2019 (Oscar enjoying time with his dog Buddy)
Oscar attended the Summer School Revision courses preceding both years 5 and 6 (2018 and 2019). We are from the Midlands, so had to travel and stay in a hotel nearby. There is nothing like this around our area. But it was worth it. Oscar has received top scholarships at both of the local private schools and has attained a much competed for academic aptitude place at the county’s most highly achieving state school (there are no grammar schools in the county). The choice is now ours. There is no doubt that Progress Tutors helped Oscar to develop his skills and confidence to perform at the required level. I thought it would be useful for Oscar to do the course before year 5 so he would experience the challenges and know the levels towards which he would have to work over the next year, in order to succeed. He enjoyed it so much he was very keen to return the next year. The pupils and tutors were friendly, the location was beautiful and there were organised sports activities at lunch-times, so it didn’t feel like school at all! The lessons were more challenging than he was used to and he enjoyed rising to the challenge and applied himself meticulously to his homework. He improved no end in all of the topics and showed himself what he was capable of. We are very grateful to Maria, Debbie and the other fabulous teachers not only for the successful outcome, but also for the brilliantly fun and educational weeks that have given us some lovely memories.
Alison Eardley, 11-plus summer revision course. 2018
My daughter did the course at the end of Y4. She had done some tutoring before then, but I wasn’t sure what her strengths and weaknesses were, or what levels of progress she would need to make going into Y5, before the exams. The course was fantastic. My daughter loved it. She honestly came out skipping each day. There was a lot of homework on the first night and she sat down very happily and did it all (there was less on subsequent nights). She was shown how to properly answer questions, and was given techniques she hadn’t had before. Her results improved dramatically on VR, NVR and comprehension, and revealed where she needs to work in those topics, and in maths and creative writing. I hope that my daughter will do the course next year too. I plan to let her have a few weeks of doing nothing, and then she will do the intensive revision course, which I’m sure, she will love just as much as she did this year. Update: Freya very much enjoyed the course in 2019 and went on to achieve a place at Newstead Wood school for girls.
Shingie Shoniwa, 11-plus summer revision course 2016 & 2017
Michael started off as a very reserved child not willing to take on challenges. He took part in the year 4 summer school in 2016 to help prepare him for what was ahead. The course highlighted a weakness in maths so Maria arranged for my son to have tuition with Anita, one of the course tutors. Thanks to Anita who boosted Michael’s confidence in mathematics, by the time he returned to the summer school this year he was scoring over 80%. Being on the course with other children really helped him to understand that he wasn’t the only child doing extra work. My son worked extremely hard and enjoyed taking part. He was so happy when he got the prize for the most progress between year 4 and 5. Hello Maria, I’m delighted to say Michael passed all the tests he sat: Bexley, Kent and first round of St Olaves. Thank you so much for your support and patience with him. We are over the moon. Fingers crossed for the St. Olaves 2nd stage test which is written in November. Thank you, Shingie
What some students have to say…
Ava, 11-plus summer 2023
I am feeling way more confident for the 11+ than before. The teachers are really nice and supportive and the mock tests really helped. At the start I was nervous but now I have lots of friends to play with. It is way more than a summer school. It’s the best one ever!!!
William, 11-plus summer 2023
An extremely fun course. The teachers were helpful and kind. I loved the booklet because it was hard, but not too hard. My favourite subject was verbal reasoning because it was very challenging. The course was shorter and more fun than I expected. 100% I would like to take the part next year.
Ana, 11-plus summer 2023
I loved this course! I am much more confident than I was before. I was very nervous for the mock exams but everything I learnt helped me a lot. All the teachers were very funny. I really enjoyed VR with Cory and maths with Henry! At first I was very nervous but soon I realised it was fun.
Mya, 11-plus summer 2023
The course was fun and the teachers were kind. My favourite subject was NVR because at first I was bad at bird’s eye view but now I am really good at it, and I have learned how to properly do nets and cubes. I liked my course booklet because all my work was neatly inside it. The best thing was the squash and biscuits. Next year I will definitely come back.
Tobi, 11-plus summer 2023
It is a great summer revision course. Every teacher is great and sometimes the work is easy and sometimes it is hard. You get three breaks a day with fun activities and a biscuit. I liked maths the best with Henry because I am strong at maths.
