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KS1 11+ prep tutors

2 of 2 UK tutors teaching 11+ prep at KS1.

11+ prep is for entry to selective state grammar schools and many independent senior schools at age 10/11. Tests vary sharply by region: Kent, Bucks, Birmingham, Trafford, the Wirral, Lincolnshire and others use different combinations of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, run by GL Assessment, CEM (now retired but many regions transitioned), or bespoke school papers. Independent schools often use ISEB Common Pre-Test or their own papers. Tutoring helps most with format-specific exam technique (timing, multiple-choice strategy, the verbal/non-verbal reasoning content that schools don't teach) — match the tutor to the actual test the child will sit.

Key Stage 1 covers Years 1 and 2 (ages 5-7), ending with the Year 2 SATs and the Year 1 phonics screening check. Core focus is reading fluency, phonics, basic arithmetic, and the foundations of writing. Tutoring at KS1 is uncommon but earns its keep where reading hasn't clicked — phonics gaps that don't close in school tend to widen — and for early-maths confidence. The Year 2 SATs are now teacher-assessed rather than externally graded, so the stakes are low; the underlying fluency they measure is what matters. Look for tutors trained in synthetic phonics rather than generalists comfortable with primary-age children.

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