Good tuition gives a child the confidence to achieve his or her own, often hidden, potential. This is done through familiarity with the questions, awareness of timing, improving levels of concentration, and by obtaining detailed knowledge of exam techniques. Reputable tutors do not, probably cannot, and certainly would not wish to alter a child’s perceived IQ so that they end up in an unsuitable school where they would be unable to cope. But after a few sessions of specialist 11+ coaching with us, parents often report children suddenly showing improved scores in all areas of academic work at school, brought about by greater levels of concentration and confidence.
Children should not, however, be put under any pressure by parents or tutors and should therefore be coached carefully and gently in a happy and relaxed atmosphere. Often CEM questions are an almost incomprehensible mystery when the child first encounters them. Denying children the help they need to undertake one of these fairly tough tests could cause stress and distress on the big day as well as an unwarranted low score. The schools will insist that coaching is unnecessary and this may be true for a few exceptionally gifted children. However, in our experience, all pupils that have had tuition with us enter the exam with confidence knowing they are well prepared. This calm confidence enables them to ‘give it their best shot’ on the big day.
Delaying coaching or parental help until just days before the exam, in our opinion, puts your child under unnecessary pressure. Some forward planning by the parents is needed. Parents often do not realise that if the test is taken in September of Year Six, eleven months before children finish primary school, then coaching needs to start in October of Year Five. Most crucially, since so many children are prepared for selection tests by their parents or tutors, those who have not had sufficient preparation will be left at a significant disadvantage.
**This article was written by Ros & Claire for an article in the Telegraph.