Helping your child approach the 11+ with confidence.
One-to-one tuition: From £72 per hour
Preparing for the 11+ can feel overwhelming—for both children and parents.
If your child is aiming for a grammar school place and needs extra support to build confidence in English, Maths or Reasoning, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re doing enough and where to begin.
At Aquinas Tuition, we believe there is no single route to success because every child learns differently.
Rather than simply assigning the next available tutor, we take the time to understand your child’s strengths, identify the areas where they need support and carefully match them with a specialist tutor who suits both their academic needs and personality.
Every tuition programme is built around a Personalised Learning Plan, helping your child develop the knowledge, confidence and independent learning skills they need not only to succeed in the 11+, but throughout their education.
Our aim isn’t simply to help children pass an exam. It’s to help them become confident learners who enjoy making progress.
The 11+ is an entrance examination used as a part of the admissions process to grammar schools in some parts of England. While it is commonly referred to as “the 11+”, there is no single national exam. The format and content vary depending on the schools your child is applying to and the local authority in which they are based.
Most children sit the 11+ during the autumn term of Year 6, with preparation often beginning in Year 4 or Year 5. Starting early allows children to build strong foundations, develop confidence and become familiar with the style of questions they are likely to encounter without unnecessary pressure.
At Aquinas Tuition, we understand that every family’s journey is different. Some children begin preparing well in advance, while others need more focused support closer to the exam. Whatever your starting point, we’ll create a personalised learning plan that reflects your child’s needs, helping them make steady, meaningful progress at a pace that feels manageable.
The subjects included in the 11+ vary depending on the school or region, but assessments commonly include:
Alongside subject knowledge, many children also benefit from developing the wider skills needed to approach assessments with confidence, including:
Because every school assesses pupils differently, we tailor tuition around your child’s target schools and individual goals. Rather than following a generic programme, we focus on the skills and knowledge that will make the greatest difference to your child’s success.
Whether your child needs support in one subject or several, our tutors provide personalised guidance designed to strengthen understanding, build confidence and help them feel fully prepared on the day of their assessment.
Every child is unique, so we believe their tuition journey should be too.
Rather than assigning the next available tutor, we take the time to understand your child’s individual needs before carefully matching them with the tutor who will help them thrive.
From your very first conversation with us, our aim is to make the process clear, supportive and completely personalised.
At Aquinas Tuition, we’re not simply preparing children for an entrance examination.
We’re helping them develop the confidence, understanding and independent learning skills that will support them throughout their education and beyond.
Because when children believe in their own abilities, they don’t just perform better in exams—they become happier, more resilient learners.
Choosing the right tutor is about far more than finding someone who knows the curriculum. It’s about finding someone who understands your child, builds their confidence and helps them enjoy learning.
At Aquinas Tuition, we take a personalised approach to every child’s learning journey. Rather than simply assigning the next available tutor, we carefully match each pupil with the tutor who best suits their academic needs, learning style and personality.
Helping every child become a confident, independent learner is at the heart of everything we do.
Our son genuinely looked forward to his lessons with Emily. She made learning enjoyable while maintaining high expectations, and her calm, encouraging approach really helped him believe in himself. We were delighted when he received an offer from his first-choice grammar school.
We’ve been genuinely thrilled with George’s progress in maths. Concepts that used to feel overwhelming are now starting to make sense, and it’s been wonderful to watch his confidence grow each week. The sessions are patient, clear, and really well tailored to the way he learns. He comes away feeling proud of himself and genuinely looks forward to the tutoring sessions, which says everything. We’re so grateful for the support he’s been given.
Although the 11+ is an important milestone, our goal has always been much broader than preparing children for one examination.
We want every pupil to leave their lessons with stronger subject knowledge, greater confidence and the independent learning skills that will support them throughout secondary school and beyond.
While the 11+ may only last a few hours, the confidence a child gains through personalised teaching can stay with them for years to come.
If you are interested in Aquinas’ approach to tuition, we would be happy to arrange a free consultation call with Alice, our founder, or a member of the office team.
During your free, no-obligation consultation, we’ll discuss:
We’ll answer any questions you have about the 11+ process and provide honest advice about the support that would benefit your child most—whether that’s with Aquinas Tuition or not.
Book your free consultation today and take the first step towards helping your child approach the 11+ with confidence.
There are many tutoring companies offering 11+ support, so choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.
At Aquinas Tuition, we believe the difference isn't simply in what we teach—it's in how we teach.
Every decision we make is guided by one simple belief:
Children learn best when they feel understood, supported and confident in their own abilities.
That's why we take the time to get to know every child as an individual. We don't believe in standard lesson plans or one-size-fits-all programmes. Instead, we build personalised learning experiences that reflect each child's strengths, challenges and aspirations.
Of course, academic progress matters. But we also know that lasting success comes from helping children enjoy learning, ask questions confidently and develop the resilience to tackle new challenges.
For many families, that's where the biggest transformation happens.
It's not unusual for parents to tell us that their child now looks forward to lessons, feels more confident at school or is willing to attempt tasks they would previously have avoided.
Those changes often become the foundation upon which academic success is built.
We believe the best outcomes are achieved when tutors and parents work together.
That's why we keep families informed throughout the tuition journey, providing regular progress updates, celebrating achievements and discussing the next steps in your child's learning.
Rather than wondering how lessons are going, you'll have a clear understanding of the progress your child is making and the areas we're continuing to develop.
It's one of the first questions many parents ask—and understandably so.
Can a child really stay engaged through an online lesson? Will they concentrate? Can they build a relationship with their tutor through a screen?
The simple answer is yes—provided online tuition is delivered well and your child is matched with the right tutor.
In fact, many of our pupils thrive online.
Online tuition allows us to match your child with the tutor who best suits their learning style, personality and academic needs, rather than simply the tutor who happens to live nearby. This means your child benefits from specialist teaching and a personalised learning experience, wherever you are in the UK.
Lessons are fully interactive, with tutors using digital whiteboards, shared resources and live problem-solving to keep pupils engaged throughout each session. Because lessons are delivered one-to-one, your child receives the tutor's full attention, allowing misconceptions to be addressed immediately and learning to progress at a pace that's right for them.
Many parents are surprised by how quickly children adapt. For today's generation, learning online feels completely natural, and after the first lesson it quickly becomes "how they meet their tutor."
Of course, online tuition isn't the right choice for every child. Some younger pupils, or children who find it particularly difficult to concentrate on a screen, may benefit more from face-to-face support. That's one of the reasons we begin with a free consultation and introductory assessment—to ensure we're recommending the approach that will genuinely benefit your child.
Our goal isn't simply to provide online tuition.
It's to provide the type of tuition that will help your child flourish.
Every tutor we represent is a qualified teacher or a specialist from a leading university, chosen for this subject and matched to your child after a free consultation.
Every child is different, but many families begin preparing during Year 4 or early Year 5. Starting early allows children to strengthen their core English and Maths skills, develop confidence and become familiar with exam-style questions without feeling rushed.
That said, it’s never too late to seek support. Whether your child is just beginning their preparation or is approaching the 11+ in Year 6, we’ll create a personalised learning plan based on their current ability and goals.
Revision in the summer of Year 5 can be beneficial; however, revision does not need to take over the entirety of your summer.
Short, regular revision sessions with a specific focus several times a week are the most effective for making progress without taking away from the much-needed break children need after a busy school year.
For further information on how to revise over the summer you can read our article here and visit our page on 11+ Summer Tuition.
For many pupils, one lesson per week provides a consistent and manageable pace of learning.
As the examination approaches, some families choose to increase lesson frequency or arrange additional sessions during school holidays.
During your consultation, we’ll recommend a schedule that reflects your child’s needs, target schools and timeline.
Yes—provided it’s delivered well and your child is matched with the right tutor.
Our lessons are fully interactive and carefully planned to keep pupils engaged. Many parents are surprised by how naturally children adapt to learning online, and one-to-one tuition allows every lesson to be tailored to your child’s individual needs.
Our tutors provide support in all of the key areas commonly assessed in the 11+, including:
Because every school assesses pupils differently, we’ll tailor tuition around your child’s target schools and individual learning requirements.
We don’t simply assign the next available tutor.
We begin with a free consultation to understand your child’s strengths, personality, learning style and goals. This allows us to carefully match them with a tutor who is best suited to support their learning and help them grow in confidence. For further information about our tuition process you can read more here.
Building a positive relationship between tutor and pupil is incredibly important.
We take great care when matching children with tutors, but if we ever feel a different tutor would better meet your child’s needs, we’ll work with you to find the right solution.
Our priority is always ensuring your child feels comfortable, supported and confident in their learning.
You’ll receive regular monthly progress reports outlining what your child has been working on, the progress they’ve made and the next steps in their learning journey.
We also encourage open communication, so you’ll always have the opportunity to discuss your child’s development with us.
Absolutely.
In fact, many families contact us because their child has the ability to succeed but lacks confidence in their own skills.
Building confidence is central to our approach. As children begin to understand concepts more deeply and experience regular success, their confidence naturally grows alongside their academic ability.
No tutor can honestly guarantee success, and we believe it’s important to be transparent about that.
Many factors influence 11+ outcomes, including the child’s starting point, the schools they are applying to and the effort they put into their preparation.
What we can promise is personalised teaching, expert guidance and a structured programme designed to help your child reach their full potential.
Yes. Many families choose to prepare independently using books and online resources.
However, personalised tuition can provide structure, expert guidance and targeted feedback, helping children focus on the areas where they will benefit most.
For many pupils, having an experienced tutor also helps build confidence and keeps preparation enjoyable and motivating.
No.
We also support children preparing for independent school entrance assessments, scholarship examinations and pupils who simply want to strengthen their English or Maths skills before moving to secondary school.
Every programme is tailored around your child’s individual goals.
The consultation is an opportunity for us to get to know your child and understand what you’re hoping to achieve.
We’ll discuss your child’s strengths, areas where they may need support, their target schools and answer any questions you have about the 11+ process.
Following the consultation, we’ll recommend the most appropriate next steps, with no obligation to book tuition.
Detailed guides to how we teach this subject at each level.
For many families, Maths is one of the most important — and often most challenging — parts of 11+ preparation.
English is a key component of many 11+ entrance examinations and often plays a significant role in determining a child’s overall performance.
Verbal Reasoning is one of the most distinctive aspects of many 11+ entrance examinations.
For many children, Non-Verbal Reasoning is one of the most unfamiliar parts of the 11+.
Focused Summer Support to Build Confidence Before the 11+
Every child’s 11+ journey is different.
Some children need help building confidence. Others benefit from strengthening core skills, developing exam technique or simply having an experienced tutor to guide them through the process.
Wherever your child is starting from, our role is to understand their individual needs and provide the personalised support that will help them grow in confidence and achieve their potential.
The first step is a free, no-obligation consultation.
Together, we’ll discuss:
We’ll answer your questions honestly, explain how we work and help you decide whether tuition is the right next step for your family.
Whether you choose to work with Aquinas Tuition or simply leave the consultation feeling more informed, our aim is to give you the clarity and confidence to make the best decision for your child.
Helping children become confident, independent learners is at the heart of everything we do.
Book your free consultation today and take the first step towards helping your child approach the 11+ with confidence.
