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If you search '11 plus for Year 3 children', you’ll see links to 11 plus tuition centres, books, online platforms and even parent forums discussing their experience of the 11 plus with their Year 3 children (and sometimes, even younger children!).But just because there’s a market for it, does that mean trying to get very … Continue reading When should my child start his or her 11 plus journey?

A new ranking from the independent education website, School Guide, has named the highest-rated state secondary schools in Bexley for 2026.  It is important to note that the rankings below may differ from official government league tables. This is discussed in more detail below.  The top 10 secondary schools in Bexley 1. Bexley Grammar School, … Continue reading Bexley school ranking: Grammar schools and state schools 

English will be examined in almost every 11 plus exam across the country. We have seen over the years that those pupils who do well in English tend to do well across the board, so it’s really important to prioritise the English section of the 11 plus exam. Children attending an 11 plus tuition centre … Continue reading 11 Plus English exams: Strategies for the English exam

In a previous article we mentioned that we would take a deeper look into what and how Quest Assessments will assess the 11 plus exam. This article explores the similarities and differences between the pre-2026 11 plus exams assessed by GL and the new Quest Assessments for the English section only (other articles will look … Continue reading Quest Assessments: 11+ English comprehension exam 

This is a ‘how to’-style article about comparing schools. So, do read on if you’re at the stage of needing to select a secondary school for your child. In other words, the days of ferrying your children to tuition centres to study an 11 plus course or undertake 11 plus mock exams are behind you. … Continue reading How to compare secondary schools using government data (and tools)

In a previous article, we explained that Bexley council has selected Quest Assessments as the exam board to assess the 11+ exams from 2026 onwards.  Naturally, many parents will be wondering if their existing 11+ preparation will be sufficient or if they need to do anything differently.  Does my child need to learn extra content? … Continue reading What will Quest Assessments examine?

Bexley council will be using Quest Assessments  to assess the 2026 11+ exams. This is a change from previous years. Previously, GL Assessment was used to mark the 11+ papers (and before that, CEM was used pre-2023).  We can see that in a short space of time Bexley council has made the decision to use … Continue reading Bexley moves from GL to Quest Assessments

The article below has been written by Bexley Grammar School (BGS) student, Safaa. I tasked Safaa with writing an article aimed at Year 6 pupils who are aiming to pass their 11+ exam and get a seat at the school. I’ve made minimal edits and I hope the article provides an unfiltered insight into what … Continue reading What is it like studying at a grammar school?

***URGENT ATTENTION REQUIRED** The Bexley 11 plus exam registration for 2026 has changed. The registration period will now run from 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026.  Compared to last year, the registration dates have been brought forward by two months.  It is well known that Bexley grammar schools may sometimes use proximity between a … Continue reading REGISTRATION: Bexley 2026

The article below has been written by 10 year old Yusuf Abdul-Aziz. He was asked to write an article on how he managed to balance his school work with 11 plus preparation. He had free reign to write what he thought was appropriate and decided on the subheadings, content and structure. I have made minimal … Continue reading Balancing Year 5 with 11+ preparation

The 11+ is an exam taken by children in their final year of primary school (Year 6, aged 10 or 11) for entry into certain state-funded grammar schools and some selective independent schools. The 11 plus exam is not something every child has to sit (unlike the SATs exam); it only needs to be sat … Continue reading What is the ’11+’?

Is tuition absolutely necessary to pass the 11+ exam? No. This is the short answer.  If you’ve read our story, you’ll know that we did not use tutors when we started the 11+ journey with our eldest child. At the time, we were not specialist 11+ tutors.  Eagle-eyed readers will point out that myself and … Continue reading Is tuition absolutely necessary to pass the 11+ exam?

‘VR’ stands for verbal reasoning. The topic is called verbal reasoning because it tests a student's ability to understand, analyse and logically solve problems using words and language, rather than just relying on learned knowledge. The ‘verbal' part refers to the use of words, and reasoning refers to the process of using logic and critical … Continue reading VR: Word-based verbal reasoning

In the UK education system, a 'grammar school' is a selective state-funded secondary school. Selection is based on pupils’ academic ability and entry is determined by a competitive exam, commonly known as the '11 plus', which children usually sit in their final year of primary school (Year 6). Pupils are typically tested on English, Maths, … Continue reading What are grammar schools? 

The way Ofsted reports on its inspection of schools in changing. The video below explains how the new-look report card works. https://youtu.be/xLoNDw96ct0 Looking for downloadable resources? Head to our downloads page.

The term ‘Ofsted’ is a shorthand for Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. It is the government agency responsible for inspecting the quality of educational providers in the United Kingdom and makes its reports available to the general public. These reports are often a key source of information for parents when choosing … Continue reading A look at Ofsted’s new grading system

According to gov.uk, the services Ofsted inspects and reports on include:    • Schools: Including state-funded schools, academies, and some independent schools.    • Early Years Education: Such as nurseries and childminders.    • Further Education Colleges and Skills Providers.    • Local Authority Children's Services.    • Other Services: Including prison education and adoption and fostering agencies. The term … Continue reading What is Ofsted and why is it so important for parents?

Pupils that do not manage to pass the 11+ test will need to attend a non-grammar school (otherwise known as a state school). There are plenty in Bexley, which are mostly very good. This article draws on information from Ofsted as well as other publications and highlights the Ofsted rating as well as the 'value … Continue reading A brief guide to non-selective secondary schools in bexley

With around 6,000 pupils competing for 600-800 grammar school places in Bexley alone, and other boroughs attracting similar numbers, the reality is that sadly most students will not get a place in a grammar school of their choice.  We understand this can be an upsetting time for both pupils and parents, but it’s important to … Continue reading My child didn’t pass his/ her exam, what do I do?

The 11 plus test day is often nerve-racking for both parents and students, and understandably so. The results day is another nerve-racking day - this time for parents.  Whatever the result, we would like to say a massive congratulations to all the children who sat their 11+ exams this year.  As parents who have put … Continue reading 11+ RESULTS DAY: 2025

‘NVR’ and ‘VR’ will be two unfamiliar terms to parents new to the 11 plus journey. VR stands for Verbal Reasoning.  VR is to do with words and numbers (as opposed to shapes, which is what NVR is concerned with) and always follows a logic.   Number-based VR To really understand VR, we need to look … Continue reading What is VR?

For any parent new to the 11+ journey, the term ‘NVR’ may be completely unfamiliar. NVR stands for non verbal reasoning. In simple terms, NVR is about recognising patterns based on shapes.  For many 11 plus exams, NVR is a critical component. In fact, there are some schools that only test a pupil’s ability in … Continue reading What is NVR?

“Where can I find the 11+ curriculum?” This is the question a parent asked me recently. I wish the answer was straightforward.  Before trying to answer where an 11 plus curriculum might be found, we first need to understand what the 11 plus is.  Ultimately, the 11 plus is an exam that children in Year … Continue reading The 11 plus curriculum

As the school term progresses, students aged studying towards their 11 plus exams may start to feel tired, less engaged, or overwhelmed by academic demands. Parents play a crucial role in helping them stay motivated and focused until the very end. Whilst motivation is not specific to 11+ pupils, the reality is pupils studying towards … Continue reading Keeping your 11+ child motivated towards the end of the school term

Year 5 pupils preparing for their 11+ exams in the hope of securing a place in a grammar school inevitably use books produced by one of the major publishers, such as Bond, CGP, Collins or Letts.  We would recommend every parent use one or more of these books alongside regular tuition. These books can be … Continue reading 11+ Digital books and resources

Most parents aiming to get their children into a grammar school have probably looked into physical 11+ books or 11+ digital resources .  And parents might have noticed 11+ books usually have the terms ‘for GL assessment', or ‘for CEM assessment’ or some other similar wording.But what do terms such as GL, CEM, SET, CSSE … Continue reading What are 11 plus ‘exam boards’?

Grammar schools in Bexley follow a selective admissions process based on academic ability, as outlined by the Bexley Council and individual school policies. The key factors considered include the 11+ test results, catchment areas, sibling policies, and other oversubscription criteria. Below is a breakdown of how places are allocated. 1. Performance in the 11+ Test … Continue reading How do grammar schools in Bexley decide who to offer a place to?

In today’s digital age, many children use screens for learning. This includes at the primary school level (e.g. Times Table Rock Star), 11 plus preparation stage (e.g CGP online) and even at the secondary school level (e.g GCSE Pod).  Some experts, however, argue that traditional pen & paper methods are still better. Both digital and … Continue reading Screen v Pen & Paper: how should my child prepare for their 11+ exam?

All schools use timetables to schedule their lessons and this is also the case for Bexley primary schools, state secondary schools and grammar schools (as well as Kent grammar schools). But what about at home? Should your child have a study timetable? And is using a timetable at home especially important for pupils due to … Continue reading What is a study timetable and does my child need one?

Parents interested in Bexley grammar schools and Kent grammar schools may also be interested in Medway grammar schools. All three boroughs use the GL assessment board, which means preparing for a GL exam will give pupils a good chance of getting into a Bexley, Kent or a Medway grammar school.  The table below shows the … Continue reading Grammar schools in Medway

There are some 32 grammar schools in Kent. This makes Kent the borough with the highest concentration of grammar schools anywhere in the United Kingdom.  If you’re interested in both Bexley grammar schools and Kent grammar schools, you may wish to also take a look at the Bexley grammar schools page. As a general rule, … Continue reading Grammar schools in Kent

If you’ve read the ‘about us’ page, you’ll know we moved to Bexley some years ago. One of the main reasons for this was due to the grammar schools.  [map credit] Of course, Bexley isn’t the only London borough to have grammar schools, but it is one of the London boroughs with the highest number … Continue reading Grammar schools in Bexley

Every parent knows their child should be reading books, but are there particular books children trying to get into grammar schools should be reading? Or is it okay to read anything…as long as they are reading something?  Good question.  From our experience, it does matter what books children read. It matters quite a lot.  Children … Continue reading What type of books should my child be reading to help pass the 11+ exam?

Registration for the Medway Test for September 2026 secondary transfer will be open 19 May - 13 June 2025. In other words, if your child is in Year 5 now and you are considering sending your child to a Medway grammar school in September 2026, you will need to register your child for the 11+ … Continue reading Medway: When should I register my child for his/her 11+ exam?

Kent County Council typically publishes their test dates in May on their website and they usually open registration for the 11+ test in early June. Year 5 pupils then sit the 11+ test in September.  At the time of writing this article, Kent County Council had not published the relevant dates. However, every year the … Continue reading Kent: When should I register my child for his/her 11+ exam?

If your child is due to start secondary school in September 2026, they may need to take the Bexley Selection Test (11+) in 2025 to apply for a grammar school place. Below are all the essential details, including registration deadlines, test dates, and what to consider before signing up. Important Dates for the Bexley 11+ … Continue reading Bexley: When should I register my child for his/her 11+ exam?