This article will explain:

• Why now is an important time in your child’s education.

• What I’ve learned over the last five years about the top performing students at 11 Plus level.

• What role you can play as a parent.

Your child is around the age of 10…Why now?

In his book, “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell highlights how sporting success can be attributed to events which happen very early on in a sportsman or woman’s life. The specific case study he uses involves professional ice hockey players in Canada. He suggests aspiring Canadian ice hockey players born in the first months of the year are significantly more likely to play in the National Hockey League. This is because the date that defines each age category in Canada is 1st January. Gladwell claims children born nearest the cut-off date gain an advantage in growth and development; when you’re 8 or 9 years old, 10 months of growth often counts for a lot! The biggest, strongest and fastest children within their age group are then streamed into the best teams with the best coaches and the best facilities. This, in turn, accelerates skill development and helps the older children within their age category achieve their full potential. Soon enough they are streaks ahead of their contemporaries and this accelerated rate of improvement continues into their teenage years until they eventually turn professional.

The early years of your child’s education are so important for exactly the same reason (within the context of academic development). In most schools, children tend to be streamed into sets, that is, different classes based on academic ability, at around the age of 10. This system has always been viewed to benefit those who are streamed into the highest sets. A higher average ability within the class results in a decrease of behaviour which might slow the classes rate of learning. For example, disruptive behaviour due to lack of engagement or further questions to the teacher due to difficulty in understanding a concept first time. Before long, children streamed into higher sets can open up a large attainment gap between them and another child they were in the same mixed ability set with only the previous year.

Though parents may not be aware of Malcolm Gladwell and his work, many already know and understand what I’ve outlined above. Successfully passing the 11 Plus exam to gain entrance to a grammar school or independent school can set your child on a highly beneficial trajectory in life. These types of schools are so attractive to parents not only for the superior educational opportunities on offer, but also for the lifelong network they grant access to. Not to mention, if you choose to apply for a scholarship to an Independent School, large financial incentives apply — the majority of Independent schools charge fees of over £35,000 per year and a scholarship can grant you entrance at a fraction of the price. The same financial incentives apply if you target grammar school entry in order to save on independent school fees.

When I was a child, my parents did well to shield me from the daunting reality I’ve laid out above. I felt no pressure because I didn’t understand the stakes. I’m glad they did this for me. Instead they focused on what they could do to give me the best possible chance to become a beneficiary of the education system in the UK.

As a result of their parenting, I gained a full scholarship to an Independent school - Bradfield College. Then, the domino effect caused by having access to the best teaching and opportunities occurred. You can scroll through my GCSE grades, A Level results, University application status and University degree below. A particular highlight for me was being pooled in the Oxford interview process. I applied to read History at Worcester College, I passed the initial tests to qualify for an interview and then had a couple of interviews, I was then asked to attend a final interview at Regent’s Park College. I wasn’t offered a place but I was absolutely chuffed to have had the opportunity to give it a fair shot. None of my family had been to university before. My Grandad always joked the closest he ever got to university was borstal (I later found out he never actually went to borstal). So, for me, even getting a look in at a Russel Group University was an achievement. I ended up going to Exeter which is also high ranking within the Russel Group.

If my parents hadn’t done everything within their power to nudge me in the right direction during my formative years, I’m almost certain none of this would have been possible.

What I’ve learned (which might also help you, as a parent)

After leaving University in 2014, I began working with schools by helping their students prepare for their exams. Since, I’ve helped thousands of students prepare each year for exams such as the 11 plus, 13+ Common Entrance, GCSE and A Level, as well as other exams taken internationally. I’ve also spoken at world renowned institutions such as King’s College University and Wellington College.

Over this time, I’ve learned a lot about the student’s who consistently perform the best, what they are doing and how they are doing it. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with parents and their child(ren)’s academic development.

A lot of parents want to discuss their child’s learning style and then adapt the education they receive to that. Yet, there’s plenty of research to suggest that this should be thought about as not so important. Just take a look at the work of Daniel Willingham (here’s a chunky article which summarises most of his research). The short version of it all is:

“Although different people may prefer different learning methods, adjusting the instruction to fit this preference does not improve learning”. 

In other words, our learning style (visual, auditory, reading or kinaesthetic) is a neat concept we like to tell ourselves but there’s no evidence to suggest studying information in our 'preferred style' improves learning or test scores. 

Rather than focussing on learning styles, we should be focussing on what is happening when a child is trying to learn new information.

The two key techniques you should know about…

• Active recall

• Spaced repetition 

Active recall provides the learning technique, spaced repetition provides the structure. Both are simple concepts and both are routinely applied in different ways by top performing students year after year in all sorts of exams. Importantly, a parent can implement them within their child’s learning environment from an early age in order to help them prepare for an exam such as the 11 plus.

What is active recall?

Active recall is testing. That’s it!

The most thorough study to support the benefits of active recall was conducted by Professor John Dunlosky (here’s the key study). In short, he found that students who test themselves on information regularly often retain the most information and perform the best in exams. This is as opposed to just taking notes on, reading through, listening to or highlighting information.

In retrospect, this does make sense. Students are practising the exact same skill they are required to perform in an exam. That is, the ability to recall information without assistance. This can be achieved through short, regular testing.

This is not to say students should not re-read, re-write, highlight or listen to new information. They can and they should. But this learning must be consolidated by a quick test afterwards. Regular testing will work wonders in terms of students actually being able to remember and use their newly acquired knowledge within an exam situation.

You can find some of the techniques I’ve learned from students I’ve held workshops with and tutored in the past within the video above. As a parent, you can assist your child with these recommendations and even play an instrumental role in testing them on a regular basis. I’ll build more on this later in the blog post.

What is spaced repetition?

Spaced repetition is repeating this testing process over time. The nuance is, at first, when new information is encountered — test regularly. Then, once the student is able to recall more, you can space testing sessions further and further apart. 

For example, within the 11 Plus exams, a huge part of the English component tested for is depth and range of vocabulary. This takes time, patience and consistency to build. A spaced repetition system of testing is the perfect way to do this.

Though the top performing students I’ve encountered don’t have a system in place to the level of detail I outline in the video, they definitely do understand the concept of spaced repetition. They review and test themselves at regular intervals and their parents play a part in this too.

Here are some ideas I’ve seen work in the past…

Teach your own child

Many parents opt to do this. There are often aspects of the English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections within the 11 plus exam that students haven’t been able to fully get to grips with at school. If you have the time and the patience, a parent can step in to fill the void.

The 11 Plus is an exam in which a parent’s existing knowledge of English and maths, as well as their general reasoning skills, can come in handy. If you’ve passed GCSE level maths and English you should be able to tackle the majority of 11 plus questions. The interesting part will come when trying to explain how you are working out the answers to your child!

If you’re up to the challenge, and you have the time available to sit with your child for a half hour or so per day, I’d recommend you get your hands on a revision guide. You’ll then need to take the time to familiarise yourself with the revision guide and figure out where the gaps in your child’s knowledge exist. You can use the revision or study guide to help explain concepts to your child and give them the required practice to be able to perform the exercise quickly and accurately within an exam environment. Continuous regular practice is required in order to keep concepts fresh and exam technique sturdy in the build up to the exam. Therefore, further investment in books and guides might be required at a later date.

I’ve seen this work a lot. In fact, my own dad took on the responsibility of developing my maths reasoning skills when I was aged 10. He bought some revision guides, familiarised himself with them and sat down with me on a regular basis to demonstrate how to arrive at the correct answers. After a while I began to get the hang of it and could practice on my own. Parents I’ve worked with since have also done this though, like my dad (who is self employed and often worked from home), they often had the time and patience to spare.

Beyond physically sitting down with and teaching your child you can help them implement active recall and spaced repetition in order to retain as much information as possible for the exam. A tricky part of the 11 Plus is that there is no limit to the scope of questions your child could be asked. Maths and English are almost unlimited in their variety and scope. For example, the depth and range of a child’s vocabulary is a huge element to success within the English comprehension and verbal reasoning exams. Your child should constantly be exposed to new, interesting and increasingly more sophisticated vocabulary. As a parent, you can assist in this development by:

• Encouraging them to read (this is easier said than done).

• Making time for shared reading sessions in which you read with them by taking turns.

• Varying the depth and range of your own vocabulary when conversing with your child on a daily basis.

• Taking the opportunity to explain the meaning of words to your child when the opportunity arises.

• Actively testing your child on their vocabulary.

• Listening to The Exam Coach 11 Plus Daily Vocab Show on a daily basis!

You can find all episodes of The Exam Coach Podcast on:

• iTunes

• YouTube

• Spotify

• Amazon Music

There are many different ways of doing the above which I’ll need to unpack in a whole new blog post. Getting creative is a great place to start… Think about car journeys to and from school, dinner times, even conversations over popular family messaging apps such as WhatsApp. All of these daily occurrences could be used to help your child develop their vocabulary.

Put technology to work

There are loads of different apps and online services out there. Though, revision apps for the 11 Plus are a little more limited than what’s available for GCSE or A Level. Due to the uncertainty around whether a 9 or 10 year old has access to a digital device (some do, some don’t) many of the apps for 11 Plus are far less developed than the current standard for educational apps. As a result of the smaller market size, they also tend to cost above average prices.

The world of apps is also a tricky one for a parent to manage. My one reservation about using these apps is it takes an incredible amount of self-discipline and focus from a 9 or 10 year old to consistently use them. Having the discipline to visit the app and spend time studying there is tough. A child also measures learning apps against other apps, games and forms of entertainment they are familiar with. Most learning apps have nowhere near the amount of engagement triggers and feedback loops which other popular apps possess. In my experience, 10 minutes on a learning app (for example, Literacy Planet) will often descend into 50 minutes of mobile gaming (think Brawl Stars, Fortnite or Clash of Clans). Once a child is on a smartphone or tablet there’s every chance of them becoming distracted by an app that is simply far better at attracting and keeping their attention.

For this reason, I’d recommend using technology in specific ways with your child. For example, opt to use a laptop or desktop computer over a tablet or smartphone. This way apps are not as easily accessible as they are on a tablet or smartphone. Also, laptop and desktop usage encourages children to sit at a desk, a position they associate with studying. Smartphones and tablets give them free reign to run around, lie-down or try working upside down (yes, I’ve seen this before)!

An app and website service I can recommend is Quizlet. This is a flashcard testing app great for learning new concepts, vocabulary and quick maths testing. There are often sets of pre-made flashcards available on the platform but I’d recommend creating your own so that your child takes more ownership and pride in their learning. This often leads to greater buy-in when the time comes for regular testing. If they’ve made it, they’re more likely to use it.

In my opinion, technology can be a helpful support to learning but it cannot be the substitute for the fully focused learning which takes place with the assistance of a parent or tutor.

Hire a personal tutor 

There’s been plenty of news coverage about the boom within the tutoring industry recently.

A good tutor can be the difference between your child gaining a place at their first choice school. The issue is, there are over 100,000 tutors in the UK. Many post their services on sites such as Tutorfair and Tutor Hunt, you can often find the cheapest rates here (usually upwards of £20 an hour) but it’s a bit of a lottery as to what you get.

On the other hand, some smaller more bespoke tuition agencies as well as private individuals offer tutoring services, but often at a premium. I’ve seen figures range between anything from £35-100 per hour. Some tutors charge even more. With the sophistication of modern online learning technology tutors often charge very similar rates for in-person and online tuition.

If you pick the right tutor it is a worthwhile, albeit, often expensive, investment. The high rates tutors can charge are driven by the demand in the market. Parents know that if another child is being tutored in addition to their regular schooling they’re likely to gain the edge over their own. This, set against the backdrop of a potentially life altering experience at a grammar or independent school, convinces many to make the investment in their child’s future. After all, it is very likely to be paid back in many different ways if their child were to win a place.

One reservation I have about tutoring for the 11 Plus is that tutors often exaggerate the amount and detail of tuition needed. The 11 Plus is an exam in which, once the basic techniques and patterns of reasoning are learned, all that really needs to happen next is regular practice to increase consistency and speed. Students who are exposed to regular demonstrations illustrating how to complete the 11 Plus papers and the reasoning behind each answer tend to achieve the highly. Combine this with some coaching around exam technique (how to complete the exam in the most efficient way) then they are well on their way.

Online group tuition/courses

Instead of one to one tuition, online group tuition is an option. If your child has large gaps in their knowledge this can be a less effective solution than individualised tutoring. But if they’re generally up to speed with most of their work, and just need some specialised guidance in order to refine their exams skills and build upon their existing knowledge base, group tuition is a highly effective option.

It offers a similar flexibility to individual tuition with the added value of students receiving instruction from a single expert tutor within their field who has been employed and trained by a tuition company. This is as opposed to a tutor who happens to live locally or has a free slot in their online tutoring schedule that day/week.

Furthermore, the group dynamic means there needs to be a clear curriculum or course trajectory set out at the very beginning. Tutoring companies therefore create an optimised set of learning materials which they know will help the students reach the level they need to be to become successful in the exam. The friendly competition amongst students in the same class can also help drive learning and retention through short class tests within the format of active recall and spaced repetition. It’s an educational format many countries with highly competitive education systems continue to use, for example, South Korea, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Within the 11 Plus category, this style of tuition is relatively new and it’s something we’ve decided to perfect as The Exam Coach’s main 11+ offering. Furthermore, because tuition is offered to groups rather than individuals we can offer a couple of weekly sessions for a reduced charge of £15. If you’d like to find out what’s available for your child each week you can subscribe to the email newsletter we send out each week here.