Warwickshire 11+ Exam (GL Assessment)
Marion is an experienced 11+ Tutor and each year, Marion prepares children for the Warwickshire 11+ exam for schools such as Alcester Grammar School, King Edward VI School, Lawrence Sheriff School, Rugby High School, and Stratford Girls’ Grammar School. To apply for a place at a Warwickshire Grammar School, your child will need to sit the Warwickshire 11+ Exam. The Warwickshire 11+ Exam is provided by GL Assessment and it takes place in the September your child begins Year 6. Registration to sit the exam in September 2023 opens on Monday 8 May for those currently in year 5 and it will close on June 30.
When to begin tuition?
11+ Tuition usually begins in the September when your child starts Year 5. However, in recent years, the exam has become more competitive and many children begin tuition in Year 4. As the Warwickshire 11+ test takes place in the autumn of Year 6, 18 months of tuition will provide the optimum results.
Year 4 11+ Course
Tuition in Year 4 will focus on building children’s core English skills: spelling, punctuation, grammar, comprehension and vocabulary. In Maths, children will learn all times tables up to 12 x 12, with associated division facts. Times tables should not slow them down in year 5, when learning new concepts. They will learn short and long multiplication, short division, often known as ‘bus stop method’, and they will learn how to tackle word problems. This will mean children will have covered all aspects of the Year 4 maths curriculum and the beginning of the Year 5 maths curriculum.
Once your child’s core skills are secure, they will then move on to study Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning. Starting tuition in Year 4 gives your child the advantage of having the whole of Year 5 to tackle the more complex elements of the 11+ currciculum as well as to develop their exam technique and confidence.
Year 5 11+ Course
Maths
11+ Maths covers a wide variety of Maths topics including Number, Fractions, Percentages and Decimals, Ratio, Measurement, Data, Algebra, and Geometry. There will be a mixture of long and short maths questions which will assess your child’s ability in mental arithmetic as well as problem solving.
English
This will contain a reading comprehension with multiple choice questions testing your child’s understanding of the text. They will be assessed on their inference, deduction and understanding of vocabulary in context. They will be asked to identify literary techniques (simile, metaphor, personification etc.) and certain word classes (verb, noun, adjective etc.). It will also contain a section in which your child will have to identify spelling and punctuation mistakes as well as a section in which they will have to identify the correct word to complete a sentence.
Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning in GL assessment is heavily based on logic and codes with some vocabulary based questions. Your child will need good logic and a broad vocabulary for these questions.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Linked with maths and problem-solving skills, the non-verbal and spatial reasoning section tests children's ability to problem-solve using visual information. It includes puzzles of pattern continuation and rule finding which assess logical thinking.
Should my child sit the 11+?
Marion will assess your child to determine whether the 11+ journey is appropriate for them. The 11+ exam is very challenging and fiercely competitive, so you will first need to ensure that your child has the potential to pass. Marion will be honest whether your child has the inate ability, not only to pass the exam but also whether they are likely to succeed once they have secured a place at a highly competitive school.