Y5 11+ Week Commencing 20th April (week 3 of 6)
Welcome back.
We hope you had a great weekend. We’re now entering the final term, with just 12 weeks of regular teaching left. At this point, we recommend gradually increasing home study to around 20–30 minutes per day, ideally broken into 10–20 minute sessions. If you’re not already attending our additional sessions, we strongly encourage you to consider them, as they can be very effective for boosting confidence and addressing any remaining gaps. Please note that a limited number of ad-hoc 1:1 sessions will also become available.
Throughout the holidays, we will continue offering workshops (each covering different content), mock tests, and 1:1 lessons. These will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with booking links shared in the coming weeks.
If you have already placed a book order, your resources should have been distributed. If not, details on how to order can be found in the Homework section. If you are still waiting to receive your materials, please get in touch. For those who have not yet ordered, a small amount of stock is still available.
A Couple of Important Reminders
Parking
Please do not park on site. The parking spaces belong to other organisations using the venue. We really appreciate your understanding and cooperation in respecting this arrangement.
Attendance
Classes run Monday to Saturday. If your child is unable to attend a session, please let us know as early as possible. Where space allows, we will always do our best to offer an alternative session within the same week.
Please do not simply turn up to another session without prior arrangement.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We’re looking forward to a productive and successful term ahead.
Warm regards,
Chris, Nic and the team
THINGS TO BOOK
SPATIAL (NON-VERBAL) REASONING FOCUS LESSONS
BOOK HERE
Week 4: 27th April - 2nd May
Week 5: 4th May - 9th May
Week 6: 11th May - 16th May
Spatial reasoning in the 11+ GL test (UK) is all about how well a child can understand and manipulate shapes and patterns in their mind. It doesn’t test knowledge in the same way as maths or English, but instead looks at how children think about space, movement, and visual relationships.
In the GL Assessment papers, spatial reasoning questions might involve:
Identifying the next shape in a sequence.
Finding the hidden shape within a diagram.
Rotating or reflecting a shape in their head.
Finding a the cube face that does not fit from a net.
Spotting which shape is different or doesn’t belong.
Many children find this area the most challenging, because it is so visual. Unlike vocabulary or times tables, which can be revised in a more straightforward way, spatial reasoning relies heavily on visualisation skills—being able to “see” the shapes move or change mentally. Some children naturally enjoy this type of puzzle, but for many it takes practice and confidence to improve.
That’s why we are progressing these sessions much earlier this year with content slightly less challenging before we review again later in the Summer. By introducing spatial reasoning well in advance, children will have more time to build up these visual skills gradually, without pressure. The earlier start also means we can go over different types of questions carefully, helping children become more confident with the concepts and strategies they’ll need for the 11+.
VERBAL REASONING FOCUS LESSONS
BOOK HERE
Week 1: 18th May - 23rd May
HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Week 2: 1st June - 6th June
Week 3: 8th June - 13th June
Our Verbal Reasoning GL Focus Sessions are part of our spiral curriculum, where skills are revisited and built upon over time to ensure strong understanding and retention. Designed for the GL 11+ exam used by the West Midlands Consortium, they reflect the structure and challenge of the real test. Over the three-week programme, pupils rotate through key question types including: coding, number problems, sequences, vocabulary, and analogies, each time increasing in difficulty. This spiral approach strengthens accuracy, speed, and problem-solving under timed conditions.
We raise the level of challenge beyond regular classwork, ensuring pupils are fully stretched. Those who attend and practise at home become more confident because they gain familiarity with a wide range of question styles, improve their techniques, and learn to manage time effectively. By revisiting concepts in increasingly complex ways, our spiral curriculum helps children build a secure foundation while developing the confidence and resilience needed for the most demanding verbal reasoning questions.
HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
BOOK HERE
EACH WORKSHOP IS DIFFERENT. ALL DATES ARE ON THE LINK ABOVE
The 11+ isn’t just about passing an exam – it’s about building real confidence, exam technique, and academic resilience. The Eleven Plus Success workshops are designed by experienced teachers to give children focused, structured preparation in key areas like English comprehension, vocabulary, maths, and reasoning.
Each session targets essential exam skills such as time management, working under pressure, and tackling GL-style questions, while also identifying and closing gaps in learning. This helps prevent learning loss and keeps children progressing steadily, even outside school.
With interactive, exam-focused practice and expert guidance, these workshops don’t just improve knowledge – they help children feel calm, prepared, and capable when it matters most.
A small amount of targeted support now can make a big difference to confidence and outcomes later.
MOCK TESTS
BOOK HERE
EACH MOCK TEST IS DIFFERENT AND PROGRESSIVE. ALL DATES ARE ON THE LINK ABOVE
Mock tests are one of the most powerful tools in 11+ preparation. They don’t just check what a child knows — they recreate real exam conditions, helping students build confidence, stamina, and time-management skills before the actual test.
At Eleven Plus Success, mock exams mirror the real GL-style 11+ format across English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning. This gives children a clear picture of where they are now, and exactly what they need to improve.
After each mock, parents receive detailed feedback showing strengths, weaknesses, and key areas for focus. This turns every test into a clear, personalised revision plan — not just a score.
In short, mock tests reduce exam-day stress, highlight gaps early, and give children the best possible chance of success.
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VOCABULARY
WORD OF THE WEEK: Amiable (Find a synonym, antonym and put it into a sentence)
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This week’s KAHOOT quiz pin: 03202788 (VR QUIZ 3)
Well done to Harriet. Our winner last week . You get 5 raffle tickets!!
Remember to play through kahoot.it. Use name1, name2, name3 etc for each play!
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If you haven’t done so already - please follow me on Facebook
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HOMEWORK
10-11 VR ASSESSMENT TEST 2
10-11 ENGLISH ASSESSMENT TEST 2
Unsure how to do homework or independent study - watch this link
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO LINK: VERBAL REASONING: Mirror Codes before the lesson. This can replace a 10min test and children will receive 2 raffle tickets for doing so.
We are coming towards the end of the 9-10 books and will be moving onto the 10-11 books. I plan to do an order this weekend for the books. You can order here.
Coming to the end of the 10min test books? The next steps are the focus books. Order here
CGP Practice Books 9-10 - Over the Easter break please aim to complete the assessment and any unfinished pages in the 9-10 books.
Finish the booklet from the lesson and return in the following week. Remember to complete the vocab in context. To be handed in week commencing 20th April
REMEMBER: to mark the homework with your child and bring it to next lesson.
REMBEMBER THE HOMEWORK IS DUE IN NEXT WEEK’S CLASS.
Complete at least 3 tests from each of the 10min test books. REMEMBER to mark this with your child daily & go through mistakes. Suggested time table is available in our 11+ guide. https://www.elevenplussuccess.com/11-useful-documents
