Good morning, everyone!
I hope you all had a lovely half-term break and, if you managed to get away or enjoy some time off, that it was as restful as possible!
During half term, we offered a range of additional learning opportunities, including one-to-one lessons, a workshop and our first 11+ Mock Test Workshop.
The feedback so far has been really positive, and the mock test in particular has been incredibly valuable in helping us identify each child's strengths, as well as the areas where they would benefit from further support and development. We will be sharing individual feedback with parents later today.
Why is this first Mock Test Workshop so important?
We believe that sitting a mock test at this stage of the children's 11+ journey is an essential part of their preparation. It is about so much more than simply achieving a score.
The workshop gives children the opportunity to experience exam-style questions, work under timed conditions and begin to understand what is expected of them in a more formal test environment. It also helps us identify gaps in knowledge, assess exam technique and highlight areas such as time management, accuracy and confidence that may need additional attention.
Most importantly, this first mock provides a valuable starting point. It allows us to see where each child is now, rather than where we assume they are, so that we can make their preparation over the coming months more focused, personalised and effective. It also gives children an opportunity to become familiar with the testing experience early on, helping to reduce nerves and build confidence ahead of the real 11+ examination.
As we feel this first assessment is so beneficial, Nic has contacted all parents whose children were unable to attend to offer an alternative date of Sunday 15th November.
If you would like your child to take part, please let either Nic or me know as soon as possible so that we can gauge interest and hopefully arrange an additional session.
Please note that this will be a one-off opportunity, and unfortunately we will not be able to offer another catch-up date for this first mock workshop.
Finally, if you feel your child would benefit from some additional support in a particular area, please do get in touch. I may be able to arrange an ad hoc one-to-one lesson to help them work through any challenges, strengthen their understanding and build their confidence.
Our aim is to ensure that every child feels supported, makes steady progress and approaches their 11+ journey with growing confidence.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support!
Year 5 – Summary
Here is a brief summary of the key information from last week’s updates. If you would like any further information, please let me know.
11+ Testing Dates: Tests may move to July, potentially as early as 3rd July. Nothing is confirmed, but we are planning ahead.
Additional Sessions: Focus Sessions are available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with one-to-one support also available.
Home Practice: Please prioritise homework, Kahoot quizzes, regular 10-minute tests and vocabulary quizzes before lessons.
Reading Assessment: Please complete and return the attached assessment so we can provide personalised reading recommendations.
Attendance: Please let us know early if your child cannot attend, so we can arrange an alternative where possible.
Year 5 Schedule:https://www.elevenplussuccess.com/y5-schedule
Thank you for your continued support. Regular, manageable practice and consistent attendance will help children build confidence and make steady progress.
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BLOCK TWO
Week 1: week commencing 19th October
OCTOBER HALF TERM 26th October - no weekly lessons
Week 2: week commencing 2nd November
Week 3: week commencing 9th November
Week 4: week commencing 16th November
Week 5: week commencing 23rd November
Week 6: week commencing 30th November
👉WEEKLY ENGLISH LESSONS ( FOLLOW THE SAME DATES AS ABOVE)
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👉👉THINGS TO BOOK
👉SPATIAL FOCUS LESSONS
BOOK HERE
Cost £60 (£20/week)
Tuesdays 4:30pm, Thursdays 5:30pm and Saturdays 11am.
Week 4: week commencing 16th November
Week 5: week commencing 23rd November
Week 6: week commencing 30th November
Spatial Reasoning is about thinking with shapes and objects in your mind. Children might need to mentally rotate shapes, visualise how objects fit together, identify patterns or work out what something would look like from a different perspective. It can be particularly difficult because, unlike many areas of Maths and English, spatial reasoning isn't something children regularly practise at school. A child can understand the question but still struggle to visualise the answer.
Our three-week Focus Sessions give children the opportunity to slow down and explicitly learn the different spatial strategies, rather than relying purely on natural visual ability. We break the skills down, model how to approach different question types and then revisit and practise those strategies, gradually building confidence and speed. The aim is to help children develop a toolkit of strategies they can draw on when faced with an unfamiliar spatial problem.
👉 MATHEMATICAL REASONING FOCUS LESSONS
BOOK HERE
Cost £60 (£20/week)
Tuesdays 4:30pm, Thursdays 5:30pm and Saturdays 11am.
Week 1: week commencing 7th December
Week 2: week commencing 14th December
Week 3: week commencing 4th January
👉MOCK TEST WORKSHOP
January 2nd 2027 9am to 12pm
BOOK HERE
Our Mock Test Workshops give children the opportunity to practise the skills and strategies needed to approach tests with confidence.
The workshop is split into two parts.
First, we explicitly teach test strategies — helping children understand how to manage their time, approach different question types and work effectively under test conditions. Then, they put those strategies into practice with a realistic mock test experience, based on the skills and curriculum we have covered in class.
This is about much more than simply getting a score. Children develop confidence, stamina, time-management and exam technique, while becoming familiar with the experience of working under timed conditions. These are skills that will support them not only through the 11+, but throughout their future education.
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VOCABULARY
WORD OF THE WEEK: Haugty (Find a synonym, antonym and put it into a sentence)
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This week’s KAHOOT quiz pin: (06107556 Vocabulary Quiz - Block 2 Week 2)
Please remember the Kahoot quiz will expire this Sunday 8pm
Remember to play through Kahoot.it using name1, name2 etc. (Eg ChrisM1, ChrisM2 etc.)
CONGRATULATIONS TO BONNIE and AMANVEER as this week’s winner! You receive 10 raffle tickets each!
DOWNLOAD THE VOCABULARY LIST HERE
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THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
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HOMEWORK
Unsure how to do homework or independent study - watch this link
Finish the booklet from the lesson and return in the following week. Remember to complete the vocab in context. ANSWERS HERE
Homework is in the 9-10 CGP Practice Books ORDER HERE
CGP 9-10 BOOKS
MATHS P33-36
NVR P38-43
REMEMBER: to mark the homework with your child and bring it to next lesson.
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
