Good afternoon, everyone!
I hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed a bonfire nights and firework displays if you went to them!
During half term, we offered additional learning opportunities, including one-to-one lessons, a workshop and our first 11+ Mock Test Workshop, which received very positive feedback.
The mock test provided a valuable starting point, helping us identify each child’s strengths, areas for improvement and exam technique. It also gave children experience of timed exam conditions, helping to build confidence and reduce nerves ahead of the 11+ examination. Individual feedback will be shared with parents later today, allowing us to tailor future preparation to each child’s needs.
For children who missed the mock test workshop, a one-off catch-up session will take place on Sunday 15th November. Parents wishing to book must confirm with me by the end of today (Monday 9th), as no further dates will be offered.
Additional one-to-one support may also be available for children needing extra help in specific areas.
Our priority is to ensure every child feels supported, makes steady progress and approaches the 11+ with confidence.
Important Update: 11+ Preparation for September 2028 Entry
We wanted to provide an update regarding the West Midlands Grammar Schools Consortium 11+ entrance examination for children applying for September 2028 entry. Traditionally, the West Midlands 11+ examination has taken place in September. However, some other grammar school consortiums have recently announced changes to their examination schedules, moving their tests forward to July. For example, Gloucestershire has announced a July 2027 examination date for September 2028 entry.
At present, the West Midlands Grammar Schools Consortium has not officially announced a move to July 2027. Queen Mary's High School in Walsall has published Saturday 11 September 2027 as its examination date, which is encouraging. However, we are still awaiting confirmation of the full examination timetable from the consortium.
When can we expect confirmation?
We anticipate that the consortium may confirm its examination timetable between January and April 2027 (probably round February), although no official announcement date has been provided. We would expect the arrangements to become clearer before registration opens, which is anticipated around May 2027.
Importantly, the West Midlands Consortium will continue to use GL Assessment for the 2028 entry examination. This means that, although there is some uncertainty surrounding the examination date, our preparation will remain focused on the GL Assessment format and the skills required for the test.
What does this mean for our preparation?
As a precaution, we will be continuing on planning our 11+ preparation timetable around a potential July 2027 examination date, while remaining hopeful that the exam will take place in September as usual.
This approach ensures that children are fully prepared should the examination be brought forward, rather than finding ourselves with almost three months less preparation time than anticipated. Our aim will be to ensure that all key topics, exam techniques and timed practice are covered by the end of June 2027.
Please be reassured that this does not mean we will be rushing the children or placing unnecessary pressure on them. We will continue to focus on steady progress, confidence-building and thorough preparation, while adjusting our teaching schedule appropriately. Once the West Midlands Grammar Schools Consortium makes an official announcement confirming the examination dates, we will review our timetable and make any necessary adjustments to our preparation plans.
If the examination remains in September, we will have the additional summer weeks available for consolidation, further practice and strengthening any remaining areas of weakness. Our priority is to ensure that every child feels confident, well-prepared and supported, regardless of when the examination ultimately takes place.
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.
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. DOWNLOAD HERE
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
CONTACT ME TO BOOK 15TH NOVEMBER
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.
👉ALL SESSIONS BOOK HERE
Want to book a future mock, workshop, 1-1 or something else. Try this link. If you are unsure please let me know!
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VOCABULARY
WORD OF THE WEEK: Gregarious (Find a synonym, antonym and put it into a sentence)
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This week’s KAHOOT quiz pin: (03911544 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 as this week’s winner! You receive 10 raffle tickets! Someone played as K. I am sorry I do not know who this is so can’t aware any raffle tickets (if it is you please do let me know).
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
VR P30-35
ENG P46-48
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
