Do I need an English tutor for the 7 plus exam?

To be ready for the exam, candidates need a good grasp of the National Curriculum for English up to the end of Year 3. This means they need to cover aspects of the syllabus that they simply will not be taught at primary school. Many pre-prep schools will not cover this either, as they may expect their cohort to move up to their adjoining prep school at age 7.

An English tutor can identify your child’s strengths and any gaps in knowledge. From there, we can create a plan to develop their understanding of all required topics in a structured plan leading to exam day.

Some parents may believe that they can tutor their child for these school entrance exams. Whilst we understand that parents will understand the National Curriculum and knowledge required, we don’t believe they’re best placed to teach their own child. Going down this route can place strain on family life. Your child may come to resent the time spent learning with you, allowing the prep school related stress to creep into other aspects of your time together.

School entrance specialists

For school entrance exams, we offer both qualified teachers as tutors and exceptional academics with a deep understanding of the 7+ process. These school entrance specialists are the ideal tutor for your child if you find that their syllabus knowledge is already above that of their peers.

In these instances, your child needs to be able to recall their knowledge under the pressure of exam day and so we would prepare them for:

• Identifying question types
• Improving speed and accuracy
• Developing confidence and exam technique
• Coping in their interview.

Tutoring English exam technique

Beyond attaining knowledge of the 7+ curriculum, your child will need to develop their exam technique in order to complete the paper fast enough. We cannot stress enough how important speed is for school entrance exams, and we believe this to be the reason that so many children fail.

Our tutors come with a deep knowledge of the entry requirements of each individual school. Their sessions are therefore tailored to your target schools, giving your child the tools to understand exactly what the questions are asking so they give the answer that examiners are looking for.

Can I tutor English myself at home?

Whilst we do not recommend taking on the burden of tutoring your child yourself, we certainly do still encourage getting involved with your child’s exam preparation. Frequent bursts of learning, such as spellings, can keep your child interested. This can also help you understand how they are progressing, so you can be assured that their preparation is in hand.

You can ask them to spell a small list of words after dinner, or before heading out to school in the morning. Make a note of any they get wrong and take the time to explain the correct spelling to them. You should also check the following week if they have remembered this. We’ve got some more information on learning spellings to help you.

As with all learning, reading is imperative to your child’s 7+ prep. Paired reading with your child is the perfect way to help them improve their reading and vocabulary, whilst also serving as something of an escape for you both! Check out our recommendations if you’re not sure where to start.

Find an English tutor

Whether a qualified English teacher or an experienced school admissions tutor, every tutor on our books is committed to the highest standards and has a track record of success.

All our tutors have an Enhanced DBS Certificate, a degree and a minimum of 2 years of tutoring or teaching experience. They are all reference-checked, with our team conducting onboarding interviews for every tutor. Moreover, they all know how to create and deliver a learning programme that is tailored to the needs of an individual. You can be assured that we will match your child with the most suitable tutor for them.

Get in touch to find out more about our expert English tutors.

Academic Assessments

Mentor is here for you every step of the way on your prep school journey. For many parents, this starts with an academic assessment.

We are one of the only educational consultancies with a licence to provide Cambridge University CEM tests as a diagnostic assessment for parents seeking to understand their child’s prep school suitability.

We believe this is the best academic assessment your child can sit because many independent schools use CEM to create their own entrance exams, leaving you with a close correlation between the strengths and weaknesses your child displays during the assessment and those they may exhibit in their entrance exams.

The assessment is therefore a great way to identify gaps in knowledge, inform the most effective tutoring and help parents place their children in the correct cohort of schools where they will thrive. Contact our team today for more information.

---

Get in Touch

Don’t hesitate to contact one of our friendly team today. We are ready to give you more advice on the exam, tuition and how to help your child succeed.