My child joined Marie Redmond in the summer term after her previous tuition company went bust. I had already been very unhappy with the standard of everything I could see there but was doubting my judgement as a first-time 11+ tuition parent.
As soon as we moved to Marie Redmond it was very clear I had been correct.
I have been unbelievably impressed with the teacher (Jacqueline), the coursework, the company specific workbooks and content and also now enjoy marking her work myself as I'm much more aware of what and how she's doing. I think above all else I have been impressed with the excellent level of professionalism they have shown us weekly through emails and texts. They are regular, accurate, timely and to the point yet full of the detailed information we need as busy working parents. I'm delighted we found Marie Redmond tuition in time.[From Google Review. The location of the parent/child has been excluded as their name is featured on Google]
Year 6 parent, Location Confidential (2023)
The Sir John Madejski Scholarship
Preparing Your Child for the 11 Plus
Our 11 Plus Tuition Courses have been designed to prepare pupils for all aspects of the 11 Plus exams in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and South West Hertfordshire. GL Assessment provides the tests used by Buckinghamshire, the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools and Kendrick School, as well as the Verbal Reasoning and Mathematics tests used by the the South West Herts Consortium. Future Stories Community Enterprise (formed by Reading School), produces the Reading School entrance test.
Our courses are relevant to students preparing for independent school entrance. Many of our past students have performed exceptionally well in their independent school entrance exams and Common Pre-Tests in preparation for Common Entrance.
What You Can Expect for Your Child on Our 11 Plus Tuition Courses
We develop pupils’ knowledge so they’re equipped to answer a broad range of challenging verbal, mathematical and non-verbal reasoning questions.
What Do the Courses Cover?
Verbal skills, i.e. English and Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning: the production of words, relationships between words, letters and numbers (excluding Reading School exam)
Comprehension*
Vocabulary*
Spelling*
Grammar*
Punctuation*
Mathematical skills (numerical reasoning)
Basic skills (addition, multiplication, division and subtraction)
Mental maths development
Problem solving techniques
Extracting information from graphs and tables
Averages
Foundation algebra concepts
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Ratio and proportion
Area and volume
2d and 3d shapes
Non-verbal skills (excluding South West Herts and Reading School)
Spatial awareness
Logical deduction skills
Mathematical concepts such as symmetry, rotation and reflection
Identifying relationships, similarities and differences between figures
Identifying sequences between shapes
* Not included in South West Herts exam, however, excellent vocabulary and spelling skills are required to complete Verbal Reasoning questions proficiently.
When your child enrols on our 11 Plus tuition course, we will:
Ask them to complete an assessment to understand their current level of ability
Recommend key areas for improvement based on the assessment results
Provide you with a personalised Tuition Plan – detailing your child’s specific targets
Course Structure
Term-time lessons last for 2 and a half hours and the course is divided into three terms, each comprising approximately 11 lessons. If your child misses the start of a course, they are welcome to join at a later date (subject to availability).
Teaching Methods
All of our 11 Plus Tuition Courses are thoroughly planned by Marie Redmond MEd and taught by her and a small team of first-class fully qualified local primary teachers. We use traditional teaching methods and the finest resources available so that your children are as prepared as they can be on the day. Educational games and activities are incorporated so that pupils enjoy their lessons and remain engaged throughout. We believe strongly that preparing your child mentally for sitting the exam is a key part of their success – which is why we work hard to build confidence and exposure to exam conditions.
Small Classes
We have small class sizes (less than half the size of most independent school lessons, with a maximum of 10 students), which means that your child will have valuable one-to-one attention with their fully qualified teacher.
Assessments and Progress Reports
Your child is assessed twice during each team – at half term and at the end of term. Based on the outcome of their initial assessment, we will create a tuition plan that sets their individual targets for each area they are preparing for (e.g. verbal, non-verbal and numerical reasoning). All lessons throughout the course are then designed to develop these areas. We continually monitor your child’s progress; this means that we can check they’ve achieved their individual targets and revise their tuition plan to ensure that it suits their needs and challenges. You are welcome to get in touch with us at any time during your child’s tuition, to gain feedback on their development.
SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond is our unique data-led service that allows parents to:
Track their child’s progress over the Year 4 and 5 term time courses - our charts visualise a student's performance in each area of the 11 Plus, using data from our regular assessments (2 per term).
See their child's overall score and how that compares to our recommended pass mark for each exam they are planning to sit.
View anonymously how their child's scores compare (for each topic area and at a total level) to the average of all children in their cohort.
View their child's termly tuition plan, created using data from their assessments.
Read the end of term student report from their child's teacher.
Marie Redmond Tuition 'Bag of Knowledge®'
At the start of the course, your child will receive a Bag of Knowledge® containing their class and homework books. This includes selected Marie Redmond's Superbrain® resources, in addition to books that are carefully curated each year from a wide range of reputable publishers. All our students are presented with their books in a Marie Redmond Tuition® rucksack, featuring an electronic thesaurus, notebook and a pencil case containing pencils, an eraser and sharpener. The cost of your child's Bag of Knowledge® is covered within the monthly course fees.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain®
A range of Marie Redmond's Superbrain®Books are provided exclusively to students on our term time and holiday courses. Using the knowledge gained during her eleven years of preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has written a number of verbal reasoning, English and maths books. Additionally, a range of verbal reasoning holiday course books are provided exclusively to students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards are given to all our term time students when they join, to supercharge their vocabulary skills.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 5 Courses
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 5 Holiday Courses
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 4 Courses
Homework
To help reinforce skills taught during the 11 Plus tuition course, we’ll provide homework at the end of each lesson – with reviews of each topic in the following session. This gives pupils the opportunity to ask any questions on areas they may have struggled with. As reading comprehension and vocabulary are such important parts of the 11 Plus exams, we recommend that parents encourage their children to read as wide a range of fiction and non-fiction books as possible.
The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club
Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.
Creative Writing Course
The virtual creative writing course is taught by our experienced teacher, Anne, who has an immense passion for reading and writing and leads our Book Club, in addition to teaching 11+ courses. This option is particularly useful for boys preparing for the Reading School 11+ exam but is open to all our students.
Students attend one creative writing lesson per week on Zoom, which lasts for 45 minutes. During every lesson they participate in a fun writing skills warm-up activity which might focus on grammar or a literary device, they might read and analyse a writing example or use a story prompt, and then work on creating their own text.
Every week there is a focus which can include story settings, characters, openings, events / problems and resolutions. Students practise writing in a variety of formats such as stories, plays, newspaper articles and letters. They are taught to use a variety of literary techniques and we show them how to draft their work, as well as reviewing and editing.
Homework is set every week. Students build upon the tasks in their lesson to create their own text. The texts are then reviewed at the start of the next lesson.
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes. Tuesdays at 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm.
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our creative writing course page.
Save 20% with Tax-Free Childcare
As we're registered with Ofsted, we accept payment by Tax-Free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers for all our classroom-based courses. If your employer has a Childcare Vouchers scheme and you did not join it (these closed to new entrants on 4th October 2018), you may be eligible for the replacement scheme, Tax-Free Childcare.
With Tax-Free Childcare, you can save 20% on the cost of your child's course. For every £8 you pay into the scheme, the government will pay in £2, up to a maximum top-up of £2000 per year. Many of our students' parents take advantage of this scheme and you can find out here if you are eligible. You can select this payment method when you register, or you can switch to it at anytime.
Days and Times
There are a selection of 11 Plus Tuition Courses to choose from at our centres in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Bushey, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Stoke Poges and Winnersh.
We currently accept registrations for students starting up to and including the 2029-30 academic year. New students are welcome to join a course at any point, not just at the start of the year (subject to availability). If your child joins after the start of term, we will provide a personalised payment plan so that you only pay from their first lesson.
We offer a straightforward monthly payment plan, which you can see on our fees pages. Many parents take advantage of the government's Tax-Free Childcare scheme to save 20% on their fees.
Holiday Courses
Our 4-day 11 Plus Intensive Easter Course for Year 5 students takes place in Amersham, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross, Stoke Poges and Winnersh. Our 11 Plus Intensive Summer Courses consist of 4-day courses for Year 4 students or 5-day courses for Year 5 students and take place in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Bushey (from 2025), Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Stoke Poges and Winnersh. The holiday courses concentrate on exam techniques and skills gaps, with educational games playing an integral part so that children remain engaged throughout. The 11 Plus Summer Courses for Year 5 students include a mock exam on the final day.
The Amersham 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Amersham, Chenies, Chesham, Little Missenden, Great Missenden, Little Chalfont, Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter.
The Aylesbury 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Aylesbury, Stoke Mandeville, Wendover, Weston Turville, Aston Clinton, Stone, Waddesdon, Quainton, Haddenham, Tring and Luton.
The Beaconsfield 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Seer Green, Jordans, Tylers Green, Penn, Wooburn Green, Bourne End and Cookham.
The Bushey 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Borehamwood, Bushey, Edgware, Hatch End, Harrow, Northwood (including Moor Park), Radlett, Rickmansworth (including Croxley Green) and Watford.
The Gerrards Cross 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Gerrards Cross, Fulmer, Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles and Denham.
The Reading 11 Plus Tuition Centre (Winnersh) conveniently located for residents of Woodley, Earley, Shinfield, Sonning, Wokingham, Twyford, Caversham, Bracknell, Theale, Calcot, Tilehurst and Henley-on-Thames.
The Stoke Poges 11 Plus Tuition Centre is conveniently located for residents of Stoke Poges, Hedgerley, Fulmer, Slough, Farnham Common, Farnham Royal, Iver, Denham, Uxbridge, Hayes, Harrow and Windsor.
11+ Mock Exams With Marie Redmond 11+ Intelligent Video Learning®
Get exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® 11 Plus Mock Exams for the Buckinghamshire, Kendrick, Slough and Kendrick exams.
Students who sat our mock exams in 2023 said they were very similar to the actual tests, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.
Our 11 Plus Tuition Courses Prepare Students for Entrance to These Schools
Ready to give your child a helping hand in the 11 Plus?
Competition for grammar school places is fierce, which is why more children than ever are having tuition before sitting the 11 Plus exam. We’ll give your child the best possible chance of securing a place, by taking the time to get to know them and understand the learning techniques that work best for them.
It depends on their current ability and how much support you feel they need. Most children start preparing for the 11 Plus in Year 5 – but some parents choose to start in Year 4. If you’re not sure when your child should start, please get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to advise.
Marie and her team of first-class, fully qualified primary teachers deliver lessons that are interactive and challenging, with an element of fun to keep your child engaged in the right way. We believe strongly that preparing your child mentally for sitting the exam is also a key part of their success – which is why we also work hard to build confidence and exposure to exam conditions.
With extensive experience of preparing children for the 11 Plus and teaching the curriculum in local schools, as well as preparing your child for exam conditions, we offer a winning combination.
Our classes are limited to ten pupils (nearly half the size of most independent school classes). This ensures that our pupils receive valuable one-to-one attention with the teacher.
We welcome all levels of abilities – because we believe every child should have the same opportunities and can benefit from 11 Plus tuition.
All children complete an assessment when they first join one of our courses to give us an understanding of their current ability and the appropriate level of challenge they need. We then assess them twice each term – at half term and at the end of term. This means that we can check they’ve achieved their individual targets and devise a Tuition Plan that suits their needs and challenges.
We will create a Tuition Plan based on the outcome of your child’s assessment. This sets their individual targets for verbal, non-verbal and numerical reasoning (key topics of the test). All lessons throughout the course are then designed to develop these areas.
We continually monitor their progress and reassess at half term and at the end of term. You are also welcome to get in touch with us at any time during your child’s tuition, to gain feedback on their development.
As reading comprehension and vocabulary are such important parts of the exam (verbal reasoning accounts for up to 50% of marks), we recommend that you encourage your child to read as wide a range of fiction and non-fiction books as possible.
Ensure that your child completes the homework provided to them at the end of their lesson – we review it in the following session, which gives them an opportunity to go through areas they may have struggled with.
At the start of the course, your child will receive a Bag of Knowledge® containing their class and homework books. This includes selected Marie Redmond’s Superbrain® resources, in addition to books that are carefully curated each year from a wide range of reputable publishers. All our students are presented with their books in a Marie Redmond Tuition® rucksack, featuring an electronic thesaurus, notebook and a pencil case containing pencils, an eraser and sharpener. The cost of your child’s Bag of Knowledge® is covered within the monthly course fees.
All 11 Plus course fees are paid by Direct Debit, Childcare Vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare but the method depends on whether your child attends classroom-based or virtual courses.
For classroom-based courses (avaiable during term time and the Easter and summer holidays), we accept payment of fees by Direct Debit, Childcare Vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare. We’ll send you specific payment details when your child enrols.
For the virtual courses (available only during the Easter and summer holidays), the government does not permit you to use Childcare Vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare to pay for lessons, therefore we accept only Direct Debit for our virtual courses. For a full explanation, please see this article on why we cannot accept Childcare Vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare for virtual courses.
Yes, for all classroom-based courses, you can pay your deposit with Childcare Vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare. When you select the option on the registration form to pay your fees with either Childcare Vouchers or Tax Free Childcare, you will be asked either ‘Would you like to pay your deposit with Childcare Vouchers?’ or ‘Would you like to pay your deposit with Tax-Free Childcare?’. Select yes and the form will explain the process.
The Government closed the Childcare Vouchers scheme to new entrants on 4th October 2018. If you joined the scheme on or before 4th October 2018 and are still eligible for Childcare Vouchers, you can continue to use them – like many thousands of parents across the UK. You remain eligible for Childcare Vouchers if you stay with the same employer, they continue to run the scheme and you do not take an unpaid career break of longer than a year. You can find out more on the Government website. If you did not join the Childcare Voucher scheme, or are no longer eligible, you can use the new scheme, which is called Tax-Free Childcare.
At the start of the course, your child will receive a Bag of Knowledge® containing their class and homework books. This includes selected Marie Redmond's Superbrain® resources, in addition to books that are carefully curated each year from a wide range of reputable publishers. All our students are presented with their books in a Marie Redmond Tuition® rucksack, featuring an electronic thesaurus, notebook and a pencil case containing pencils, an eraser and sharpener. The cost of your child's Bag of Knowledge® is covered within the monthly course fees.
Using the knowledge gained during her eleven years of preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has written a number of verbal reasoning, English and maths books. Additionally, a range of verbal reasoning holiday course books are provided exclusively to students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses.
To help reinforce skills taught during the 11 Plus tuition course, we’ll provide homework at the end of each lesson – with reviews of each topic in the following session. This gives pupils the opportunity to ask any questions on areas they may have struggled with. As reading comprehension and vocabulary are such important parts of the 11 Plus exams, we recommend that parents encourage their children to read as wide a range of fiction and non-fiction books as possible.
Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.
Students practise writing in a variety of formats such as stories, plays, newspaper articles and letters. They are taught to use a variety of literary techniques and we show them how to draft their work, as well as reviewing and editing.
Get exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® 11 Plus Mock Exams for the Buckinghamshire, Kendrick, Slough and Kendrick exams.