To be eligible to apply for a place at a Slough grammar school (Herschel Grammar School, Langley Grammar School, St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School and Upton Court Grammar School), your child will need to pass the Slough Consortium 11 Plus exam. Children born between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015 will take the Slough Consortium 11+ exam on Saturday 20th September 2025 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2026.
The Consortium operates a shared 11 Plus testing process with the four schools using the same test papers and common eligibility criteria for selection. In October 2022, CEM Cambridge formally announced its decision to stop providing paper based exams from September 2023; therefore the Slough Consortium required a new exam provider from 2023. At that point, we immediately switched all students preparing for Slough to our GL Assessment syllabus; by making this decision before the new exam board was confirmed, we ensured that our Slough students received nearly 4 months of additional preparation for the GL-style of questions. On Tuesday 7th February 2023, it was announced that the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools had contracted with GL Assessment for the 11+ examinations to be held in September 2023, 2024 and 2025.The tests identify the top 35% of the cohort as eligible for consideration for entry to grammar school and the eligibility mark is 111.
The Slough Consortium has its own contract with GL Assessment and there will be no sharing of 11+ scores with any other schools. Therefore, for example, a student applying to both Buckinghamshire and Slough will need to sit both exams.
I just wondered if you could pass on a huge thank you to the ladies who administered the test at RGS in High Wycombe. My daughter Millie was quite upset and nervous when she arrived and they were so welcoming and made her feel so comfortable. This was exactly the reason we decided to do a practice test and Millie came out feeling a lot more comfortable about the whole experience and that is really down to the two ladies that we met there. Many thanks again.
Year 5 parent, Slough (2023)
She was successful in her 11 plus exams. She scored 142 in the Bucks exam and 130 for the Slough Consortium. She is very relieved and settled in to enjoying year 6. She wanted me to pass on her thanks. I would like to thank you and your team for your hard work in preparing her for the exams and the support throughout the process. Special thanks to Sinead, she was very good for the kids.
Year 5 parent, Slough (2018)
Hi Marie
He passed both the Reading and Slough exams.Thank you for your help and support!
Year 5 parent, Bracknell (2022)
Dear Marie, she smashed her 11+ with 147 in Bucks and 125 in Berkshire. Thanks so much.
Year 5 parent, Iver (2022)
Hope you’re well.He has passed his exams with good marks. He’s got 143 at GL and 117 at Slough .We would like to say a huge thank- to all of you,and a special mention to his teacher Gulnaz for all the help and support given to him.Good luck with all your future endeavours.
Year 5 parent, High Wycombe (2022)
He scored 129 at Bucks and 113 at Slough 11+. He is very happy about his result and excited to apply for the same school as his brother (Royal Grammar school). Many thanks for your help and support in this learning journey,
Year 5 parent, High Wycombe (2022)
The lessons are very well organised and the communication is clear. The teachers are very nice and approachable. My son enjoyed his lessons at MRT and was happy to pass both Slough and Bucks 11+ tests![From Google Review. The location of the parent/child has been excluded as their full name is featured on Google]
Year 6 parent, Location Confidential (2022)
Ayana did extremely well and passed both the Slough and Buckinghamshire exams ( with top scores )
She also attended the book club & thoroughly enjoyed it
Thank you so much for the journey that started 3 years ago
Highly recommend[From Google Review. The location of the parent/child has been excluded as their full name is featured on Google]
The Slough 11 Plus exam consists of two papers, taken on the same day, each approximately 60 minutes in duration and testing English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
All questions on both papers are multiple choice and pupils indicate their answers on a separate answer sheet.
The provider of the Slough 11+ exam changed from CEM to GL Assessment in September 2023. Parent guides and familiarisation papers are available to download on the admissions pages of each of the Slough Consortium Grammar Schools.
You need to register your child to take the Slough Consortium 11 Plus test.
Online registration for the 2025 exam (for September 2026 entry) will open at 10am on Thursday 1st May 2025 and close at 10am on Thursday 5th June 2025.
The sole purpose of registration is to enable your son or daughter to sit the 11 Plus exam. The consortium will order one set of exam papers for them, therefore ensure that you complete the registration process once only.
The Slough Consortium has its own contract with GL Assessment and there will be no sharing of 11+ scores with any other schools. Therefore, for example, a student applying to both Buckinghamshire and Slough will need to sit both exams.
By scoring 111 or more, your child will be eligible for consideration for a place at any Slough grammar school named on your Local Authority’s Common Application Form (CAF). However, this does not guarantee a place as the schools may be oversubscribed. Each school’s admissions policy will describe how places are allocated in the event of oversubscription.
The results date for the 2025 Slough 11 Plus exam (2026 entry) has not been announced (the specific date will not be given in advance by the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools). However, the results are usually available from the middle of September.
If you wish your child to be considered for entry to any of the four Slough grammar schools, you will need to name the relevant school or schools on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Common Application Forms opened online at the beginning of September 2024 and you will have until the end of31st October 2024 to submit it to your Local Authority.
School places for September 2025 will be confirmed on 3rd March 2025.
If you live within Buckingamshire, you can name up to 6 schools on your CAF; however some areas differ and may allow you to select fewer schools (please check with your local authority). Schools must be listed in your preferred order.
You will need to submit the CAF to the Local Authority in which you reside. If you live outside Slough, you must apply through your own Local Authority – even if your child currently attends a Slough primary school.
If your child is not offered a place at your first preference school, they will be allocated a lower preference school and placed on the waiting list of any school that is higher up on your order of preference but for which you have not been offered a place. For 2025 entry, the waiting lists will remain in place until 31st December 2025 (the end of your child’s first term in Year 7). Once school places are confirmed (which for 2025 entry was on 1st March 2025), further rounds of allocations from the waiting lists will be made as places in schools are accepted and rejected.
It is likely that you will not be consulted about the waiting list process; your local authority regard your common application preferences as a set of instructions that they will try and fulfil. For example, on 1st March you may be allocated a place at your third preference school, which you sensibly choose to accept. You will then be placed on the waiting list for your first and second preference schools. If in one of the later rounds of allocations, a space becomes available at your second preference school, your third preference place will disappear and your child will be allocated their second preference school. This process happens automatically, so it is very important that if you are happy with the allocation that you have received, that you inform your local authority that you wish to be taken off the waiting lists of any higher preference schools.
Verbal skills, i.e. English and Verbal Reasoning (approx. 50% of the mark)
Comprehension
Verbal reasoning (the production of words, relationships between words, letters and numbers)
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Numerical Reasoning (approx. 25% of the mark)
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 Reasoning (approx. 25% of the mark)
Spatial awareness
Logical deduction skills
Mathematical concepts such as symmetry, rotation and reflection
Identifying relationships, similarities and differences between figures
Identifying sequences between shapes
Data-led approach with SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond
In addition to weekly spelling tests, our term-time students undergo formal assessments twice per term—at half-term and at the end of the term—covering all topic areas. These assessments provide a valuable measure of progress over time, ensuring that we can track genuine improvements in attainment without being overly influenced by short-term fluctuations. Testing more frequently risks skewing results due to the occasional ‘off week,’ whereas our structured approach strikes the perfect balance between regular monitoring and meaningful insight.
Based on the initial assessment and your child's specific answers, we create a personalised tuition plan that sets individual targets for each subject area that is relevant to them, such as English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Every lesson is designed to develop these areas. We continuously monitor progress, allowing us to refine tuition plans to ensure they suit your child's needs and challenges.
Parents are always welcome to contact us at any stage during their child's 11+ course for feedback on their development. They can speak with their child's teacher after lessons or contact Marie directly by phone or email for further insight. As a smaller provider, we take pride in our ability to offer tailored guidance and maintain a close, supportive relationship with families.
Marie Redmond Tuition 'Bag of Knowledge®'
During your child's first term-time course lesson, they will receive a Bag of Knowledge®, carefully curated to support their learning journey. This exclusive collection includes Marie Redmond's Superbrain® resources and a selection of books from leading publishers—ensuring they have everything they need to excel.
Each student receives their materials in a premium Marie Redmond Tuition® rucksack, designed to reflect the exceptional quality of our tuition and resources. Inside, they'll find an electronic thesaurus, a tin of Marie Redmond's Superbrain® vocabulary flashcards and a dry erase whiteboard.
Students also receive notebooks dedicated to spellings, vocabulary and maths, as well as a plain notebook for additional notes. Completing the set is a pencil case stocked with essential stationery including HB pencils, an eraser, sharpener and a dry erase pen.
Best of all, the cost of the Bag of Knowledge® and all resources for the course is fully covered within the Berkshire monthly course fees.
Starting in September 2025, all students will receive our new purple rucksack designed to enhance their experience and reflect our commitment to excellence.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources
Students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses receive a Superbrain® English and verbal reasoning holiday course book for each week they attend, further reinforcing their skills. Plus, all term-time students receive Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards upon joining—an interactive resource designed to supercharge their vocabulary and accelerate exam preparation.
Explore our full Superbrain® collection and discover how these exclusive resources support students on their journey to 11+ success.
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 Thinking Course
The virtual Creative Thinking Course is particularly useful for boys preparing for the revised Reading School 11+ exam in September 2025 but is open to all our term-time students.
Students attend one creative thinking lesson per week on Zoom, which lasts for 45 minutes. Students are taught to use innovation and problem solving. They will become adept at approaching situations in different ways, using diverse strategies.
Every lesson includes a fun thinking skills warm-up activity followed by the main focus of the lesson. Strategies like group discussions, questioning, mind mapping, and thinking 'outside the box' are employed to encourage creative learning approaches. Students learn various writing techniques and how to draft, review, and edit their work.
Homework is assigned weekly to consolidate the skills taught during the lesson. Homework is submitted via email, and the creative thinking teacher annotates the text and writes a short report. General points about the texts are reviewed at the start of the next lesson.
Course Details:
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes
Fee, including books: £25 per lesson
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our Creative Thinking Course page.
Creative Writing Course
Enrol your child in our virtual creative writing course, open to all our term-time students. This offers a fantastic opportunity for your child to enhance their spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary skills, whilst also fostering their creative writing abilities. If your child is preparing for Reading School, we recommend that you select the Creative Thinking Course instead of creative writing.
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.
Course Details:
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes
Fee, including books: £25 per lesson
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our Creative Writing Course page.
11+ Mock Exams with Marie Redmond 11+ Intelligent Video Learning®
Students who sat our 11 Plus mock exams in 2023 said they were very similar to the actual test, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.
Our Slough 11 Plus Tuition Courses prepare pupils for all aspects of the 11 Plus exam
In addition to weekly spelling tests, our term-time students undergo formal assessments twice per term—at half-term and at the end of the term—covering all topic areas. These assessments provide a valuable measure of progress over time, ensuring that we can track genuine improvements in attainment without being overly influenced by short-term fluctuations. Testing more frequently risks skewing results due to the occasional ‘off week,’ whereas our structured approach strikes the perfect balance between regular monitoring and meaningful insight.
Students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses receive a Superbrain® English and verbal reasoning holiday course book for each week they attend, further reinforcing their skills. Plus, all term-time students receive Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards upon joining—an interactive resource designed to supercharge their vocabulary and accelerate exam preparation.
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® Slough 11 Plus Mock Exams.