Stay ahead with exclusive tips on the 11 Plus exam for Reading School
The Reading results came out today - he passed and has been invited to an open day next week. We are super proud and really pleased for him. We hope this achievement will be a big confidence boost. He’s away on a school residential trip this week so doesn’t know yet, but we wanted to let you know and to say thank you for getting him this far.
Year 5 parent, Wokingham (2022)
We’re dedicated to your child’s success
With a proven track record in preparing pupils for the 11 Plus, Marie Redmond MEd and her team of exceptional, fully qualified and experienced primaryteachers (not 'tutors') provide specialist tuition focused on your child’s individual learning needs.
Introduction to the Reading School 11 Plus Entrance Test
To be eligible to apply for a place at Reading School your son will need to take the School Entrance Test (11 Plus exam). Children born between 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014 will take the Reading School 11+ exam in early September 2024 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2025. The 2024 Reading School exam (for 2025 entry) will take place on Wednesday 4th September 2024
Prior to 2021, Reading School used the same Admission Test as a number of other Grammar Schools, including Kendrick School. Since the 2021 examination (for entry in 2022), Reading School has used its own test consisting of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. Children are expected to show ability appropriate to the Key Stage 2 curriculum.
The Reading School 11 Plus entrance exam consists of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. All 3 elements will be tested on one day in September and all tests will take place at Reading School.
You need to register your child for the Reading School Admission Test by completing the online registration form on the school admissions website.
The purpose of registration is for your child to take the entrance test, not apply for a place at Reading School. Based on the results, you will still need to provide your child’s school preferences to your local authority on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Online registration for the 2024 exam (for 2025 entry) opened on Monday 1st April 2024 and closes at midday on Friday 14th June 2024.
It is extremely challenging to secure entry to Reading School, with over 6 boys applying for every place and less than 33.9% of those achieving a qualifying score (95 or above) likely to gain admission.*
The qualifying score of Reading School pupils who sat the entrance exam in 2021 for entry in 2022 was 95 (in both English and Maths). In addition, to qualify, their creative writing had to be marked as ‘Of the standard’.
In the 2021 exam, 444 students achieved Reading School’s qualifying score of 95 or above (a score of 90 for Pupil Premium and Looked After Children). This is compared with 350 in 2020 and 338 in 2019, albeit under the previous (CEM) exam and qualifying scores. There are only 150 places available, including 138 day places and 12 boarding places. In the 2021 exam, the highest standardised scores achieved were 141.0 for English and 136.9 for Maths. Reading School does not publish the lowest qualifying score of a child that was admitted until a year after the exam. As the new test was introduced in 2021, it will not be possible to start comparing the lowest scores until October 2023, when the lowest scores for both 2022 and 2023 entry will be in the public domain. When the lowest qualifying scores are available, they will not include candidates who qualified in categories 1 and 2 of the oversubscription criteria, such as those in care or in receipt of pupil premium.
For pupils in care or previously in care (category 1), or pupils with a permanent address in Reading School’s designated area and in receipt of Pupil Premium or Service Premium (category 2), the qualifying score for September 2022 was 90 or above in English and Maths. In addition, their creative writing had to be marked as ‘Of the standard.’ This means that pupils that achieved the qualifying score of 90 or above were offered a place at Reading School before categories 3 and 4 were applied.
* For September 2022 entry, 911 boys applied to Reading School. That is more than 6 boys applying for each of the 150 spaces available. 442 of the 911 boys that applied achieved the qualifying score of 95. Therefore, as some pupils may be admitted from categories 1 and 2 with a qualifying score of 90, we can assume that less than 33.9% (i.e. less than 150) of the 442 boys that achieved the qualifying score of 95 will have secured a 2022 place at Reading School.
If you wish your son to be considered for entry to Reading School, you are required to name the school on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Common Application Forms will open 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 1st March 2025.
In whichever year you are applying, you can name up to 6 schools on your CAF.
If you live outside Reading, you must apply through your own Local Authority – even if your child currently attends a Reading primary school.
What is required to pass the Reading 11 Plus?
English
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Mathematics
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
Creative writing
Story settings
Story characters
Story openings
Story events/problems
Story resolutions (endings)
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 5.30pm or 6.30pm.
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 mock exams in 2023 said they were very similar to the actual tests, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources
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.
Our Range of Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 5 Courses
Our Range of Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 4 Courses
Data-Led Approach With SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond
Our term time students are 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 our student'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. Parents are always 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 students' 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 compares (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.
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.
The Marie Redmond Tuition® Creative Writing Course
Our virtual creative writing lessons take place weekly on Zoom and are particularly useful for boys preparing for the Reading School 11+ exam but are open to all our term time students.
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.
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our creative writing course page.
Our courses are led by qualified primary teachers and prepare pupils for all aspects of the Reading 11 Plus
Amira did really well obtained 119.57 Kendrick exam and obtained 128 for the Slough grammar exam, for the Buckinghamshire exam obtained 128 too. So proud of her. Thank you your contribution towards Amira helped her a lot. Amira will hopefully be attending Kendrick school 2018.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2017)
My son got 144 in the Bucks GL exam and 124 in the Slough CEM exam.
Year 5 parent, Chalfont St Peter (2018)
Hi Marie
He passed both the Reading and Slough exams.Thank you for your help and support!
Year 5 parent, Bracknell (2022)
He scored as follows: English: 112.1, Maths: 112.4, Creative Writing: Of the Standard. He is eligible for a place so we will see what happens in March. Thank you for your support in the process, we are happy with the outcome.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)
Many thanks to you and your team of tutors for all your help and advice over the last few months in preparing our son for the 11+ exams. He passed both the Slough Consortium CEM and the Buckinghamshire GL 11+ exams. He just passed the CEM exam which we knew would be a challenge for him and he passed the GL exam with a good score. All the best for the future
Year 6 parent, Stoke Poges (2019)
He passed his CEM with marks of 112 and GL with marks of 123! Thank you so much for the tuition, it really helped and prepared him well for his exams.
Year 6 parent, Iver (2020)
Many Thanks Marie for the quick response. I'm really happy with the overall exam and feedback process.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)
Jugraj really enjoyed his first lesson and cant wait for next week.
Year 4 parent, Reading (2023)
We just wanted to provide an update on George, and that he got offered a place at Reading School, Reading starting Sept 2024. He is so pleased and we couldn’t be prouder. Thank you so very much for giving George all the tools, knowledge and confidence to pass the exam with presumably a high mark! Not only were the lesson learnings invaluable, I am pleased to know that you taught him time management as due to Covid he had never sat an exam or had exam practice.
Year 6 parent, Wokingham (2024)
He passed- 136 GL and 118 CEM – thank you so much!
Year 5 parent, Burnham (2018)
Hazel enjoyed the whole experience of attending the tuition. Especially, she said she was happy with the mock tests which enabled her to build confidence in the exam room. She found it helpful for her and felt relax in the exam rooms. I appreciate the incredible support from the tuition and from mock test.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)
Henry has passed the Buckinghamshire Secondary School Transfer exam and Slough CEM exam. Thank you so much for teaching him.
Year 5 parent, Maidenhead (2018)
My son started just after February 2023 half term and he also did the Easter and Summer intensive courses and I am extremely pleased to say that he has passed and was accepted at Reading School (boys grammar). He did the 11+ with Marie Redmond in Winnersh which was an ideal location. Melanie his tutor was excellent.
He also did book club and creative writing which gave him a wider vocabulary and a great opportunity to meet like-minded students of his age group which he really enjoyed.Highly recommend and we'll be looking at 11+ tuition when my youngest son reaches 10 years old.[From Google Review. The location of the parent/child has been excluded as their name is featured on Google]
Year 6 parent, Location Confidential (2024)
Hi Marie,
I was waiting for all the results to come before I email you. We just did. He has cleared all of the exams he gave.Reading School:
Total score: 225.6
English: 116.9
Maths: 108.7
Creative Writing: Of the StandardSutton Consortium:
He has passed the first and second stages for all the schools.Poole Grammar School:
English: 140
Maths: 125
VR: 126
Standardised Total Score: 391
Cut off for Poole grammar School:297
Cut off for Bournemouth School: 312Bishop Wordsworth's School:
VR: 127.04
Maths: 119.16
NVR: 118.62
Total Weighted Score: 122.97
Cut off: 99.10Thank you so much for your support and Anne's help as he wouldn't have achieved what he has without you.
Year 5 parent, Basingstoke (2022)
Caleb had a great first day. He enjoyed that it was a small personable class and liked his teacher [Melanie] too. We are so looking forward to him having a great year with your fantastic team. Just wanted to add that I have spoken to Craig on many occasions. On each occasion I have found him to be considerate, thoughtful and very customer focused.
Year 5 parent, Fleet (2022)
Thank you Marie. He was happy after reading your message from the mail. I would also like to add that he has also passed the exam for Wilson's Grammar School, Sutton Grammar School and Wallington County Grammar School. I've given the feedback and frankly I also chose your classes by seeing the feedback which helped us at the end. Please convey my thanks to Anne for her constant feedback and guidance. I would like to Thank you and your team for organising everything nicely.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)
We wanted to let you know that Yuvani enjoyed her first lesson with Elle.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)
I am writing to inform you that Anastasis did well passing both CEM and GL exams. We are very pleased, and want to thank you for your help. In fact I found the Easter and Summer courses helpful with different books to support needs of practising.
Year 6 parent, Slough (2019)
She is doing really well in year 6. She took both CEM and GL tests. She passed both of them. GL with a result of 125 and CEM 114. Once again thank you for your support Marie and all the best for Catherine of course!
Year 5 parent, Uxbridge (2018)
Dear Marie, Joshua attended his session today and he thoroughly enjoyed it and was very impressed with Irene and your 614 Winnersh location in Reading. As soon as he came out he said, “Mummy I love it here and this is where I want to be”.
Year 4 parent, Calcot (2023)
We are very proud to share that D has passed the Reading School exam. Thank you and please pass our big thanks to Melanie too. We must say your course is so well structured and helpful and Melanie did a great job in getting D ready. All very much appreciated.
Year 6 parent, Wokingham (2023)
I’m delighted to say India passed both exams and scored 125 on the CEM and 132 on the GL. Thank you so much for all the work you guys have put in to get her here and please pass on our thanks to Sarah. I would absolutely recommended your tuition every time and fingers crossed you’ll have us signing up our youngest next year!
Year 5 parent, Uxbridge (2018)
Just to let you know that Ella scored 143 in the GL and 120 in the CEM tests. I’ve a year off this year following consecutive years of 11+ prep with my other two, but I would like to sign up the next child for tuition starting in Sept 2020 when she is in Year 5 please.
Year 6 parent, Chalfont St Peter (2019)
I am very pleased with Amira’s outstanding results. Super progress. Thank you, Amira is thrilled! Amira so enjoys her Saturday lessons! Thank you so much!
Year 4 parent, Reading (2015)
My son Samraj has just got his results and has passed his Slough CEM test. We also wanted to say a massive thank you to you personally and all the tutors that have helped Sam in his journey.
Year 6 parent, Slough (2019)
Hi Marie, Sarah, Craig and all the team. I would like to thank you all for the support with Amália's 11+. She felt that she was well prepared for the exam this weekend. She enjoyed the weekly sessions and regardless of getting into the school of choice or not, she had a positive experience throughout the course. The Book Club was wonderful too.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)
Hello Marie, she passed with 120! (CEM). Thank you for all your help and giving her the confidence boost she needed. We’ll look forward to our next Daughter attending your course in 2 years!
Year 5 parent, Burnham (2018)
A big thank you to all the staff at MRT, Kemi passed both the GL and CEM 11+ exams. We hope to enrol our son (who is currently in Year 4) for lessons next year when he is in Year 5.
Year 5 parent, Slough (2018)
He achieved 122 in the CEM test - a big thank you to you and your staff for your help in preparing him for it.
Year 6 parent, Iver (2020)
We're really pleased with Matilda's test results. Matilda really enjoyed the Summer course - she came out each day happy and was quite excited to go in each day. I think focussed learning in an environment like that is something she responds positively to, so we'll definitely look to book her in for next Summer too.
Year 5 parent, Reading (2021)
The Reading results came out today - he passed and has been invited to an open day next week. We are super proud and really pleased for him. We hope this achievement will be a big confidence boost. He’s away on a school residential trip this week so doesn’t know yet, but we wanted to let you know and to say thank you for getting him this far.
Year 5 parent, Wokingham (2022)
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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® Reading Boys 11 Plus Mock Exams.
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.
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.