Aletheia (αληθεια) is Greek for ‘truth’. It derives from ‘alethus’ which means ‘true’, literally ‘not concealing’ from privative prefix a- ‘not’ + ‘lethe’ (‘forgetfulness’, ‘oblivion’). It is “the state of not being hidden; the state of being evident” and it also implies sincerity, as well as factuality or reality. As such, aletheia can be translated also as ‘remembering’. It is pronounced ‘al-e-THEE-a’. In Greek mythology Aletheia is a female daimon of truth, truthfulness, and sincerity. We are primarily an after-school, supplemental tuition service with the aim of supporting your child’s standard local authority education, in literacy and numeracy. Our main aim, therefore, is to help improve your child’s levels in the key skills. Beyond this, we promote our flagship 11+ course and consultation service for those children who are a strong level 5 and have an aptitude to read courses tailored for 11+ examinations. If you are looking for an institute who can guide you and your child through the 11+ system then we are here for you! We are local, personal, caring and professional, and we have over 20 years' experience with many success stories. Our Aletheians (alumni students) are ever present in many of the grammar and independent schools of the West Midlands (and beyond). So, what services and products do you offer? Various onsite and online courses (between 1-month and 12-month in duration) for children in years 3 to 13. Onsite evening supplemental classes for GCSE English, Maths and Science. Downloadable educational software. Downloadable 11+ practice papers. Online 11+ courses. An independent mock exam module and service for 11+. Mock exams for GCSE Maths, English and Science. Initial assessment and feedback before enrolling on courses. Onsite and online parental guidance sessions during application season. What are your success rates and how many of your children win a place at a grammar school? Answering such a question directly would be unfair to Aletheia as an educational institution, to the children who have previously taken the exam, and you as a concerned parent. Why? Because of the following reasons: Aletheia do not ‘cream off’ the best candidates in a region. We do not reject your child or kick them off our courses if they are not achieving (pardon the colloquial expressions!). This is because we, and you, have a greater purpose in educating your child. Also, we have to consider your child’s feelings, including their confidence. But you do hope that sending your child to a tuition centre such as ours, will give your child the extra help and professional guidance they need in order to be successful at passing the 11+ examination process. Yes, we do ask the children to undertake a free initial assessment, and yes, we do ask for your child’s school levels as well. But all this is to give us a starting point for discussions between you, us and your child. We will keep you and your child informed as to how well they are doing and where they are with respect to passing the exams. But we will not promise and categorically state that your child will win a place. Our opinions and advice are relative to our 20 years of experience with past cohorts, and consultation with our grammar schools links and alumni. There isn’t a ‘secret ingredient’ to passing the 11+ exams. It’s not to do with raising your child to level 6 or 7, like some tuition centres claim to do. It’s not to do with lots of worksheets and hours of online tasks, like other tuition centres insist on encouraging. And it’s not to do with leaving your child with a piles and piles of past papers and infamous practice books, as times have changed, the exams have changed and the number of children entering the race has changed. The ingredient is more than one, and is well-known but often ignored or left late. We are happy to say that we know what the best formula for your child is, and each child would require their own ‘personal formula’. Contact us to discuss. Each of your children attend different schools, and are at different starting levels, judged by different sets of staff, undertaking a curriculum at different times, levels and speeds. As a consequence, each child enters the exam at a different level of knowledge, experience, training and confidence. Each child joins us at different points in the year. Our parents are from differing backgrounds, and are not just doctors and dentists, by profession. The cohorts, from year-to-year may differ, and some years we may get siblings, and other years we may not. The children have differing levels of support, at home and school. So what can you tell me about your successes? This is what we can say about the children who attend our courses:
Of the children who attend a private/independent primary school, all win a seat at secondary grammar school. Of the children whose parents are medical professionals, all win a seat at secondary grammar school. Of the children who attend a state primary school and have professional parents, 74% win a seat at secondary grammar school. Of the children who have free school meals at school, 45% win a seat at grammar school. Of the children who pass the 11+, 61% win a place at their first choice grammar school. Our success rate for the private/independent schools is 93%. Some of those who come to us with level 4b/c in Year 4, leave us with level 5a/6c in January of Year 6. Some of those who come to us with level 3c in Year 4, leave us with level 5c in January of Year 6. Every year at least one of our children obtains a scholarship or assisted bursary, due to high scores. All we can say is look at the information above and determine where your child fits the model. Why should I send my child to you, then? Because we emphasise teaching your child, and monitoring their learning. We try to tailor work specifically for your child, and personalise our teaching, delivery and assessment of your child as well. Classes are small in size, in well-equipped rooms and plenty of 1-to-1 time as well. We don’t leave your child with reams of worksheets and extended periods of ‘tasks’. Our aim is to teach a knowledge/skill, let them practice, check if they understand, and then assess to confirm. Also, we have 20 years of teaching experience to guide you and your child through the process. We take a very ‘personal’ approach, and are very passionate about ensuring ‘our children’ get the best help and support they can, to pass the exams. Even if that means recommending other institutions and systems as part of the methodology!
