Primary Foundations Tuition

Year 5 11+ Preparation Group

Places are now available in my Year 5 11+ preparation group, beginning in October.

The group will take place in person in Wellington, Telford on Tuesdays from 6.00 to 7.00 pm. It will be kept small, with a maximum of six children, so that everyone receives plenty of individual support.

Each week, we will work on the English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning skills needed for the 11+. Sessions will also focus on building confidence, improving speed and introducing exam techniques gradually.

Children will also have access to online 11+ activities to continue practising between sessions.

The group is suitable for children starting Year 5 in September and will begin in October, giving them a few weeks to settle into their new school year first.

Places are limited. Please send me a message or WhatsApp me for more information or to reserve a place.

Today’s session focused on developing reading comprehension, retrieval and scanning skills.

We raced to find key words, searched the text for evidence, completed timed scanning challenges and moved around our space-themed game boards. There were plenty of games, competitions and speed challenges, with lots of success along the way.

The whole session was focused on improving essential reading skills, but there was not a worksheet in sight!

Who said you need to be using a pencil to learn?

Success in the English section of the 11+ is not just about being able to read a passage and answer questions. Children also need to recognise how writers use language and understand a wide range of vocabulary.

Today’s session focused on identifying writing techniques, including similes, metaphors, personification and alliteration. We also developed vocabulary by matching words to their definitions, synonyms and antonyms.

Practical activities like these help children explore unfamiliar language, explain their thinking and build the confidence to apply their knowledge to 11+ questions.

My small Year 4 and Year 5 11+ preparation groups will be starting in September, with places available for children preparing for grammar school entrance tests.

Please WhatsApp me for more information or to secure a place.

I’ve found myself checking this flower every morning, and every time another bloom has opened.

It’s a good reminder that learning is much the same. Children don’t master everything in one lesson. Skills develop bit by bit, concept by concept, with each new one building on the last.

Sometimes the most rewarding part isn’t the finished result. It’s watching the next piece unfold.

#11+tutor &Englishtutor

Whether it is an English, maths, or 11+ preparation session, learning new vocabulary is always easier when it becomes a game or challenge.

In English, we played Word Class Detectives. Each detective had to claim the words that belonged to their word class. Which detective would collect the most words?

In maths, we matched the vocabulary found in word problems to its meaning or the mathematical action needed. Understanding words such as difference, product, quotient and remainder helps children decide what a question is asking them to do.

For 11+ preparation, the challenge was to match each word to its definition, synonyms and antonyms. How many complete sets could be made against the clock?

These activities may look like games, but they help children understand, remember, and confidently use the vocabulary they need across every area of their learning.

If your child has come home this week asking, “Do my socks bite?” don’t worry, there's good reason for it.

It’s just the memory phrase we’ve been using to tackle one of the trickier areas of primary maths: dividing by a two digit number.

Do for Divide
My for Multiply
Socks for Subtract
Bite for Bring down

Breaking big concepts into simple, memorable steps helps children feel less overwhelmed and much more confident. Add in a few dice, some friendly competition and plenty of practice, and suddenly long division doesn’t seem quite so scary.

Learning sticks when children understand it, enjoy it and have a strategy they can remember long after the lesson has finished.

Today we looked at angles… from a different angle! Who says maths has to start with a worksheet?

Today’s lesson was all about making a tricky topic make sense before picking up a pencil.

We…
-Warmed up with Angle Yoga
-Built and explored angles using lollipop sticks
-Split shapes into triangles to discover (and prove!) the formula for the sum of a shape’s interior angles
-Solved missing-angle shape puzzles
Played a matching game, pairing questions with the correct diagrams

And here’s the best part…

Not a single written question was attempted until all of that was done!

By the time we reached our end-of-session quiz, those once-tricky angle questions suddenly felt easy. That’s the power of understanding, not just memorising.

At Primary Foundations Tuition, I believe children learn best when they’re active, curious and having fun. Sometimes, all it takes is approaching a problem from a different angle.

🌞 Summer Update! 🌞
A huge thank you to all the families who have booked summer tuition with Primary Foundations Tuition. I’m delighted to share that every summer session is now fully booked.

If you’re already thinking ahead to the new school year, I have limited availability from September for:
📚 1:1 English and Maths tuition
👥 Small group sessions
✏️ 11+ Preparation Groups
🎯 Year 6 SATs Preparation Groups

Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. If you’d like to discuss your child’s needs or reserve a September space, please get in touch soon.

Thank you for your continued support. I’m looking forward to welcoming both new and returning families this September.

The last couple of weeks have been assessment weeks at Primary Foundations Tuition… but there hasn't been a single traditional test in sight!
Instead, we've been learning through games, puzzles, challenges, and quiz-style game shows.
Of course, it's important for me to understand how each child is progressing and where I can best support them next. But I've found that children often show their true understanding when they're relaxed, engaged and enjoying themselves, not when they're feeling under pressure.
By observing how they solve problems, explain their thinking, and tackle new challenges, I gain a much clearer picture of their strengths and the areas we can focus on together.
Assessment doesn't always have to mean sitting a test. Sometimes, children show their very best when they don't even realise they're being assessed! 😊