The first red flag is a tutor who tells you that you definitely need a tutor.
You do not. A tutor is not required. English and maths at this level can be taught by an involved parent with decent materials, and plenty of children have passed that way. Anyone whose opening position is that this is impossible without them has told you something about themselves.
In fairness, we sell 11+ practice material, so weigh this page accordingly. It is also why the point above goes first.
The first red flag
Alongside it, the same instinct in other clothing:
- Guaranteeing a place. Nobody can. It is competitive, the cohort changes every year, and able children miss by a mark or two.
- Predicting a score before teaching your child.
- Naming a school they will get your child into.
- Pressure to sign up today because places are nearly gone.
Certainty is the product being sold in all four, and it does not exist.
The red flags
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| No diagnostic at the start | They are teaching a syllabus, not your child |
| No plan you can see | You cannot tell whether anything is being covered |
| No feedback to parents | You will find out in October |
| Scores but never the weak topic | A number is not information |
| Full mock papers from the start | Mocks belong once there is something to test |
| Never mentions pupil premium | A large, free advantage most families do not know exists |
| Vague about the local scoring | A tutor quoting a mean of 100 is working from the wrong test |
| Will not say class size | You cannot judge the teaching without it |
| No spatial or non-verbal work | Non-verbal is a quarter of the marks |
| Unwilling to be observed or questioned | Good teaching survives a parent in the room |
Two of those deserve expanding, because they are the ones that cost real money.
Never mentions pupil premium. When a family registers with me, one of the things I ask is whether their child gets free school meals, because a lot of families do not even know pupil premium exists. It is a lot of work and it matters, and a tutor who never raises it is not looking after you. See our pupil premium guide.
Vague about the local scoring. The West Midlands partnership standardises around a median of 200, and the King Edward VI Foundation qualifying score is 205 with priority at 224. A tutor talking about a mean of 100 and entry at 111 is describing a different test in a different part of the country. See our guide to the standardised score.
What good practice looks like
So you know what you are comparing against:
- A diagnostic test at the start of the year, to see where your child is actually struggling. Most Year 5 children start with no knowledge of some of these question types, so this is the only sensible opening move.
- All four areas covered across the year: maths, verbal reasoning, English and non-verbal.
- Something written down, a plan and a record of scores, that you can read.
- Mocks timed sensibly, several months out rather than in week one.
- Memory aids where they help, such as a formula sheet as a mind map that a child learns by heart.
- Honesty about the odds, including when a child is not on track.
What to ask before committing
- What will you do in the first month to find out where my child is?
- How many children are in the class?
- What will you send me, and how often?
- What is the qualifying score for the schools we are considering, and the priority score?
- When would you first use a full timed paper?
- Do you cover non-verbal and spatial reasoning, and how much?
- Should we be declaring pupil premium, and does it affect our schools?
- What would you tell me if my child were not on track in June?
The last one is the most revealing question on the list. A tutor who cannot imagine telling you bad news will not tell you any.
Group or one to one is not a red flag
Neither format is a warning sign, and this is the most common question I have been asked in over ten years of 11+ tutoring.
One to one lets a tutor identify strengths and weaknesses precisely, but the competitive drive of a classroom is not there. A group gives a child the experience of working alongside others, which is how the test is actually sat, and suits some children and not others. Live tutoring can be expensive, and online is cheaper and works well for busy families.
Choose on your child, not on the format. See our guide to group versus one to one and our guide to costs.
What I wish parents knew
That the tutor is the smaller half of it.
Children whose parents are involved in their study routine do a lot better, regardless of who teaches them. Half an hour a day at home beats a weekly session with anybody. A parent who knows which subject is weakest this month has an advantage no tutor can supply.
So the question is not only whether a tutor is good. It is whether they make you better informed about your own child, because that is the part that lasts. See our guide to preparing without a tutor.
See where your child stands today
Timed sections in the GL Assessment format, marked instantly, with a topic-by-topic breakdown. No sign-up to start.
A tutor is not required, and I would say that first
Absolutely not, the tutor is not required. In terms of learning English and mathematics, these are subjects a parent can support at this level, and there are many free resources online. I say that as somebody who has tutored the 11+ for over twenty years and runs a tutoring company, because any tutor whose first move is to tell you it cannot be done without them is selling you certainty that does not exist.
What I would look for instead is practice. A diagnostic test at the start of the year, just to see which area your child is struggling in, because most Year 5 students I have taught start with zero knowledge of some of these question types. Then all four subjects covered through the year, something written down that you can actually read, and mocks at the right time rather than in week one.
And one specific thing: when parents register with me, one of the things I ask is whether their child is getting free school meals, because a lot of families do not even know pupil premium exists. It is a lot of work and it matters. A tutor who never raises it is not looking after you.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a tutor for the 11+?
No. A tutor is not required: English and maths at this level can be taught by an involved parent with decent materials, and plenty of children have passed that way. A tutor whose opening position is that it is impossible without them has told you something about themselves.
What are the warning signs of a bad 11+ tutor?
Guaranteeing a place or predicting a score, no diagnostic at the start, no plan or feedback you can see, scores without ever naming the weak topic, full mock papers from week one, never mentioning pupil premium, and vagueness about the local scoring.
How can I tell if a tutor knows the West Midlands test?
Ask them the qualifying and priority scores. The partnership standardises around a median of 200, and the King Edward VI Foundation qualifying score is 205 with priority at 224. A tutor talking about a mean of 100 and entry at 111 is describing a different test elsewhere.
What should I ask an 11+ tutor before committing?
What they will do in the first month to find out where your child is, the class size, what they will send you and how often, the qualifying score for your schools, when they would first use a timed paper, and what they would tell you if your child were not on track in June.
Is a group class or one to one better for the 11+?
Neither is a red flag. One to one identifies strengths and weaknesses precisely but lacks the competitive drive of a classroom. A group gives a child the experience of working alongside others, which is how the test is actually sat. Choose on the child.
What matters more than the tutor?
The routine at home. Children whose parents are involved in their study routine do a lot better regardless of who teaches them, and half an hour a day beats a weekly session with anybody.