FAQ’s
How do we start?
We send you NFER assessment tests (recognised in state schools). These will tell us your child’s abilities so we can put your child on the appropriate work programme.
What is in the work programme?
The work programme consists of carefully structured weekly lessons. They are sent to your home for each week of the school calendar, so you get all the usual school holidays. Each week there will be about 10-15 worksheets ( depending on the subjects you are doing), presented in a fun and colourful way, with plenty of variety.
How long are the lessons?
If you and your child work together for 30 minutes each weekday it will leave the weekends free for hobbies and family events. A little quiet learning each day leads to steady progress.
If pupils are doing a single subject such as Maths then the work requirement will be slightly less.
When is the best time to do this work?
Whenever it suits you. You can organise the work around your family timetable. Most children work every evening, but some prefer to work in the mornings before school.
As a parent, what do I have to do?
The work programme is planned for you, so all you have to do is encourage and support your child through it. Parents really enjoy getting involved and with our work programmes and guidance, you can become a brilliant teacher! It is very rewarding.
Do we return any work to you?
Sometimes we ask you to send us special pieces of work, but generally you mark the work at home, so your child gets immediate feedback. Answers are supplied, and explanations are clear.
How will I know that my child is making progress?
You will almost certainly notice the difference yourself, but to actually measure this progress, we will send you further assessment tests every now and then, free of charge.
How do we keep in contact with you?
We are here to support you and are happy to discuss any problems. Most parents and children like to email us on a regular basis to tell me how you are getting on.
What is the biggest challenge when we first start?
Commitment. Finding half an hour every day is hard in our busy lives. But once you settle into a routine you will find it easy and it will soon be accepted as part of the working day – and an enjoyable part at that.
What standard will be reached by year 6, before my child enters secondary school?
Obviously this depends a little on when you start, you child’s ability and what their performance level was at when they joined. In our experience children have always reached level 4, the vast majority have been in level 5 with the very brightest at level 6.
How successful in the LITP programme?
Very. In the past 20 years over 73% of our 11 Plus pupils gained a place at a top grammar school. 100% them who applied for places at Independent Schools were offered a place, some with scholarships.
Can you help children overseas?
We regularly get asked to help Parents who are living outside the UK. Sometimes these are ex-pat’s with children at International Schools, sometimes these are foreign nationals. We can help Parents overseas either with 11 Plus exam needs or who need help with Maths and /or English outside an exam environment.
Do you help children who are not at school?
Our programmes have proven to be an ideal solution for many parents who have taken their children out of formal schooling. This is sometimes called Education Otherwise. See our Education Otherwise page for more details.
Can you help Primary School age children improve their Maths and English skills?
Yes we can. We have courses which can help children whether they are aiming for an 11 Plus entry into a Grammar or Independent School or where they simply want to improve performance. We are very successful at getting children to perform to the best of their ability which sets them up perfectly for the beginning of their secondary school career, wherever that might be.
How do your Maths courses compare to other supplementary education providers?
Our courses provide varied work that children find genuinely interesting and involving. We do not focus on repetitive work (apart from where it is essential such as with times tables). We tend to focus on skills acquisition and then application so that children have a balance of pure Arithmetic skills (many of our competitors focus on pure Arithmetic) and application of skills to problem solving. All of our assessments are to National Standards and we believe both the Maths and English work we provide is perfectly suited to running alongside normal school work because it has been designed like that. We aim to typically be 30% cheaper than other supplementary education providers.