Since competition for grammar school places is so fierce, your child will more than likely need some form of tuition to reach the required standard for success in the 11 Plus Exams.

Many parents are  preparing their children anywhere from a few weeks to a few years prior to the actual Eleven Plus Exams, therefore the required standard is high. At the end of the day, there are only a set number of Grammar School places, so your child’s result will need to be in the top so many percent to ensure their position. To achieve this, your child has to have good core skills and be well practised in all of the types of questions found in Eleven Plus Exam papers.

So to answer the question of whether to tutor or not…

This depends on you and your child.

If you have a good working relationship with your child and are prepared to dedicate some time to understand what is expected of your child in the 11 plus exams and the methods to tackle the different question types yourself, a private tutor is not necessary. There are many useful 11 plus resources (guidance for parents, tutorials, practice papers, games and more) available for free on 11plus.co.uk as well as other resources available to purchase. For further details on these, please visit Recommended 11+ Resources. Chuckra Educational's practice materials have been developed as a result of many years preparing children for the Eleven Plus Exams and aim to help both tutors and parents make preparation simple and fun.

If you find you do not work that well with your child or realistically do not have the time to dedicate to the task, you might want to consider private tuition to help your child prepare for the Eleven Plus Exams. Many students receive private tuition either in group classes or on a one-to-one basis. A good tutor can be invaluable as they can quickly evaluate your child's strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, some children respond better to a non-family member. Please bear in mind that even if your child attends tuition of one form or another, it is likely that you will still be expected to have some involvement in your child's preparation. You will just have more guidance along the way and someone else to set the work, leaving your role as a loving parent, not a strict teacher, intact.

So you are considering the DIY (do-it-yourself) approach - where to begin?

The FAQ How to prepare for 11 Plus Exams will be the best place for you to gain a clearer understanding of what level of commitment is needed from you and your child.

So you have decided that making use of a tuition service might be the best route for your child, now what?

To search for tutors in your area, go to the 11 Plus Tutor Directory.

Whether you decide to do-it-yourself or find a good tutor, you should consider giving your child the opportunity to experience the exam room before the big day.

Find a Chuckra 11 plus mock test centre in your area - open to anyone wishing to complete specially written 11+ mock papers in exam conditions.