The MasterClass 11+ Course

How does the course work?

 

Assessments and the MasterClass 11+ Course

 

All the children who have been registered with MasterClass 11+ are assessed in January or February when they are in Year 4. (It is advisable to register your child by the end of their first term in Year 4, to ensure that there are still assessment places available.)

Our assessments are based on Year 4 work. They aim to identify a child's abilities in reading, comprehension and maths. We look for children who perform at average or above average level for their age and for those who are likely to cope with the pace of the course. Some children will benefit more from being taught by a one-to-one tutor than in a group, and the assessment tests will make this clear.

We then give parents a very honest appraisal of their child's abilities. If we accept a child for the course, he or she will start the course in Year 5 in the Autumn term; children then attend one lesson a week in term time until the exams in the following September. A homework programme is provided each week, which allows parents to see how well their child is coping with the course work.

All classes are held on Saturdays at St Anne’s Hall in Wendover. Lessons last for two-and-a-half hours. Lessons need to be this long to fully cover the expanded syllabus that Buckinghamshire now sets. Children are taught not only how to tackle all the types of questions that the examiners use but also how to use shortcuts that increase their speed.

We run a Summer School in the two weeks leading up to the start of the Autumn Term when the children take their 11+ exam. This Summer School is an optional extra and it is only available to MasterClass 11+ pupils.

Class sizes are restricted to a maximum of twelve or, occasionally, thirteen. We make every effort to allocate children to a class that fits in with their other weekend activities.

Every year, we adjust the MasterClass 11+ course in anticipation of new question types, so it is always up-to-date. Equally, we adapt the practice tests that our pupils take every year so that they remain fresh and accurately reflect the actual 11+ exam. These practice tests are specially written by us and are available exclusively to MasterClass 11+ pupils.

The MasterClass 11+ course provides children with a learning experience that stays with them throughout their education. It teaches children to think, to focus, to be disciplined, and to enjoy learning. We hear regularly from parents that their older child has just done well in GCSEs, A Levels or in their university degree and that they credit the MasterClass experience for laying the foundations for their success.