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Enrolling your child in a new school for the final two years of their secondary education can be a big change, at a critical time in their pathway toward university. It can also be an enormous opportunity as well, if your child gains a place at a school that is a better fit for their needs and goals. In this article, Keystone Tutors highlight the essential information you will need to navigate the application process for Sixth Form entry, and to find the perfect school for the culmination of your child’s secondary education.

About Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School

Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School has consistently been one of the highest performing grammar schools in Buckinghamshire for the last few years. Based in Amersham, it is a selective grammar school (granted academy status in 2011) that accepts boys from Years 7 to 13. Academically, DCGS recently achieved the highest results for both GCSEs and A Levels of every school in Buckinghamshire, and its Ofsted rating was ‘outstanding’. Year-on-year, over 95% of leavers move on to Higher Education, with the vast majority of boys gaining places at top UK universities; around 15-20 students study at Oxford or Cambridge.

Additionally, some students undertake apprenticeships or specialist courses. A fair number of leavers choose to study abroad at institutions such as Stanford and McGill; several students have won sports scholarships to US colleges over the past few years. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School offers a wide variety of activities. Clubs and societies range from the ‘gardening club’ to ‘amateur radio club’. Sports-wise, all students have two hours of Physical Education every week within the curriculum, and the facilities offered include eight tennis courts, expansive playing fields and two sports halls. Aside from conventional sports such as football and rugby, DCGS offers a wide range of sports, from climbing to judo. The arts are also prioritised here, with a newly built music block and two theatrical spaces on site.

About Reading School

Reading School is a 900-year-old, selective, boys’ grammar school in Berkshire. Providing both day and boarding options, the school accepts boys from Years 7 to 11. Consistently ranking among the top schools in Berkshire for GCSE and A level results, Reading School is renowned for its academic excellence. It has a strong track record in helping students from all social and ethnic backgrounds gain places at Oxford, Cambridge and other top universities, as well as various apprenticeships.

Reading School also has an extensive co-curricular program, offering clubs and societies from Street Dance to Bridge Club. Its facilities are expansive, including well-maintained playing fields and its own ‘SportsPark’, containing a fitness studio, squash courts and tennis courts. There are also plans to build an ‘Expressive Arts Centre’, which would include a brand-new recital space and various new classrooms to support the arts.

In the crowded world of private education, few names carry the weight and reputation of Keystone Tutors. Founded in 2007 by Oxford graduate Will Orr-Ewing, the agency has elevated tutoring into a trusted profession, giving parents the peace of mind that their child is taught by qualified educators. Today, Keystone is recognised as one of London’s most trusted tuition agencies, serving thousands of families across the UK and around the world.

High-quality private tutoring is one of the most effective and impactful investments you can make in your child’s future. It’s not just about getting through the syllabus; the right tutor can boost confidence, shape ambition, and open doors to life-changing opportunities.

So, what should you expect to pay for private tuition, and what makes some tutors worth the extra investment?

Tiffin School is increasingly becoming one of the most desirable schools in the United Kingdom. Based in Kingston-upon-Thames in South-West London, it is a state-funded, selective grammar school that accepts boys from Year 7 to 11, and its Sixth Form is co-educational. Tiffin Boys' is one of several highly competitive selective grammar schools in London.

Tiffin Boys’ academic prowess is well-documented; it consistently ranks in the top 10 for UK state schools for both GCSE and A Level results (and within the top 3 for boys-only state schools). A huge majority of Tiffin’s leavers move on to leading universities in the United Kingdom, with over 30 per year gaining places at Oxbridge. Leavers have also undertaken various apprenticeships, including the Amazon Degree apprenticeship, with several students even ending up studying in the USA, gaining places at Ivy League universities such as Princeton.

Extracurriculars include a wide variety of sports, clubs and societies. There are over 70 clubs, ranging from Bridge Club to Robotics Club. In terms of sports, Tiffin offers students a rich selection, from rugby to rowing. There is a state-of-the-art sports centre on site, as well as easy access to various offsite facilities.

Year-on-year, Tiffin has become more and more oversubscribed, which has led to a huge amount of competition for places, particularly at the 11+ entry point.

Reading List for children in Year 1 and Year 2 (Age 6 and 7)

Parents often ask us for reading recommendations and so we have compiled the following list below as a good starting point! These are all either personal favourites or recommended on well renowned book lists.

Understanding the expectations of Maths in the 11 Plus 

11 Plus Maths is a staple of every child’s experience throughout years 5-7 of school, whether they sit an ISEB 11 Plus, Common Entrance Paper or a pre-test for 13 Plus entry.

Below you will find advice on the range of 11 Plus Maths exams that can be offered, which topics are key to revise and advice on what senior schools are expecting from a student at 11 Plus level and how best to prepare for that

When should you start preparing for 11+?  

Starting 11 plus exam preparations in Lower KS2 (Year 3 or Year 4) is highly beneficial, providing ample time for children to thoroughly grasp the 11 plus syllabus within a realistic timeframe. During this stage, children can be introduced to fundamental maths concepts and problem-solving techniques, practice comprehension skills, develop their creative writing and vocabulary and familiarise themselves with various reasoning questions. This early approach also enables the development of problem-solving abilities in math and the enrichment of English vocabulary. Moreover, initiating preparations early minimises the anxieties and pressures linked to last-minute cramming. 

Preparing for 11 Plus interviews for independent schools is a crucial step for students aiming to secure a place at their chosen secondary school. In this guide, Keystone’s 11 Plus tutors share valuable advice and practical tips to help students showcase their full potential at interview.

In this video Keystone's founder, Will Orr-Ewing, and Managing Director, Ed Richardson, share their insights on tackling the 11 Plus entrance interviews for independent schools.

If your child is planning to take the 11 plus exam, and is looking for ways to prepare this comprehensive guide is for you! Keystone’s expert tutors have helped students excel at taking the 11 Plus, and the guidance below aims to distil their best practice into a simple, practical set of top tips.

As a parent looking for information about how best to prepare your child for the 11 Plus exams, you may have encountered the terms CEM and GL and wondered what on earth they refer to! When it comes to the 11 Plus, these terms refer to two of the assessment manufacturers who develop and provide the 11 Plus tests. They are:

• CEM (The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring)
• GL Assessment

Keystone Tutors are excited to launch of our very first Creative Writing Competition and we warmly invite young writers aged 5-13 to get involved! 

Whether your child is already a passionate storyteller or just beginning their writing journey, this is a wonderful opportunity to develop their imagination, sharpen their writing skills, and gain creative confidence. 

Free Online Creative Writing Workshop 

On Sunday 14th September, we hosted two creative writing workshops for children. These workshops were designed to equip children with the tools they needed to start writing their own story for our Creative Writing Competition. Through guided activities, the workshops covered how to:

• Develop memorable characters
• Describe settings effectively
• Structure a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Build tension and excitement in their writing

Here are the recordings of the two Creative Writing workshops. 

What is the CAT4 test?

Made by GL Assessment, it is one of the world’s most widely use cognitive ability tests. CAT stands for Cognitive Ability Test and it is used in schools to understand developed ability (i.e. where a child is now) and likely academic potential (i.e. where a child could be).

The CAT4 is used by some independent schools as a part of their admissions process, assessing a candidate’s verbal, non-verbal, mathematical, and spatial reasoning ability and academic potential. UK independent Prep Schools also use the CAT 4 tests as a data point (alongside qualitative and quantitative in-school data) to guide Senior School conversations with parents. This is because of its similarity to the existing Pre-Tests.

The fourth edition of CAT or CAT4 as it is more commonly known, took five years to develop, is based on extensive research, including the analysis of 25,000 UK students’ test data, and is one of the most common standardised assessment tools used in schools.

A short explanatory video of the CAT4’s content

Reading List for children in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 (Age 9 to 11)

Children studying for the 11 plus exams are at a key point in their school reading journey. They are starting to develop the independence and autonomy to seek out their own reading books and decide how to incorporate reading into their daily routine. By this point, ideally, we would want our children to have caught the ‘reading bug’ and enjoy reading a wide range of different texts as well as knowing where and how to search for new titles. At this age, we also recommend daily independent reading for 30 minutes and of course this is always helped with the use of audiobooks or being read to aloud.

Reading List for children in Year 3 and Year 4 (Age 7 and 8)

Children studying for the 8 plus exams are moving on from the initial chapter books and early reading series they may have looked at during seven plus preparation and are starting to choose more sophisticated titles. Books at this age are starting to get longer and tackle a broader range of subjects. Children themselves are starting to develop preferences for certain authors, writing styles and genres and should be encouraged to read widely across a diverse range of literature.

In order to excel in the 11 Plus, children need to have a wide vocabulary to draw on. Good vocabulary knowledge will help in all aspects of the English exam (reading, writing, verbal reasoning) as well as in the interviews.

Comprehending the reading part of the exam requires knowledge of what the individual words mean and what they mean within the context of the particular comprehension. Using interesting words in the writing part of the exam will help them stand out from other students’ that use simplistic vocabulary. Spotting spelling and patterns of meanings between words will help students to answer verbal reasoning questions. It is also important to communicate clearly in interviews and drawing on a wide vocabulary will help students convey their thoughts and ideas in a coherent way.

Six to seven year olds expand their vocabulary at a rapid rate, learning 5-10 words a day. While these are mostly learnt indirectly through everyday experiences, such as through discussion and reading, direct teaching can consolidate and improve a child’s vocabulary knowledge in readiness for the 7+ exam.