Keystone Features in the Financial Times

A practical guide for parents of primary-aged children

Every child develops writing skills at a different pace. Some children have wonderful ideas but struggle to organise them; others write accurately but need encouragement to develop their vocabulary or imagination. Small, consistent habits can make a significant difference to a child's writing development. Whether your child is preparing for a 7+, 8+ or 11+ school entrance exam or simply wants to become a more confident writer, the following strategies can help you support them at home.

We were excited to announce the return of our Creative Writing Competition this summer 2026. We ran two competitions, so there was an opportunity for every age group to take part.

• Junior Competition — for writers aged 5–13 (Years 1–8)
• Senior Competition — for writers aged 14–18 (Years 9–13)

This was a brilliant opportunity for students to build imagination, sharpen writing skills, and gain creative confidence over the summer.

See below for this year's winning entries!

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A practical guide for parents of primary-aged children

If your child is heading towards 7+ or 8+ assessments, or you simply want them to feel confident with numbers, mental maths is the place to start. It's built through short, regular practice rather than long sessions, and much of it can happen through games, shopping trips and conversation. Below you'll find a simple ten-minute routine, guidance on what to focus on from Reception to Year 6, and practical mental maths games for primary children to try at home.

What is the TARA?

TARA stands for Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions. It is a computer-based admissions test delievered by UAT-UK and is used by select UK universities (including UCL and Oxford) as part of their admissions process for certain courses (a full list is provided below).

UCL began using the TARA in 2025 for candidates applying for 2026-entry (primarily for Computer Science, Management Science and Social Sciences). Oxford University will be using the TARA this year for 2027-entry onwards. This means that Oxford will no longer use the TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) as part of its admissions process.

This represents a significant change for Oxford (it has used the TSA since 2008 as a key part of its admissions process). However, the good news for students is that the TARA is very similar to the TSA, so students can continue to take advantage of the wealth of TSA past paper questions available online while the TARA continues to be developed.

Founded in 1611, Charterhouse is one of the great historic public schools of England. With four centuries of history behind it, the school is committed to being at the forefront of educational progress in the twenty-first century. Located in Godalming, Surrey, the school became fully co-educational in September 2021 and now welcomes pupils from 13 to 18. Charterhouse offers a broad education combining academic ambition with extensive opportunities in sport, music, drama, the arts and other co-curricular activities.

Charterhouse is academically selective, but its admissions process is not based solely on examination performance. The school describes its approach as a ‘complete child’ philosophy, considering each applicant’s academic ability alongside their character, interests, talents and personality.

Charterhouse has several entry points, including 11+, 13+, 14+ and 16+. There are two main entrance points, in Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+), although Charterhouse also admit around 20 pupils in Year 10, at the start of the GCSE course. The application process and assessments vary depending on the age at which a pupil wishes to join. All admissions though are by assessment, which is competitive, and contingent on performance at interview, as well as a positive reference from the candidate’s current school.

Founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, Dulwich College is a boys’ selective day and boarding school in London. Dulwich has a strong global brand with 11 outposts in other countries, including China, South Korea and Singapore. While it is certainly a very academically selective school, it also fosters an inclusive educational and social environment, and partners closely with its sister school James Allen’s Girls’ School. 

The main senior-school entry points are Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+). Dulwich also has a Junior School entry point at Year 3 and a small number of occasional places in Years 4 and 5 and, for boarders, Year 10.

The Spectator has once again published its annual table showing which schools received the most Oxbridge offers last year. Their figures show how well state schools – grammars, sixth-form colleges and others – compete with independent schools.  

As with the Spectator data from previous years, we thought it would be interesting to take a deeper dive into the data. Of the schools included, 33 are independent (three more than last year), 20 are grammars or partially selective (four fewer), 23 are sixth-form or further-education colleges (two more) and three are comprehensives or academies (one fewer).  

Schools are ranked by the number of offers received, followed by their offer-to-application ratio. We have included the offer rate and last year’s ranking in our table below. It is worth stressing that this is an offer-volume ranking, not a measure of admissions success. A school can rank highly because it submits a large number of applications, while a smaller school can have a considerably higher offer rate but appear much lower down the table. 

Vocabulary plays a crucial part in all aspects of communication; listening, speaking, reading and writing. Children taking the 8 Plus exam will need to have a good range of vocabulary to call on in interviews, and when completing the reading, writing and reasoning aspects of the entrance exams.

This age group will be developing their use of logic and understanding of cause and effect. Comprehension questions at this level can include direct questions about word meanings and locating the meaning of a word in a given context. Schools will also want to assess a child’s ability to make inferences; where one has to use clues in the text to give an answer that has not been directly listed in the text. Sound vocabulary knowledge can help with answering these kinds of questions.

Past papers are a great resource for anyone preparing to take an exam, no matter how young. Past papers can be especially helpful in exposing your child to: 

• The types of questions they might meet
• The curriculum they will need to be on top of in advance of the test
• The timings and exam skills required of them, which is particular important as this is often the first exam they will have sat

Important update: The Oxford Maths Admissions Test (MAT) has been discontinued.

The MAT was used by the University of Oxford from 2007 to 2025. In 2026, Oxford replaced the MAT with the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA).

All applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science and relevant joint honours courses at Oxford must now take the TMUA instead.

Applying to Oxford to study Maths? Read our Guide to the TMUA for the latest information on the test, format, preparation and key dates.

What was the MAT?

The Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT) was a university admissions test designed to assess mathematical ability and problem-solving skills.

Oxford used the MAT for applicants to Mathematics, Computer Science and other related courses. The test was introduced in 2007 and was used until 2025.

Applicants for Mathematics, Computer Science and relevant joint honours courses now take the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) instead.

The change means that students applying to Oxford for Mathematics or Computer Science should no longer prepare for the MAT as their admissions test.

Wycombe Abbey was founded in 1896 by Dame Frances Dove to create a girls’ education that was every ounce as good as boys’, through pursuit of excellence, development of talents, and an understanding of the needs of others. It has become one of the leading girls’ schools in the UK, renowned for its long-standing academic excellence and outstanding results. A formidable full-boarding school at the forefront of educating young women, it appeals to the brightest, liveliest go-getters with a passion and drive for brilliance. Wycombe Abbey educates 660 girls and has three entrance points, in Year 7, Year 9, and Year 12.

If results day did not quite go as planned and you are considering an A Level retake, we have outlined the options and answered the questions we are commonly asked at Keystone.