Wellington College Admissions Tutors
Here is a sample of the Wellington College Admissions tutors we represent
Charles is a qualified primary teacher who gained a PGCE from the University of Buckingham. He has over a decade of experience in the classroom. Charles is patient, approachable and forms great working relationships with students and parents alike.
Sam is a highly personable individual who teaches across the age range. He specialises in English, EFL and 11+. Sam is also a writer and has a love of language that he aims to pass onto his students.
Richard graduated with a 1st class degree in Maths from the University of Leeds. He has been tutoring Maths since he was a student himself. Richard's teaching style is adaptive and allows his lessons to be tailored to the needs of his students.
Jack studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh and graduated with first class honours. He then went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. He tutors both Maths and English across the age range and aims to create an open and reflexive learning environment.
Charles has a Master's from St Andrews and is now pursuing a PhD in History at Cambridge alongside his tutoring. He focuses on humanities, as well as teaching English and Maths at 11+. Charles believes communication is key within his lessons, allowing his students to ask questions and develop their ideas.
Sean studied Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at Durham University where he subsequently completed a Masters of Science in Global Politics. Sean has tutored since 2019 and has a real passion for education, learning and teaching.
Isobel holds a PGCE and comes to Keystone from one of London's top prep schools. She has taught children across the ability spectrum, and brings this wealth of experience from the classroom to tutoring. She is lively and sparky in her approach.
Max is an Oxford educated English graduate who has also completed an MPhil in American Literature at Cambridge. Max has tutored since 2012 and works with students of all levels and with diverse educational needs. He has taught over 3,200 hours and helped 150 families through Keystone.
Why parents choose Keystone for
11+ tutoring
The 11+ presents specific challenges. Although it is based on the Year 6 English and Maths syllabus, it often stretches students beyond what they are taught in class, and candidates for the more competitive schools need to tackle this content successfully to stand out. Many tests are also online and adaptive, with questions getting harder as the candidate answers correctly. Unlike traditional exams, there is no fixed syllabus, so preparation means making sure a student is secure in the fundamentals and then stretching them to the highest level they can achieve beyond the core syllabus.
Many exams are also computerised and include verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which most students will not have met before. Familiarising them with the computerised format and with how to approach unusual question types is therefore essential.
Exceptional Tutors
A carefully selected team of experienced teachers, senior school admissions specialists and employed tutors who have a thorough knowledge of the 11+ exam.
School specific expertise
Our tutors combine a deep understanding of the KS2 curriculum with extensive experience of 11+ assessments at leading independent schools. We look beyond the syllabus to understand what each school is looking for, then create a tailored programme designed around your child's individual strengths, areas for development and target schools.
Our track record
Keystone has extensive experience preparing children for 11+ entry at some of London's most competitive day schools and top UK boarding schools including St. Paul’s Boys School, St Paul’s Girls School, Westminster, King’s Wimbledon College School, Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey and many others.
A highly personalised approach
Our Client Managers provide a high level of personal support throughout the tutoring. Parents receive regular feedback on progress, areas for further development and the focus of upcoming lessons, giving you a clear understanding of how preparation is progressing.
Online Testing & Exam Skills
Exam skills matter especially at this age, as for most children the 11+ is their first proper exam. Many tests are also online and adaptive, with questions getting harder as a child answers correctly, so knowing the content isn't enough. A child needs the exam skills and online test practice to go with it.
Feedback for
Keystone Tutors
Request an 11+ tutor
Want to know more about our tutors? Contact us today to discuss your requirements.
Explore more of
our
11+ Services
Keystone offers a number of supplementary services to complement our 11+ tutoring:
Our custom-made Academic Assessments give families a clear, objective understanding of a child’s academic level in relation to their peers and target schools, identifying strengths, areas for development and helping to guide future tuition strategies.
For families seeking a fully managed approach, our Consultant-Led Tutoring service provides expert oversight from a dedicated education consultant. The consultant designs, coordinates and monitors the entire tutoring programme, setting clear goals, reviewing progress and ensuring every element of support is aligned to maximise your child’s success in the 11+ assessments. This service also includes mock interview practice, ongoing monitoring and regular diagnostic assessments to track progress.
Finding the right tutor
for each child
Step 1: Detailed Consultation
Before we can help a student, we often need to spend a significant amount of time learning about the student's requirements. Most consultations are carried out over the phone or on a video call.
Step 2: Academic Assessment (optional)
Students sit our custom-made academic assessments to indicate their level in relation to their peers, and in order to identify suggested areas to work on. Parents also seek academic assessments for their children to determine their general strengths and weaknesses, and decide upon a set of objectives for the course of tuition.
Step 3: Tutor Selection Process
The selection of the tutor is an integral part of our process. Priding ourselves on how well we know the varying strengths of each tutor, we ensure that each decision is informed by the expectation of a successful match between the tutor and student.
Step 4: Regular Progress Monitoring
After the first lesson, one of our dedicated client managers will contact you to find out how the lesson went. Our client managers are always available at the end of the phone and they are frequently praised for their efficiency, dedication and responsiveness.
Step 5: Monthly Reporting & Feedback
Tutors submit a monthly report detailing the work done in the month; the successes and areas to work on; and the work for the coming month. Our regular, rigorous reporting is frequently praised by parents.
Request a tutor
Want to know more about our tutors? Contact us today to discuss your requirements.
FAQs
The term 11+ can mean a great many things, so it is important to distinguish between the different types:
- 11 Plus Grammar School Entrance Tests : Some students in UK state primary schools sit the 11 Plus exam to selective grammar schools which tests English, Maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Read more about our 11+ grammar school admissions tutors.
- 11 Plus Pre-Tests: Many UK independent senior schools now use ‘pre-tests’ or ‘pre-assessments’ as an initial entry assessment. Students will either sit these age-standardised tests in year six or year seven, usually alongside an interview. Following the tests, schools make conditional offers, subject to Common Entrance exams at the end of year eight. Pre-tests can be either in written form or on a computer. The most popular pre-tests are the ISEB Common Pre-Test and the school specific tests, such as The Harrow Test and Eton List Test.
- 11 Plus Entrance Tests (Independent Schools): The majority of independent girls’ schools across the country start in year seven; applicants take an 11 Plus exam in January of year 6 to gain entry.
Read more in our 11+ guide.
Our tutors conduct monthly assessments to track your child's progress.
Tutors submit a monthly report detailing:
- the focus of that month’s tutoring
- the form of assessment used
- the student's achievements and areas for further work
- the focus for the coming month
The regular, rigorous reporting of the tutors we represent is frequently praised by parents.
The tutors we represent are able to deliver in-person tuition within central London. For those outside of central London we offer online tutoring.
The tutors we represent are well-versed in delivering online tuition, using videoconferencing and an interactive whiteboard. This gives students, wherever they are in the world, access to experienced, high-quality tutors who are familiar with the requirements of the 11 plus exams.
We tend to recommend 12 months of preparation; we encourage parents to get in touch in the January of Year 5 before their child is due to sit the 11 plus. This is a typical timeline, although many choose to start earlier.
Yes, we offer a trial lesson. With Keystone, you are not required to sign up for any minimum number of lessons, and we offer one-off paid trial lessons so that your child can determine if the fit is right for them. This allows students and parents tutoring through Keystone before committing to regular sessions. The trial lesson is charged at the tutor’s full hourly rate and there is no obligation to continue if you feel it's not the right match.
Articles on 11 plus
exam tuition
Guide to 11 Plus (11+) Verbal Reasoning
What is verbal reasoning?
Verbal reasoning tests a pupil’s ability to solve problems using a combination of letters and words. It assesses the extent of a child’s literacy, their vocabulary, and their critical and constructive thinking skills.
Written by Keystone Tutors
11 Plus Interview Questions
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.
Written by Keystone Tutors
11 Plus Vocabulary List
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.
Written by Keystone Tutors
11 Plus Reading List
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.
Written by Keystone Tutors
11+ Creative Writing Guide
The creative writing section of the 11+ exam is often one of the most daunting parts of the assessment. Examiners look for originality, structure, and engaging storytelling—skills that don’t always come naturally.
In this article, we’ll explore key strategies to help your child succeed in 11+ creative writing, answering some frequently asked questions and then sharing insights from Cameron, an experienced 11+ Creative Writing tutor. With years of expertise preparing students for competitive entrance exams, Cameron shares his advice on planning stories, improving descriptive language, and mastering exam techniques.
Written by Keystone Tutors
Keystone supports students at every stage of their education, from early years to university entry. Areas of specialism include:
