At Singapore Maths Academy, many parents contact us asking how the 11+ entrance process works for Tiffin School, one of the most sought-after grammar schools in the Kingston-upon-Thames area. To help you, here’s a clear breakdown of Tiffin’s two-stage entrance process, especially focusing on the Maths element.
Stage One: Multiple-Choice Maths and English Test
The first hurdle in the Tiffin admissions process is the Stage One Test, usually held in the autumn term of Year 6.
- What’s tested?
- Maths (Multiple Choice)
- English (Multiple Choice comprehension and reasoning)
For the Maths section, students face questions designed to test speed, accuracy, and reasoning across a wide range of KS2 topics: number, arithmetic, word problems, and basic problem-solving.
Key things to know:
- It’s multiple choice: This means no long written answers—just select the correct option.
- Time pressure is real: Quick thinking and strong mental maths are crucial.
- High competition: Only the top-scoring pupils from Stage One are invited back for Stage Two.
At Singapore Maths Academy, our 11+ tuition programmes focus heavily on building speed and accuracy for this stage through regular timed drills and mock papers.
Stage Two: Standard Format Written Papers (English and Maths)
For pupils who pass Stage One, the Stage Two Exam is a deeper academic challenge.
- What’s tested?
- Maths (Standard Format – Written Paper): Pupils need to show full working out, logical problem-solving steps, and written explanations where necessary.
- English (Extended writing and comprehension)
Tiffin recently released illustrative maths questions to help parents and students understand the level and style of the Stage Two Maths paper. These questions reflect the type of multi-step, non-routine problems pupils can expect.
Examples from the Tiffin Maths Illustrative PDF include:
- Problem-solving with real-life contexts (e.g., money, measurements)
- Multi-step reasoning questions
- Visual and spatial reasoning (e.g., angles, area, patterns)
- Algebraic thinking and generalising patterns
- Clear expectation to show working and explain reasoning
At Singapore Maths Academy, we often use these types of problems in our tuition sessions to help pupils move beyond simple calculation and into real 11+ problem-solving depth.
How We Help at Singapore Maths Academy
We tailor our 11+ Maths tuition to cover both:
✅ Speed and technique for Stage One (Multiple Choice)
✅ Depth, reasoning, and full working for Stage Two (Standard Format Written Maths Paper)
Our pupils build the confidence and skills needed to tackle both stages of the Tiffin School selection process.
Final Tip for Parents
If your child is aiming for Tiffin School, preparation needs to start early and cover both stages of the exam. Practising with real multiple-choice papers and challenging written maths problems like those in Tiffin’s illustrative questions is key.
Want support from specialist 11+ Maths tutors?
👉 Contact Singapore Maths Academy