How to Prepare for 11+ Maths: A Practical Guide for Parents

The 11+ examination is one of the most significant academic milestones in a child’s early education. For families in grammar-school areas — Essex, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and London boroughs — or those targeting competitive independent schools, the pressure to prepare well is real. But how you prepare matters enormously, and the approach taken in Years 4 and 5 will shape how confident and capable your child feels when they walk into that examination room.

This guide walks through what effective 11+ maths preparation actually looks like — what to start, when, and why.

When Should You Start Preparing?

For most children, serious 11+ preparation begins in Year 4. Some families start in Year 5, which is workable but leaves less time to identify and address gaps. Starting too early — Year 2 or Year 3 — risks burning out children on exam content before they have the mathematical maturity to engage with it meaningfully.

The ideal trajectory is:

  • Year 3: Secure the foundations — number fluency, place value, times tables, fractions, early problem-solving. No exam pressure yet.
  • Year 4: Begin structured 11+ preparation. Introduce the bar model for problem-solving. Build speed and accuracy.
  • Year 5: Intensify preparation. Past paper practice, timed work, exam technique alongside continued problem-solving depth.

What 11+ Maths Actually Tests

The 11+ tests mathematical reasoning and problem-solving under time pressure — not just curriculum knowledge. A child who knows their times tables but cannot apply that knowledge flexibly in an unfamiliar problem will struggle. The most common area of difficulty is multi-step reasoning: problems that require two or three logical steps, without obvious signposting.

Two main testing formats dominate:

  • GL Assessment — used by most grammar schools including those in Essex (CSSE), Surrey, and many London areas
  • CSSE (Essex) — a flagship specialism for us. We have run past groups specifically for CSSE, maintain an archive of past-paper solutions, and have produced video breakdowns of past papers. Students targeting KEGS Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar, and the broader CSSE network are well served by our programme.

For families targeting competitive independent schools — Westminster, St Paul’s, City of London, Henrietta Barnett, Latymer Upper, Godolphin and Latymer — the maths papers tend to be more demanding and creative. Our students have won places at all of these schools.

The Bar Model Approach

At Singapore Maths Academy, we use the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) approach at the heart of our 11+ teaching, with the bar model as a central problem-solving tool. This is not a gimmick — it is the approach that underpins Singapore’s consistently world-leading maths results, and it is now embedded in the UK national curriculum.

Our founder was personally trained in Singapore by Dr Yeap Ban Har, the world’s leading Singapore Maths expert, and went on to become a consultant and international trainer for Maths No Problem — the company that introduced Singapore Maths to UK schools. Through his sister company, Bar Model Company, he trains teachers across the UK in this methodology. That knowledge and experience runs through every session we deliver.

The bar model makes multi-step problems visual. It gives children a systematic tool for tackling problems they have never seen before — which is exactly what the 11+ demands. Children who can draw and interpret a bar model independently become confident, flexible problem-solvers.

Our 11+ Groups

We run two Year 4 groups and two Year 5 groups for 11+ maths preparation. Groups are small — around 4–5 students (max 8) — and our interactive online classroom means our tutors can see every child’s working in real time. No child falls behind silently. Every stroke is visible, every mistake is addressed before it becomes a habit.

Our online classroom environment allows built-in differentiation: students who work faster receive the next challenge immediately, rather than waiting. This keeps the session productive for every child, regardless of pace.

All sessions take place via Zoom. Homework is set and marked within the classroom environment, with errors worked through at the start of the following session. For major assessments, we produce detailed written feedback reports.

1-to-1 as an Alternative or Supplement

For children who would benefit from a more individually tailored approach — whether because they are working ahead of their peers, need to address specific gaps, or simply thrive in a one-to-one environment — we also offer 1-to-1 and 2-to-1 sessions at all year groups from Year 2 upwards. A 2-to-1 session (two siblings or friends, one tutor) is particularly strong value and a popular option among families with multiple children preparing together.

What Parents Should Know About Expectations

Preparing for the 11+ is a real commitment — for the child and the family. We believe strongly in being honest about this. Most of our 11+ students win a grammar-school place, and we are proud of that. But a child who does not pass is not a failure — and our job does not end at the exam. We prepare every child to flourish in secondary maths, whether they end up in a grammar school, an independent school, or an excellent comprehensive.

A child’s confidence, readiness, and enjoyment of mathematics matters as much to us as the result. We do not invoke fear, we do not put children under unnecessary pressure, and we do not accept that crying after lessons is a normal part of maths preparation. It is not, and it should not be.

Where SMA Students Have Won Places

Our students have gone on to win places at schools including Westminster, St Paul’s (SPS/SPGS), Harrow, City of London (CLS/CLSG), James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS), North London Collegiate (NLCS), Haberdashers’ Aske’s (Habs), Merchant Taylors’, Forest School, Bancroft’s, Henrietta Barnett, Godolphin and Latymer, Latymer Upper, Queen Elizabeth’s Barnet (QE Boys), Manchester Grammar School (MGS), The Perse in Cambridge, and across the Essex grammars — both CSSE schools like KEGS Chelmsford and Colchester Royal Grammar (CRGS), and non-CSSE schools like Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS).

Read Our Reviews

We have been running since 2014 — over a decade of 11+ families. Our track record speaks for itself in our reviews, with over 90 five-star Google ratings from parents whose children have gone through our programme. If you would like to understand more about our approach before committing, read our reviews from families who have been through the journey with us.

When you are ready to talk about your child’s preparation, get in touch through our website. You will hear back personally from our team.