At what point should I send my Child to Head Start?

This usually depends on a few factors that vary between and are specific to, each child/family such as extra-curricular commitments, financial obligations, living arrangements etc as well as natural IQ and progress at school. If we put those specific factors unrelated to academic ability aside, it’s important to consider both natural intellect and inclination towards academic study in conjunction with just how vast the syllabus for the 11+ is.  Unlike the old 12+ and 11+ which primarily tested IQ, Children now have to be proficient in Maths and English as well as those IQ based questions in the Non-Verbal and Verbal Reasoning sections. They have to have a very good understanding of all mathematical concepts taught until they take the 11+ in Year 5 as well as an innate understanding of some areas they may not have been taught. They need to have a broad vocabulary, know how to spot spelling and punctuation mistakes and have a good understanding of the fundamental building blocks of the English Language with excellent comprehension skills. Then there are at least 22 Verbal Reasoning question types and 8 Non-Verbal reasoning question types to get to grips with beyond that. Given the limited potential contact time outside of school, in general we would always advise they start as soon as you and they can manage, particularly so if your child is struggling at school. If your child is doing well at school then you have some flexibility there and can potentially start later, but we advise encouraging them to increase the amount of time they spend reading at home and trying some GL 11+ practice and familiarisation books when they can. If your child is a exceptionally bright then they would likely do well just attending our Summer School. Regardless, all children will benefit from extra help outside of school, especially after losing so much contact time during the pandemic.

If you would like to speak to us about your child’s specific needs at what we think is best for them, please do not hesitate to call or email us and we’ll be happy to help.

Which week of Summer School is best and can I attend more than one week?

This depends on your Child’s natural ability, how well they are doing at school and how much 11+ preparation they have had prior. Generally, the earlier they can get to us and take on board everything they learn at Summer School, the better as they have more time afterwards and before the 11+ to implement any recommendations for further work and to get more practice and familiarisation having gone through a fully comprehensive learning experience for the 11+. If your child is struggling at school or they haven’t been preparing for the 11+, then we advise to try and get on Week 1. If your child has done lots of preparation and is at least learning as expected at school, then you have more flexibility and any week will benefit them.

The course isn’t designed to be taken more than once as the same material, tests, lessons etc will be repeated each week. However, this can be extremely valuable for any children who are new to their 11+ preparation or anyone that may have particularly struggled on the course.

How big are your classes?

At Head Start, we like to keep our classes small. There are great benefits to a classroom setting but we feel it is important to keep numbers of students per teacher relatively low. Our average class size for the past 2 years was 10 children per class, with the maximum number of children per teacher never exceeding 12 even on our most popular courses. We also have support tutors who will work in the classroom on a 1-2-1 basis where necessary and gives the perfect balance between group dynamics and personal 1-2-1 attention.

What is the cost of the entire programme of study?

If you attend all courses throughout the year and pay as you go, the total cost is £2435.00. A discount of £200.00 is available if you pay for all course fees in advance at the beginning of the year, reducing the total cost of the programme to £2235.00. Alternatively, if you would like to sign up to all courses and pay just the deposit portion of the fees, you can do so and you will be eligible for a £100 discount on the deposits. This will allow you the peace of mind of securing your child’s place on each term/course but retain financial flexibility and ‘pay as you go’ on the remaining balance of each course throughout the year.

Can my child attend a later phase of study if they haven’t been to Head Start before?

Whilst we encourage it, it is not necessary to attend all phases. Our programme of study is designed to give parents flexibility to choose which courses to attend as dictated by their personal circumstances, such as the ability and specific needs of their child, availability outside of school, finances, childcare arrangements etc. Your child will always benefit from more time with us and so we encourage you to attend as many of our courses as possible, but previous attendance is not a requirement for future attendance on a single phase. However, there are also several discounts available for attending all phases, and a discount of £50 from Summer School if you attend any of the preceding Phases 1 – 6.

Do you set homework?

Yes but it is not compulsory for students to complete it. Every child is different; and every school and every teacher is different too and, thus, how much extra work at home a child can cope with will vary from one child to the other. We believe therefore that, as parents, you are best to decide the right workload for your child and whether you feel it is appropriate for them to complete the homework we set. Rest assured though, the option is there and the homework we give will be designed to reinforce what has been taught in class as well as developing those visceral aspects of the 11+ preparation such as vocabulary, general knowledge, basic numeracy skills, writing etc.

Do you have a Year 4 class?

Yes we do! For 2025 we offer a preparatory Year 4 course during the Summer Term to kick-start your child’s 11+ tuition. This will introduce them to the different elements of the 11+, with particular emphasis on Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning question types which they will not cover at school, as well as some of the fundamental aspects of Maths and English required to succeed in the 11+.

My Child is not taking the 11+ for a few years. Can I sign them up in advance?

Yes. If your child is in Year 2 or 3 you can pay an advanced deposit payment of £100.00 which will guarantee your place on any Phase. This £100 is then credited towards the cost of any Phase which you wish your child to attend.

Can I register my interest without booking a course?

Yes. If you aren’t quite ready for your child to begin tuition with us you can register and receive emails, notifications and updates etc on our programme of study.

This won’t secure you a place on any course but will make sure you don’t miss out on crucial information and this will make the registration process a lot easier when you are ready for your child to join.

How do I book more courses once I have registered?

Once you have registered, you can simply go to the ‘book now’ page and add any additional phases of study that you didn’t sign up to on registration.

Do you offer 1-2-1 tuition?

In addition to our weekly and holiday group classes, we are able to offer 1-2-1 tuition with a select few of our Head Start teachers. This is usually alongside what your child will be doing with us in the classroom, in order to address specific academic needs and concerns. Please contact us to arrange.