Month-by-month milestones from first introduction to exam day — for all major grammar schools
Book a Free ConsultationEffective 11 plus preparation is not about studying as intensively as possible — it is about studying the right things at the right time. A well-structured timeline from Year 4 through to exam day in Year 6 allows children to build skills progressively, develop stamina, peak at exactly the right moment, and avoid the burnout that frequently affects children who cram too hard too late. This month-by-month guide covers every key milestone from September of Year 4 through exam day.
September to December of Year 4 is the research and familiarisation phase. If you are considering a grammar school, now is the time to identify which schools you are targeting, confirm which exam provider they use (GL Assessment, school-specific, FSCE), and understand what each test requires. Do not begin intensive preparation in September of Year 4 — children who start drilling practice papers 24 months before the exam almost always experience declining motivation and burnout long before the actual exam arrives.
The most valuable activity in this phase: establish a strong daily reading habit. Wide reading — fiction, non-fiction, newspapers — improves verbal reasoning scores and English comprehension more effectively than any other single activity at this age. Aim for 20–30 minutes of independent reading daily. This habit, maintained through Year 5 and into Year 6, is one of the most reliable predictors of strong 11 plus performance.
January to April of Year 4: Begin light, engaging introduction to GL Assessment question types if your child is ready. The best starting point is non-verbal reasoning activities, which most children enjoy as puzzle-solving rather than formal academic work. Introduce one or two verbal reasoning question types per month through informal practice — untimed, low-pressure, framed as puzzles rather than tests.
May to July of Year 4: Continue light introduction. Identify any mathematical gaps by reviewing the GL Assessment maths topic list — some topics including algebra basics, ratios, and percentages are often introduced later in school than the exam requires. Use the summer between Year 4 and Year 5 to consolidate rather than accelerate: 2–3 weekly tuition sessions or structured workbooks rather than an intensive programme.
September to November of Year 5 is when structured, regular preparation should begin seriously. Establish a weekly routine of 1–2 focused preparation sessions of 45–60 minutes each. Begin systematic coverage of all 21 GL Assessment verbal reasoning question types — one to two types per fortnight, practised until correct consistently before moving to the next. Ensure all GL Assessment maths topics are covered, especially those not yet taught in school.
December to February of Year 5: Introduce timed practice for individual question-type sets. Start with 5-minute bursts, building to 15-minute and then 30-minute timed sections by February. Timed practice reveals where bottlenecks are — which question types your child is slow on — and guides your preparation focus for the spring term.
March to May of Year 5: First complete timed papers. By March of Year 5 (approximately 6 months before the September exam), introduce the first complete timed GL Assessment practice papers across all four sections. Mark them carefully and treat the results diagnostically — not as a measure of final performance, but as a guide to where the remaining months of preparation should focus. Aim for 2–3 complete papers per month during this period.
June to July of Year 5: Review and consolidation. Use the final term of Year 5 to address persistent weaknesses identified from paper practice. Focus specifically on question types where more than 2–3 marks per paper are still being lost. Enter the summer holidays with a clear picture of current strengths and the areas that need most attention in Year 6.
| Year 5 Month | Priority Focus | Papers / Practice |
|---|---|---|
| September–November | All 21 VR types + NVR + Maths gaps | Individual question-type practice only |
| December–February | Timed section practice + weak spots | Timed 15–30 min sections |
| March–May | Full papers + diagnostic review | 2–3 complete papers per month |
| June–July | Targeted weak-point work | 1–2 papers per week + targeted drills |
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The summer holidays between Year 5 and Year 6 — typically 6 weeks in late July and August — are one of the most important preparation windows in the entire 11 plus timeline. At this point, the exam is approximately 6 to 8 weeks away (for September sitters) or 10 to 12 weeks away (for October sitters). Families who used this period well consistently report better exam outcomes than those who either took a complete break or who pushed too hard.
The optimal approach during the summer: maintain 2 structured preparation sessions per week (not daily intensive sessions), complete 2 full timed GL Assessment papers per week with careful mistake review, and target any persistent weaknesses identified during Year 5. Daily reading should continue throughout. Mock exam practice at a tutor centre — where conditions replicate the real exam environment — is highly valuable during the 4 weeks immediately before the exam date.
Three statistics from Leading Tuition's preparation data that illustrate the importance of this period: children who maintain 2 sessions per week through the summer holidays improve their average practice paper score by an average of 6–9 standardised score points between July and September; children who stop entirely over summer typically arrive at September 3–5 points below their July level; children who over-prepare (daily intensive sessions) show a pattern of fatigue-related score decline in the final 2 weeks before the exam.
For schools with September exams — including QE Boys Barnet, Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin, and several other London consortia — the final preparation phase occurs entirely within September. For schools with October exams (including most Kent and Bucks schools), there is an additional 4 to 6 weeks of Year 6 preparation time.
Week 1 and 2 of September: Peak preparation intensity. Daily timed section practice, with at least one full mock exam under exam-realistic conditions (quiet room, timed, no interruptions). Review all mistakes from recent papers systematically.
Week 3 of September (for week-4 exams): Begin winding down new material. Focus on consolidation, confidence-building, and quick reviews of question types that still feel uncertain. No long practice sessions — aim for 30-minute focused reviews.
Final week before exam: Light warm-up sessions only (one timed section on Monday and Tuesday). Wednesday completely free. Thursday: brief review of 5–10 questions of any types still feeling uncertain. Friday: complete rest. Establish a pre-exam routine: good sleep, nutritious breakfast, early arrival at the venue. See our grammar school hub, our guide to passing the 11 plus, and our 11 plus tuition service for further guidance on all aspects of 11 plus preparation.
Mock exams — full papers taken under timed conditions in a formal setting — are the most effective single preparation tool in the final 8 weeks before the actual exam. Children who have experienced the physical sensation of working under exam-like time pressure consistently perform better on exam day than those who have only practised at home in informal conditions. The goal is not to pass or fail the mock but to make the conditions on actual exam day feel completely familiar and unremarkable.
Recommended mock exam schedule: first full mock in March of Year 5 (diagnostic baseline); second mock in June of Year 5 (mid-preparation check); third and fourth mocks in July and August (summer preparation); fifth and sixth mocks in September of Year 6 (final preparation); final mock the week before the exam (confidence check only). At a minimum, every child should complete three full mocks under timed conditions before the actual exam. Children targeting the most competitive schools — QE Boys, Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin — should aim for six or more.
For super-selective schools like QE Boys Barnet, Henrietta Barnett, and Tiffin — where successful applicants typically score in the 130s — structured preparation should begin no later than January of Year 5, giving 8 months before the September exam. Beginning formal preparation in Year 4 is beneficial if kept light and engaging. For Buckinghamshire and county-level grammar schools with lower qualifying thresholds, starting in April or May of Year 5 is generally sufficient. The critical principle is consistent, structured practice over many months rather than intensive last-minute cramming, which rarely produces the substantial score improvements that sustained preparation achieves.
Year 4 preparation should be light, engaging, and focused on building foundational skills rather than drilling practice papers. The most valuable activities are: ensuring your child reads widely for 20-30 minutes daily; introducing GL Assessment question types informally through puzzle-style activities; and addressing any mathematical gaps by covering topics not yet taught in school. Intensive Year 4 preparation tends to cause burnout before the exam — think of Year 4 as the exploration and familiarisation phase, and Year 5 as the systematic preparation phase. A specialist tutor can run a monthly diagnostic to track progress without applying pressure.
During the early stages of preparation, individual question-type practice is more valuable than full papers. From March of Year 5, introduce 2-3 complete timed papers per month with careful mistake review after each. During the summer holidays before Year 6, aim for approximately 2 complete papers per week. In the weeks immediately before the exam, daily timed sections are appropriate. In the final week before the exam, stop paper practice entirely. Quality of review matters far more than paper quantity — a child who completes 20 papers with thorough mistake analysis will improve more than one who completes 50 papers without reviewing what went wrong.
The 6-week summer holiday between Year 5 and Year 6 is one of the most critical preparation windows. The optimal approach is 2 structured preparation sessions per week (not daily intensive sessions), 2 complete timed papers per week with systematic mistake review, and continuation of daily reading. Leading Tuition's data shows that children who maintain 2 sessions per week through the summer improve their average practice paper score by 6-9 standardised points between July and September, while children who stop completely typically arrive at September 3-5 points below their July level. Finding the right balance between preparation and rest is key.
The final week before the exam should focus on confidence, light consolidation, and emotional preparation rather than learning new material. Monday and Tuesday: one relaxed timed section as a warm-up. Wednesday: completely free from preparation. Thursday: brief review of 5-10 questions of any type still feeling uncertain. Friday: complete rest. On exam morning, ensure your child has slept well, eaten a nutritious breakfast, and arrives at the venue at least 15 minutes early. Discussing what to expect on exam day — the registration, the seating, the timing signals — removes the element of the unknown and significantly reduces exam anxiety.
Leading Tuition provides structured preparation programmes matched to each child's target schools, current ability level, and preparation start date. We use diagnostic assessments to establish a baseline and build a month-by-month plan covering all necessary material at a sustainable pace. Our tutors specialise in all major grammar school consortia including QE Boys Barnet, Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin, and Buckinghamshire schools. We offer one-to-one tuition, timed mock exams, and detailed feedback on every session. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation at leadingtuition.co.uk/consultation or message us on WhatsApp to discuss where your child currently is in their preparation.
Leading Tuition specialises in expert preparation across 11+, GCSE, A-Level, and university admissions. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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