Guides
Guides for parents
Plain-words guides to the test, the dates and the schools, each with its sources.
11+ guides
- West Midlands 11+ guideThe shared 11+ test for 19 schools in Birmingham, Warwickshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Shropshire: the format, scores, registration and each school's rules.
- Birmingham 11+ guideA plain guide to the Birmingham 11+ test: the format, the eight schools, the timeline and how to prepare. The same test is used by 11 more schools nearby.
- Year 3 and the 11+In Year 3 now? Your child would sit the West Midlands 11+ in September 2029. What helps today: reading, times tables and puzzles, little and often.
- After the resultsWhat your West Midlands 11+ result means, the 31 October preference deadline, and where each area publishes scores, waiting lists and appeals, with sources.
- West Midlands schoolsThe schools that share the test, one guide each: admission rules, open events and sources.
- Birmingham schoolsThe eight Birmingham schools that share the test, one page each.
GCSE Maths guides
- What a Year 11 mock result meansA calm guide for parents to Year 11 GCSE Maths mock results: how schools set and mark mocks, why a mock grade is only a guide, and what to ask next.
- Foundation or Higher: how schools decideA plain guide for parents to the two GCSE Maths tiers: the grades each one offers, who decides the entry, what schools weigh up and what to ask.
- Grades 4 and 5: what they meanWhat GCSE grades 4 and 5 mean for parents: the 9 to 1 scale, the Department for Education's "standard pass" and "strong pass", and why grade 4 in maths matters after Year 11.
- After the mocks: a calm 8-week planA calm 8-week GCSE Maths plan for parents to use after Year 11 mocks: choose a few topics, practise little and often, use the formulae sheet and keep in touch with school.
- Helping with GCSE Maths when you're not a maths personPractical ways for parents to support GCSE Maths at home without teaching it: good questions to ask, what the course covers and where to find help.
Join the waitlist
We'll email you when NextJen opens. Waitlist families get a founding price: £16 a month for the Year 3 start, £24 a month for 11+ Year 4 and £36 a month for 11+ Year 5, per child, fixed while your plan continues without a break. When a child moves on to the next course, they move to its founding price.