This course prepares Year 7–8 pupils for Common Entrance 13+ by teaching the underlying curriculum as well as the exam skills needed to use it well under timed conditions. It is designed for students applying to independent senior schools who need organised preparation across English, Mathematics, Science, and selected optional subjects.
The programme begins with orientation, paper mapping, and diagnostic assessment so students can identify exactly what each target school requires and where their current strengths and gaps lie. These results are then turned into a practical revision plan that helps students divide time sensibly across multiple papers.
In English, students build secure reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills before applying them to comprehension, literary analysis, essays, and creative tasks. Lessons focus on selecting evidence, explaining language effects, structuring analytical paragraphs, improving punctuation and sentence control, and producing clear, accurate writing in timed responses.
In Mathematics, the course develops fluency in number, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, algebra, geometry, data, and probability. Students learn step-by-step methods, practise multi-stage problem solving, and improve how they present working so they can earn method marks as well as correct answers.
In Science, students strengthen scientific explanation, practical reasoning, data handling, and core topic knowledge in biology and chemistry, alongside the wider working-scientifically skills commonly examined at this level. They learn how to plan fair tests, interpret graphs and tables, use precise scientific vocabulary, and avoid vague or incomplete answers.
Throughout the course, teaching is concrete and exam-relevant. Each topic includes explanation, worked examples, guided practice, independent questions, review of common mistakes, and original exam-style tasks with answer guidance.
- Diagnostic assessments in English, Mathematics, Science, and optional subjects
- Exam mapping for paper structure, timing, levels, and school-specific subject choices
- Core curriculum teaching to rebuild weak topics rather than relying on shortcuts
- Structured English practice in comprehension, analysis, grammar, and writing
- Mathematics problem solving with clear methods and mixed-paper practice
- Science explanation and data skills for theory and practical questions
- Optional subject readiness for papers such as history, geography, languages, classics, or religious studies
- Timed practice and review to improve pace, accuracy, and confidence
- Revision planning using targets, topic ranking, and mistake logs
By the end of the programme, students should be able to answer comprehension questions with precise evidence, write more controlled essays and analytical responses, solve multi-step mathematical problems accurately, explain scientific ideas clearly, interpret data with confidence, and manage revision across several Common Entrance papers in a focused way.