Primary and 11-Plus
Expert Teaching, Personalised Support, Outstanding Results.
“I don’t have enough superlatives for how amazing Ali is! The confidence she instilled in my daughter was amazing, and I can’t wait for my son to experience Ali’s magic when he starts later this year. She is fun, friendly and warm, and my daughter truly looked forward to her 11-plus lessons every single week. I couldn’t recommend Ali more highly ”
“I would recommend you anytime. You have done so much for Leon! He writes how I would never imagine it was possible. Thank you for being enthusiastic, professional and fun! People need to know about you because every child deserves to have amazing teachers. “
“She is really enjoying learning and developing her writing with you. Your encouragement has made her feel much more confident and enthusiastic.”
“ I just wanted to share Maliyah-Rae received star of the week today for academic progress.
She has grown so confident in her work. This is all down to you. With tears thank you so much for your teaching I am deeply grateful.
Thank you.”
“He’s really enjoying his lessons so I’m really pleased. I was really unsure as to how he would take to it! But you have such a brilliant way with them and manage to keep them so engaged! So thank you.”
“ Ali has been fantastic with my Year 5 son. They share an excellent connection, and each week he’s eager for their sessions. His progress in creative writing has been outstanding. If you’re looking for someone who is engaging, exciting, and focused on growth, I wholeheartedly suggest Ali. I’m planning to have my daughter start with her when she reaches Year 4 or 5.”
“I wanted to say a big thank you to you for helping Alexandra this Academic year. I received her school report last week and she is exceeding in all areas even in writing. She totally smashed it. The school also tested the year 5 kids last week with SATS papers and she got top scores.”
“Thank you very much for your lessons, K has received two commendations for his writing since joining. His teacher was very impressed with his piece for their last assessment and this reflected in his Effort Grade. K has also commented that he’s very close to declaring writing fun as he’s now enjoying expressing his ideas.”
“ Your lessons are absolutely fabulous. I think you are natural and have a wonderful way with the children during the session.”
“Alex has greatly benefited from both your English and maths classes and his creative writing has really come on in leaps and bounds in our opinion. it’s been great seeing Alex come out of his shell and gaining confidence in his abilities through your classes which are so energising and cleverly designed and delivered. All the supporting materials have been top notch!”
“Thank you, *** absolutely loves his lessons. He came down so happy, stating he is actually looking forward to using the new skills he’s learnt with you!! From a boy who has suffered from anxiety, it was a wonderful statement. He’s delighted, he said it’s your brilliant teaching. In his words he learns more from you in one hour, than he does all day at school!! Sincere thanks.”
“ Just a quick update, S has had Caterham and Whitgift assessments and both went well. He had his Whitgift interview today and they told us he’d come in the top 5% of applicants and scored highly across the board. He was always good at Maths but to know he did well all round is due to your English sessions, so thank you.”
“ Honestly Shailen always tells everyone that Ali taught and helped me the most over the last 2 years. He says without Ali I wouldn’t have passed my 10 plus! You are truly such a great teacher and the children are so lucky to be taught by you.”
E has been given a place at Reigate Grammar with an academic scholarship! She will be over the moon when she finds out. She has become such a confident person and is doing so well at school. Thank you for all your help and enthusiasm. She has improved so much.
“I just wanted to send a big thank you to you for tutoring Harry for his entrance exams. We have received offers today from both Caterham and Trinity.”
“I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for all your ongoing support throughout Sofia’s 11+ journey.
Sofia has made a huge progress across all areas that she worked on with you throughout the year.
You were always accessible and very responsive to any queries that we had throughout the process. I am really grateful for all your guidance and support.
Whenever I speak with others, who are on a similar journey, about the service you provide, I always start by saying how much you genuinely care about the children’s success – that caring approach comes through every interaction and is very special.”
“I have a great news from City school. They called me to offer Shailen a place for September.
We are over the moon and also so grateful for all your support which has made this happen!”
“I just wanted to share with you that Maya has been offered a place in The Tiffin Girls!
We are over the moon and very proud of her!
I want to say a big thank you for helping Maya achieve these results. I think you did an amazing job boosting her knowledge and her understanding of creative writing and vocabulary. You took her to another level.
She told me that she applied everything you told her in the exam and I’m sure that was crucial for the final results.
I think you have to celebrate with us we are so happy, thank you.”
“I just wanted to say as well thank you for all your teaching of Annabella over the last year. She has come on leaps and bounds and was really quite confident going into the independent school exams. We particularly thought that the creative writing session were exceptional. I would (and have) highly recommended Golden Brain to any child who is considering the eleven plus type exams or wants some additional support.”
“I just wanted to let you know that *** has been offered an Academic Scholarship to Woldingham School. She is over the moon and we are so proud of her!
*** goes to a state school so wasn’t doing any prep for the 11+ and was finding going through the Bond books at home rather boring, so we’re so pleased we found Golden Brain Academy. I believe the group lessons gave her the tools and the confidence to succeed. “
“I wanted to thank you so much for all the help you have given Will do far – he got into Dunottar and Reigate Grammar and got academic scholarships to Caterham and Lingfield, so we are so proud and so grateful for all you have done.”
“Just wanted to share great news with you that she has been offered a place in The Tiffin Girls School!!!!!
Thank you so much for your support, it really gave *** (and me) confidence that was much needed. I have shared your contact with lots of my friends and a few have already joined your classes and are so happy with them.”
About Me
Quick Facts
🏆 First Class Honours, University of Warwick
📚 Qualified Teacher Status
🎓 26+ Years in Education
💻 9 Years of 11+ Tutoring
Leadership Experience
- Head of Year
- Head of English
- Head of Pre-Prep
- Assistant Head
I began tutoring for the 11-Plus 9 years ago and moved online during the pandemic. The format has been so successful that I’ve stayed that way — with parents overwhelmingly preferring the flexibility and effectiveness of my virtual sessions.
Specialisms
✓ 11+ Preparation
✓ English
✓ Maths
✓ Creative Writing
✓ Independent School Entrance Exams
Information
Building the Skills, Confidence and Knowledge for 11+ Success
Preparing for the 11+ can feel like a huge step but with the right guidance it becomes a journey of confidence and success.
I have helped hundreds of students build the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in grammar school and independent school entrance examinations.
Lessons are carefully planned to maximise progress while providing personalised support tailored to each child’s individual needs.
English lessons cover comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and creative writing while maths sessions focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Every lesson combines academic challenge with encouragement and exam techniques, helping students become capable, confident learners.
Interactive Lessons That Build Confidence
My lessons focus on teaching understanding and confidence rather than simply drilling practice papers.
Using interactive tools such as Nearpod and Wayground, students actively participate throughout every lesson, allowing me to monitor progress in real time and provide immediate feedback.
Lessons are:
- Fully interactive
- Individually tailored
- Engaging and enjoyable
- Structured around each child’s needs
- Designed to build confidence alongside academic ability
All lesson resources are provided and each student receives clear guidance on how to improve between sessions.
Someone You Can Trust
Making the decision to try for independent or grammar school can be quite overwhelming. Let me ease the pressure with my carefully planned and proven course, which covers everything your child will need to know in order to be successful. Students can take as many sessions per week as they can fit into their schedule .
My students have an incredible success rate. This year, they amassed 76 offers and 17 academic scholarships between them.
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What’s Included:
- A baseline assessment before starting
- 6 live and interactive 55-minute lessons (60 mins for Step Write Up)
- Bespoke lesson resources
- Homework tasks
- Practice exam questions
- Lesson videos for consolidation
- A progress assessment every 7 weeks
- Weekly lesson reports
- Monthly newsletters
- Constant dialogue and support from me
- £22 per lesson – payable weekly
A Proven Track Record
Here are just some of the schools I have successfully prepped students for:
Tiffins, Wallington High School for Girls, Wilsons, Wallington Country Grammar, Nonsuch, St Pauls, Kings, Newstead Wood, Whitgift, Trinity, City of London, Caterham, Woldingham, Reigate Grammar, Tonbridge, The Judd, RGS Guildford, Croydon High, Lingfield, Dubai College, St Johns, St Olaves, Sevenoaks, Cheltenham Ladies College, Epsom College, Cranleigh, Worth, Dunottar, Royal Russell, Dulwich College, Wimbledon High, Bexley Grammar, St Albans, St Dunstan’s College and Brighton College.
Timetable from September 2026
|
From Sept 2026 |
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.45pm | 11-Plus English Y5 | 11-Plus English Y6
(Y4 from Jan 2027) |
Step Write Up
Creative Writing Y3 & 4 |
Step Write Up Creative Writing Y4 advanced |
| 5.45pm | 11-Plus Maths Y6
(Y4 from Jan 2027) |
11-Plus English Y5 | 11-Plus Maths Y5 | 11-Plus Maths Y5 |
| 6.45pm | Step Write Up
Creative Writing Y5-7 (From Jan 2027) |
Step Write Up
Creative Writing Y5-7 |
Step Write Up
Creative Writing Y5-7 |
Step Write Up Creative Writing Y5-7 |
Step Write Up – Creative Writing
A Specialist Writing Course Taught Separately from English Lessons
Creative writing is one of the most important and often overlooked elements of the 11+ and independent school entrance process. Because writing deserves focused teaching and individual feedback, Step Write Up is taught as a dedicated weekly lesson separate from my English classes.
This allows students to fully develop their writing skills rather than trying to fit creative writing into a broader English lesson. Each session is carefully designed to build confidence, expand vocabulary, strengthen sentence structure and help children produce imaginative, high-quality writing across a range of genres.
Whether your child is preparing for grammar school, independent school entrance examinations, SATs or simply wants to become a more confident writer, Step Write Up provides the specialist support they need to excel.
Why Choose Step Write Up?
✓ Designed by an English specialist
✓ Taught by a fully qualified teacher
✓ Aligned with the National Curriculum Writing Framework
✓ Fun, engaging and interactive lessons
✓ Bespoke lesson resources
✓ Fast and effective feedback
✓ Writing marked every lesson
✓ Writers of the Week certificates and awards
✓ Glowing parent reviews
✓ Proven track record of success
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