About Us

I am a journalist with more than a decade's experience. I have worked on some of the UK's top women's magazine titles - from BBC Good Homes to Cosmopolitan and Glamour magazine, as well as the more 'serious' business titles...more than 20 titles in all.

My media background comes in handy for helping children with the creative writing element of the 11 Plus exam preparation. There's nothing more satisfying than looking at the amazement on the faces of the children I tutor when I show them how they can bring their words to life - and enjoy it.

I'm also a mother of two children, so I have good experience of how children learn - and having my eldest child through the 11 Plus process, I understand many of the parents' concerns. I've been tutoring children for the 11 Plus (including mine) for the best of eight years, and I know how to get the best out of them so they can start to shine - in time for those exams!

11 Plus Preparation

Journalists have a way with words - we love to play with words, and to do that, a good understanding of the English language is required. Yes, other tutors can help children prepare for the 11 Plus, but these days the competition is so stiff, and for every place at any school, five to 10 children are competing for each school place, so children need their writing to sparkle when they take an 11 Plus test.

We all know that children like to have fun what better way to make what is, essentially, complex subjects like English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning (if they are preparing for grammar tests of the 11 Plus) enjoyable for children to learn? I don't believe in engineering robots when preparing children for the 11 Plus - they need to be able to think, and problem solve from now to the end of their educational journey, so the foundation needs to be a good one.

An appreciation of nouns, adjectives, synonyms, and other clauses in the English language, is just one part of the 11 Plus exam that children take. Being able to delve into a story and blitz through comprehension without the tears and confusion is another. All of this is achievable with an 11 Plus tutor who can break the subject matter down in an enjoyable and digestible way.

Then there's the maths part: it is a subject that terrifies many, children and adults alike. I firmly believe that this is often due to poor teaching and a weak grasp of the fundamentals (times tables or basic operations like multiplication and division). As an experienced 11 Pus tutor, I aim to find the root cause of the problem and eradicate it. Having an A-level in maths is a bonus, too. A good grasp of maths means that I can break it down in a digestible form for children, and they do excel under my tutorship. My career required me to work with figures, disseminate financial reports, manage budgets and costs etc.

The verbal and non-verbal reasoning components of the 11 Plus exams are an extension of English and maths, respectively, giving or taking a few codes here and there. If the strange diagrams and letters confuse you, send your child to Geek School!

Joycellyn Akuffo