11 Plus Tutor in Brockley and Crofton Park: Expert Preparation for Dulwich and Independent Schools

Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, and James Allen Girls’ School are all within twenty minutes of Brockley. If you are raising a family in SE4 or Crofton Park, the chances are you have already looked at those schools and noticed that the competition for places is extraordinary. Around 1,500 children sit for Dulwich College’s Year 7 intake. Fewer than 200 get in. The writing assessment is where many children who are strong in maths fall short, and it is where the right preparation makes the biggest difference.

At Geek School Tutoring, creative writing is where we genuinely differ from other tutors. Our founder Joycellyn Akuffo spent two decades writing for national media titles including Cosmopolitan, BBC Good Homes, and Glamour before building Geek School. She teaches children to write the way a professional writer thinks: with precision, structure, and a voice that makes an examiner take notice. Since 2013, more than 1,000 families have come through our doors. Our closest centre to Brockley is in Catford on Campshill Road, SE13, around fifteen minutes by car or direct bus along the South Circular.

Schools Brockley Families Target: What Each Exam Actually Involves

The schools that come up most often for SE4 and Crofton Park families, and what each requires from your child:

Dulwich College

Dulwich uses its own written entrance exam at Year 7. The English paper includes a reading comprehension passage with analytical questions and an extended writing task. The maths paper tests problem-solving and mathematical reasoning at a level significantly above the primary school curriculum. Children who have not specifically practised the extended writing format struggle here, regardless of their general ability. The school also runs an online pre-test via ISEB for some applicants.

Alleyn’s School and James Allen Girls’ School

Both schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test as an initial online screening, covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, and mathematics in an adaptive format. Children who pass the pre-test are invited to the school’s own written papers. Alleyn’s written exam includes an English paper and a mathematics paper. JAGS follows a similar format. Familiarity with the ISEB pre-test interface and question types is essential, as the adaptive format surprises children who have not practised it.

Colfe’s School and City of London

Colfe’s, just a few minutes from Brockley in SE12, uses its own entrance assessment covering English and mathematics. City of London School and City of London Girls use written papers with an emphasis on English comprehension and written expression alongside mathematics. For all these schools, the written English component is where thorough preparation separates candidates from the rest.

Starting in Year 3: Why Earlier Gives Your Child a Real Advantage

Most tutors start children at Year 4 or Year 5. We take children from Year 3, and we would encourage Brockley and Crofton Park families targeting Dulwich, Alleyn’s, or JAGS to think about starting then. These are not exams that reward a year of preparation. The writing skill these schools are looking for, the ability to read carefully, think analytically, and write with clarity and control, develops over time, not in a sprint.

In Year 3, we focus on reading widely and accurately, building vocabulary, understanding how sentences work, and beginning to write with intention rather than just effort. Children who start with us in Year 3 arrive at their Year 6 exams as genuinely confident writers. That is hard to fake and very visible in exam papers.

Year 4 and Year 5: Building on the Foundation

For Year 4 children, we introduce the full range of 11 Plus skills: English comprehension, creative and extended writing, mathematics reasoning, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning for families also considering grammar schools. Sessions are structured but not pressured at this stage. The goal is engagement and habit, not anxiety.

By Year 5, we move into full preparation mode: school-specific mock exams, detailed written feedback on every paper, and targeted homework focused on the gaps each individual child has. We do not give every child the same homework. We give each child the work they specifically need.

Why Geek School and Not a Local Private Tutor?

• Creative writing taught by a working journalist. For Dulwich, Alleyn’s, and JAGS, this is the skill that separates strong candidates. Joycellyn’s media background is a genuine differentiator.
• Small groups of 4 to 6 children. Peer learning, friendly competition, and group feedback, the kind of dynamic that one-to-one sessions cannot replicate.
• School-specific mock exams. Children sit papers that mirror the actual format of their target schools and receive individual written feedback after each one.
• Free initial assessment. No commitment until you know exactly where your child stands and what they need.

Getting to Us from Brockley and Crofton Park

Our Catford centre is on Campshill Road, SE13, a short walk from Lewisham Hospital. From Brockley station, Catford is around fifteen minutes by car. From Crofton Park station, the 185 or 484 buses connect directly to Catford town centre. For families where the journey is not practical, our live online sessions are recorded and get the same results as in-person.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should my child start 11 plus preparation if we live in Brockley?

For independent schools such as Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, and JAGS, we recommend starting in Year 3 where possible. Year 4 is a good start for most families. Year 5 is workable but requires more focused and intensive preparation. The earlier your child starts, the more time we have to build skills properly rather than cram them.

Do you take children from Year 3?

Yes. We take children from Year 3 onwards, which is one of the things that sets us apart from most tutors who start at Year 4 or 5. Year 3 preparation is gentler and more exploratory, focused on building a love of reading, strong vocabulary, and confident writing. It makes every subsequent year of preparation more effective.

What does the Dulwich College entrance exam test?

The Dulwich College Year 7 exam includes written papers in English and mathematics. The English paper has a comprehension section and an extended writing task. The maths paper tests reasoning and problem-solving at a level above the primary curriculum. Some applicants also sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test online. Children who have not practised the extended writing format specifically often underperform on the English paper despite being strong readers and writers in school.

Is the ISEB Common Pre-Test the same for all schools?

The ISEB pre-test is used as an initial screening by many independent schools including Alleyn’s and JAGS. It is an adaptive online test, meaning the difficulty adjusts as the child progresses. The subjects covered are English, mathematics, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. The score is shared with multiple schools, so children only sit it once. Familiarity with the format and question types is important, because children who have not encountered adaptive testing before can find the experience unsettling.

Can my child sit the exam for both grammar schools and independent schools?

Yes, and many families do. Grammar schools such as St Olave’s, Beths Grammar, and Bexley Grammar are within reach of SE4, and their entrance exams are separate from the independent school process. We prepare children for both pathways simultaneously where families want that. The skill sets overlap significantly, though the exam formats differ, and we make sure children are ready for the specific format of every school on their list.

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