11 Plus Tutor in New Cross and Deptford: Expert Preparation for Dulwich, City of London and Alleyn’s

New Cross and Deptford have changed significantly as family destinations over the past decade. Parents who have chosen SE14 and SE8 are often ambitious for their children’s secondary education, and the cluster of outstanding independent schools in Dulwich, Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, James Allen Girls’ School, is an increasingly common target. So are City of London School and City of London Girls. These are not local schools in the geographic sense, but they are accessible, and families who start their child’s preparation early give themselves a genuine chance.

At Geek School Tutoring, our Catford centre is around twenty minutes from New Cross by car. Our founder Joycellyn Akuffo is a journalist who spent more than twenty years writing for national media before building Geek School. She developed the creative writing and English programme that sits at the heart of what we do, because it is the writing component of these schools’ entrance exams where well-rounded but under-prepared children most often fall short. Since 2013, more than 1,000 families have trusted us with their children’s preparation.

Schools New Cross and Deptford Families Target: What Each Exam Involves

Dulwich College

Dulwich College uses its own written entrance exam covering English and mathematics. The English paper includes a comprehension section and an extended writing task. The writing task is where thorough preparation matters most. Children who have been taught to write with structure, precision, and a distinctive voice consistently produce stronger papers than those whose preparation has focused mainly on maths and verbal reasoning.

Alleyn’s School and James Allen Girls’ School

Both Alleyn’s and JAGS use the ISEB Common Pre-Test as an initial online screening, followed by the school’s own written papers. The pre-test is adaptive and covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, and mathematics. Children who have not encountered adaptive testing before can find the experience disconcerting. The written papers that follow include English comprehension and extended writing tasks where the quality of written expression is a significant factor in the result.

City of London School and City of London Girls

The City of London schools use their own written entrance papers with a strong emphasis on English comprehension, written expression, and mathematics. Both schools are academically rigorous and selective. The English writing component is a significant differentiator at City of London, and children who have learned to write analytically and accurately, rather than just at length, produce consistently stronger papers.

Year 3: Getting Ahead of the Competition

We take children from Year 3, earlier than most tutors. For New Cross and Deptford families targeting the Dulwich independent schools or City of London, starting in Year 3 is the approach we most strongly recommend. The writing skill these schools are testing for develops over years, not months. A child who has been reading carefully, writing regularly, and building vocabulary since Year 3 writes at a noticeably different level from one who begins focused preparation in Year 5.

Year 3 sessions are calm and exploratory: reading widely, discussing what we read, writing short pieces and thinking about what works in them. There are no mock exams at this stage. The goal is building a genuine relationship with reading and writing that carries through into the more structured preparation of Years 4 and 5, and eventually shows in the exam paper itself.

Year 4 and Year 5: Building on the Foundation

In Year 4 we build the full programme: English comprehension and extended writing, mathematics reasoning, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning for families also considering grammar schools. Timed exercises are introduced gradually. In Year 5 we move into full mock exam mode for the specific schools on your child’s list, with individual written feedback on every paper and a programme adjusted based on each child’s results.

Getting to Us

Our Catford centre is on Campshill Road, SE13, around twenty minutes from New Cross by car or via the 36 or 171 bus. From Deptford, the journey is similar. For families where the commute is not practical, our live online sessions achieve the same results and all sessions are recorded for review.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the right time to start 11 plus preparation for Dulwich College from New Cross?

We recommend starting in Year 3 where possible, or Year 4 at the latest. The writing skill Dulwich College is looking for, analytical comprehension, extended creative or discursive writing, takes time to develop. Families who start in Year 5 can still achieve good results, but the preparation is more intensive and less comfortable than it needs to be.

Do you take children from Year 3?

Yes. We take children from Year 3, which is earlier than most tutors. Year 3 is an exploratory stage focused on reading, vocabulary, and building confidence with language. There are no mock exams at this stage. The long-term benefit is a child who arrives at Year 6 writing at a level that is genuinely hard to achieve through a year of intensive preparation alone.

What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test and how should we prepare for it?

The ISEB pre-test is an adaptive online assessment covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, and mathematics. It is used by Alleyn’s, JAGS, and many other independent schools. Children sit it once and the score is shared with multiple schools. Preparation involves becoming familiar with the adaptive format, practising all four subject areas under timed conditions, and managing the experience of a test that gets harder as you score well on it.

Are the Dulwich independent schools worth targeting from SE14?

Yes, and many New Cross and Deptford families do target them successfully. The schools are around twenty minutes by car. The entrance exams are competitive but not impossible with the right preparation. What matters is starting early enough, covering the right subjects, and, for the English paper, building genuine writing ability rather than memorising formulas.

Does Geek School offer interview preparation?

Yes. Interview preparation for independent school entrance is available through our sister site IndependentSchoolInterview.co.uk, which was built specifically for the 11 Plus independent school interview process. Many families overlook interview preparation, but it can be decisive for borderline candidates and makes even strong candidates perform noticeably better.

Related: 11 Plus Tutor Near Me | 11 Plus Tutor in Dulwich | 11 Plus Tutor in Brockley | 11 Plus Creative Writing Course | Independent School Interview Preparation