I’ll be honest with you: ‘free’ in the education world sometimes means a 10-minute online quiz that tells you your child is ‘above average’ regardless of what they scored. That’s not what this is.
When we say free 11+ assessment at Geek School, we mean a genuine, professional evaluation – the kind that gives you real, actionable information about your child rather than a vague endorsement designed to get you to book something.
So let me walk you through exactly what it involves, what you’ll learn from it, and why it’s the most useful first step you can take if you’re considering 11+ preparation.
What Actually Happens in the Assessment
The assessment is structured to give us – and more importantly, you – a clear picture of where your child stands across the core areas tested in the 11+. Depending on your target schools, this typically covers:
- Verbal reasoning: How well your child processes and manipulates language-based problems
- Non-verbal reasoning: Spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and abstract thinking
- Mathematics: Arithmetic, problem-solving, and the style of maths questions that appear in 11+ papers
- English comprehension: Reading for meaning, inference, and the ability to answer questions accurately from a text
- Creative writing (where relevant): An initial sense of how your child approaches a written task under light time pressure
The assessment is designed to be low-pressure. We’re not trying to recreate exam conditions – we’re trying to understand your child. There’s a significant difference.
What You Find Out Afterwards
After the assessment, you’ll have a clear conversation with us about what we found. Not a sales pitch – a genuine debrief. You’ll understand:
- Where your child’s natural strengths already lie (this is often more reassuring than parents expect)
- Which specific areas need targeted attention before the exam
- What a realistic preparation timeline looks like for your child specifically
- Which exam formats are most relevant for your target schools
- What kind of support will make the biggest difference – and what isn’t necessary
That last point is important. We don’t tell every family they need five sessions a week. Good guidance sometimes means telling you that your child is in a stronger position than you thought, and that a focused, modest programme is genuinely sufficient.
Why This Matters for Grammar School Entry
Grammar school selection is competitive – but it’s not random. The children who succeed are almost always the ones whose preparation was targeted rather than just extensive. More hours of generic preparation rarely beats fewer hours of well-informed, specific preparation.
The assessment is what makes preparation specific. Without it, families often spend months working on the wrong things – reinforcing existing strengths while leaving gaps unaddressed. With it, every session has a clear purpose.
A Note on Timing
We see families at every stage – some come to us two years before the exam, some come six months out, some come in a slight panic three months before. All of these are workable. But the families who have the most relaxed, confident preparation journeys are the ones who start with a clear picture early.
If your child is in Year 3, 4, or early Year 5 and you’re thinking about selective school entry, now is a genuinely good time to understand where they are. Not to ramp up pressure – but to plan thoughtfully.
Where Creative Writing Fits In
One thing the assessment often reveals is a gap between a child’s reasoning skills and their written English abilities. Lots of children are sharp thinkers but haven’t developed the writing skills to match – which is a problem for schools that heavily weight the creative writing component.
Where this is the case, we’ll often recommend adding specialist creative writing support alongside the main tuition programme. Our colleagues at 11 Plus Essay do extraordinary work in this area – it’s genuinely specialist, and the difference it makes to a child’s confidence and performance is remarkable.
Book Your Child’s Free 11+ Assessment – No Obligation, Genuinely UsefulFind out exactly where your child stands, what they need, and how to prepare them properly for grammar school entry.Book now: www.geekschool.co.uk/book-a-free-assessment-for-your-child/
We work with families across Beckenham, Lewisham, and the wider South London area. If you have questions before booking, we’re happy to have a quick chat – no pressure, just information.
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