Hampstead headteacher offers independent senior school tips

It is a peculiarity of the system that means the selection process for 11+ and 13+ entry takes place during the first half of Year 6, invariably involving online testing, English and maths assessments (and sometimes a General Paper), as well as an interview, observed group activity, or both.

The key to success, as I see it, is implementing an educational strategy that is both coherent and challenging. This starts with a pre-school curriculum, for those prep schools with nurseries, and the cementing of foundational knowledge through subsequent year groups.

Richard Berlie offers some practical tips on preparing for senior school (Image: St Anthony's)

I think we should be ambitious for children because at a younger age their minds resemble sponges, taking in information about each other and the world around them at a rapid pace.

Preparation takes on a greater sense of urgency and focus from Year 5. Pupils will become familiar with online testing platforms such as Atom Learning, as well as learning to tackle questions under timed conditions. They should, as in my school, be asked to respond to knotty problems and to articulate their approach verbally and in writing.

Retrieval practice, that is to say memorising information and being able to deploy it appropriately, is a key differentiator between pupils who win places at the most competitive schools and those who don’t.

Pupils need to know things which in a good school involves a mix of the traditional and the modern: rote learning and regular tests balanced against revisiting and reinforcing understanding through debate and discussion. 

High quality teaching that draws on the Socratic model of questioning has proved to be particularly successful. Setting the bar high, fostering curiosity and confidence, and good old-fashioned exam drilling are all a part of the mix.

Richard Berlie is headmaster of St Anthony's School for Boys, Hampstead.