How Do You Choose Practice Materials for Brentwood School's 11+?

It is easy to end up with three practice books open, two websites bookmarked and no clear idea which one will actually help. If that is happening in your house, pause before buying anything else. Start with the skills Brentwood School currently says it will assess, then choose the smallest amount of material that lets your child practise those skills well.

NeurofiED is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Brentwood School.

What the current admissions page says

These details were checked on 14 October 2026. Revisit the official page before acting because dates and arrangements can change.

For Year 7 entry, Brentwood School currently asks families to register by 1 November and lists a non-refundable registration fee of £125 including VAT.[1]

The current page says candidates sit GL Assessment's online Adaptive Admissions Tests in Mathematics and English, alongside an English writing task at the school on 28 November 2026.[1]

It also says registered candidates have an individual 15–20 minute meeting with a senior member of staff during November of Year 6.[1]

That makes the preparation decision simpler: English and Maths are useful places to focus, but a child also needs enough confidence to explain their thinking and talk naturally about school work and interests.

Begin with what your child can already do

Choose one short English task and one short Maths task. Keep both untimed. In English, you might use a brief passage followed by a few comprehension questions, then ask for one paragraph of original writing. In Maths, use a small mixed set that includes arithmetic and a problem requiring more than one step.

Watch the method rather than the score. Does your child return to the passage for evidence? Can they organise a paragraph before writing? Do they show enough working to spot where a Maths answer changed direction? Those observations tell you what to practise next.

Match each resource to a clear job

A useful resource should solve a problem you can name. Try this test before adding it to the week:

Comprehension material should encourage your child to find evidence, not simply guess from memory.

Writing practice should leave time to plan, write and improve a short piece.

Maths questions should reveal whether the difficulty is calculation, choosing an operation or following several steps.

Online practice should be easy enough to navigate that the screen does not become the challenge.

If two books do the same job, use one. Familiar routines make it easier to notice progress, while constantly changing formats can hide whether a skill is becoming secure.

Prepare for online questions without living on a screen

Because the school names online adaptive tests, your child should be comfortable reading and answering on a device.[1] That does not mean every session needs to be digital. Teach the underlying English or Maths idea away from the timer first. Then use occasional on-screen practice to rehearse careful clicking, reading the whole question and moving on calmly.

Avoid trying to predict how an adaptive test will score or which question comes next. Your child's useful job remains the same: read accurately, think, answer and reset for the next question.

Keep writing practice short and complete

For a writing task, one completed paragraph can teach more than several rushed pages. Give your child a few minutes to note a beginning, a change and an ending. After writing, choose one improvement: clearer punctuation, a more precise verb or a sentence that needs splitting.

Do not correct everything at once. The goal is for your child to recognise and improve one feature independently the next time.

Make conversation feel ordinary

A formal rehearsal can make a meeting feel more intimidating. Instead, use everyday conversation. Ask your child to tell you about a book, a piece of work they enjoyed or something they found difficult and later understood. Follow up with, “What made you think that?” or “How did you work it out?”

There is no need to script polished answers. Listening, thinking and responding in their own words is the useful practice.

A simple week to try next

Use four short sessions: one comprehension, one writing, one Maths and one mixed review. End each session by asking your child what felt easier and what still needs another example. Keep one note for the following week, then put the materials away.

For school information and the official admissions link, see the Brentwood School guide. To try a focused activity before choosing more materials, open a live Maths lesson.

Sources

[1] Admissions Process | Brentwood School