How Can You Build Pace Calmly for City of London School's 11+?

You might notice that your child can solve a question accurately at the kitchen table, then hurry and lose their place as soon as a timer appears. That is a useful sign: the next step is not a full timed paper, but a gradual move from a secure method to short bursts of paced work.

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Start with the current 2027 route

These details were checked on 16 October 2026. Dates and arrangements can change, so return to the school's official page before acting on them.

For 2027 entry, City of London School lists Monday 2 November 2026 as the registration deadline and Friday 27 November 2026 as the assessment date.[1]

The school says registered applicants complete a 105-minute online assessment and a 30-minute creative-writing task.[1]

Its online assessment covers English, Mathematics, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, creative comprehension and puzzles.[1]

Candidates who perform well are invited to an interview and group activity in January 2027, and the school also considers a confidential report from the child's current school.[1]

The published format helps you understand the day. It does not mean your child needs to rehearse the entire assessment every week.

Find a method your child can explain

Begin with one short English task or one short Maths task without a timer. Ask your child to explain what they are doing as they work. In English, that might mean returning to a passage to find the sentence that supports an answer, planning the order of a paragraph or checking punctuation at the end. In Maths, it might mean identifying the operation, estimating first or setting out working so it can be checked.

Choose one point to improve. If your child misreads a question, practise pausing to underline the instruction. If a calculation goes wrong, work through one clear example together and then try two fresh examples. A small correction that can be repeated is more useful than a long list of faults.

Add pace in three small steps

Once the method is reliable, try this progression:

Count up, rather than down. Let your child complete five questions and note how long the set took. Keep the mood neutral. The first aim is simply to notice a comfortable working pace.

Repeat a similar set. On another day, use fresh questions at a comparable level. Ask your child to keep the same careful method while working a little more smoothly.

Use a short time window. Set eight or ten minutes, not a full paper. When time ends, stop and review which choices helped: reading first, skipping a sticky question where the format allows it, or leaving a moment to check.

If accuracy drops sharply, remove the timer and shorten the task. That is not going backwards; it is a sign that the method needs more practice before speed becomes useful.

Keep creative writing separate from rushing

A 30-minute writing task still needs thinking time. Give your child a simple prompt and practise dividing the session into planning, writing and checking. A brief plan might name the setting, the main change and a final image. During checking, look for complete sentences, paragraph breaks, punctuation and words that fit the meaning.

Avoid memorised openings or ornate phrases that do not fit the story. Help your child develop the more transferable habit of choosing a clear idea and shaping it for the prompt in front of them.

A manageable week

Three short sessions are enough to learn something useful:

Session one: teach or revisit one English skill, then try a few fresh examples.

Session two: do the same for one Maths skill.

Session three: use one short paced set, followed by a calm review.

Keep a note in ordinary language: “fractions were secure until the wording changed” or “the paragraph had good ideas but needed clearer stops.” Use that observation to choose the next session. Scores alone rarely tell you what to teach next.

You can keep the official route close at hand through the City of London School guide. When you are ready for a focused next step, try a live Maths lesson and watch how your child approaches the explanation as well as the answer.

Sources

[1] 11+ Entry - City of London School