Ask the Experts: Progress and Exam Timing

The Question

Hi,

My son is preparing for the Sutton and Tiffins Schools. He is currently achieving an average of 70% for English and 80%+ for Maths. I am concerned about his marks but I am really worried about timing. He is so slow completing the comprehension in particular.

Should I be worried and how can I help him?

Our Answer

Thank you for your question. Hopefully, our advice will help.

Firstly, it sounds like your son is making good progress in both Maths and English. Scores of 70% and 80%+ - respectively - are excellent for this point in the year.

As you know, your target schools are super-selective so you will ideally need to be aiming for 85+ in both Maths and English. Therefore, at this point in the year, you should focus on ensuring your son is familiar with the whole KS2 curriculum and some of the KS3 too (especially for Tiffins).

If you have a tutor, they should be setting suitably challenging work given your target schools. A good tutor will also share target areas with you so you can address any weaknesses at home. If you don't have a tutor, use some of the existing workbooks and see if you can identify any areas your son needs to work on. Children often make the most progress in the last few months before the exams. Given your son's pleasing scores, he will surely make additional progress and be on target in time for the exams.

Regarding timing, please don't worry too much at the moment. Timing tends to improve once the children are more confident with all the topics and types of questions. However, one way to gently improve timing is to complete some of the 10-minute tests, especially for comprehension, To start with, allow your son as long as he needs (even if it is 20 minutes) and then deduct a minute each time to help him slowly improve his speed.

Best of luck with your son's learning journey 🙏