11+ passes and Grammar school places for this dynamic duo

Twin sisters, Beccy and Lizzie, have been studying both the Kumon Maths and English Programmes for the past six years, at the Thornbury study centre. Having developed their study skills from an early age, it’s no surprise that Beccy and Lizzie successfully passed their 11+ exams and successfully secured themselves places at Grammar school.

The girls' mother, Jackie, reflected on why she originally enrolled her daughters with Kumon. She told us, “Because my daughters’ birthdays are in September, they were the oldest in their year at school and they had started to find their schoolwork rather easy and unstimulating. The girls wanted to do more, but there was little additional support their school could give them. I knew Kumon Instructor Trina from the gym and after hearing about her Kumon centre, I decided to enrol the girls onto both programmes.”

The Kumon Study Programmes build good academic foundations in maths and English, and although they are not specifically designed to match the style of questions or topics covered in the 11+ maths or English tests, Kumon students often benefit from their thorough subject knowledge, mental arithmetic and speed in these tests. Kumon helped Beccy and Lizzie to develop the skills needed to tackle the 11+ exams and the mental reasoning they required. Kumon study also prepared the sisters to be able to work under timed conditions, whilst giving them the room to build good stamina, speed, accuracy and the ability to study advanced work comfortably and confidently.

Commenting on how the programmes helped prepare her daughters for the 11+ exams, Jackie said, 

“The girls already had good study skills and knew how to pace themselves through the 11+ exam. They were used to working in timed conditions and an exam environment, thanks to Kumon.” 

Jackie additionally expressed her thoughts about Kumon vs 11+ private tutoring: 

“I would choose Kumon every time. Unlike 11+ tutoring Kumon offers so much more; daily study allows one to progress in small incremental steps. The 11+ tutors can’t prepare you for everything. It’s hard to prepare when you don’t know what will come up - it’s more important to try and have a big breadth of understanding. Kumon builds good foundations to develop children’s maths and English abilities, as shown with my daughters.”

Aside from supporting with exam preparation, Kumon helps students develop a range of fundamental life and study skills which are transferable across all school subjects. Beccy and Lizzie are therefore in a great position to continue to excel throughout their secondary education and beyond. Jackie explains,

“Over the years, Kumon has helped immensely. My daughters have developed several study skills; they can now manage their time effectively, work independently, focus and solve tasks, and they have a good sense of responsibility. Daily Kumon study has enabled the girls to develop a firm study routine which is now part of their daily lives; this is reflected in their approach to their school homework and music studies. The concept of ‘little and often’ especially helped during the national lockdowns.

"It is very rare they ask me for help or support; they have grown as independent learners. Occasionally, when they do ask for help, I often ask the girls to talk through the problem and they usually reach the answer themselves. The maths programme has improved their mental arithmetic speed; it is brilliant. They are both avid readers enhanced by the English programme - they continue to read a whole array of genres that has helped to widen their vocabulary.”

Jackie couldn’t be prouder of her daughters’ achievements and commitment to their Kumon studies.
Both have strong career aspirations; Beccy would one day like to work for NASA and Lizzie would like to become a vet.

We wish the girls all the very best with their future studies as they continue to excel through the Kumon programmes.