11 Plus FAQs: Courses, Mock Exams & Preparation
Quick Contents
Before Purchasing your course | After purchasing your course | Mock Exams
FAQs- Before purchasing your course
Q. Are Learning Street materials effective?
Yes, very effective. We have had a great deal of success helping children get into Grammar Schools around the country and with entry to the most competitive Independent Schools.
Our materials have been used by schools, tutors and by ourselves for over twenty years. Full details are on our proven success page.
Q. Can I buy these courses if I am a teacher/private tutor?
Teachers: If you are a teacher then please fill out the form on our contact us page where we can discuss your needs and offer a personalised solution for you.
Private Tutors: Private tutors can use our courses, however, the course must be purchased for each pupil and cannot be purchased once and be used for multiple pupils. The best way to do this is to ask the family to purchase the relevant course and then check the work has been done during weekly lessons.
Lots of tutors ask their pupils to use our vocabulary courses particularly because there is nothing similar available as a book.
Purchasing a course once and then using it multiple times will be in breach of our copyright.
Q. How can you supply the materials so cheaply?
While these materials are available through Lessons in the Post in courses which cost £1,000 +, with Learning Street we wanted to make the materials more accessible. The internet delivery process helps us to keep costs low and equally so does dealing with questions on email rather the phone.
Many parents who have wanted to use lessons in the post but found us full have been relieved to find the same resources available very reasonably on Learning Street. Mostly, however, we have found parents are buying courses because they take the hassle out of deciding what books to buy and dreaming up a structured programme of work by themselves.
The fully structured nature of our courses is particularly appealing to busy parents.
Q. How do I pay for my course?
Our payment provider is World Pay who is the UK’s leading payment processor. WorldPay recognise that security is one of the major concerns for the shopper during an online transaction. So they use state of the art security tools and techniques to ensure that you are protected against online fraud. In reality, an online purchase is probably more secure than a card transaction conducted in a shop, over the telephone or by fax – because WorldPay ensures that your online purchase details are encrypted using complex logarithm methods. For more information about WorldPay online security visit the WorldPay website at www.worldpay.com.
Q. How will course materials be delivered to me?
When you purchase a course you will set up an account with us. The first part of your course will be available to download immediately. Thereafter every week you will get an email letting you know that the next part is ready to download. We release parts of the course every week so as not to swamp you with work.
Parents like printing off the first part of each course, completing it and then printing off the next when they are ready.
Q. Is the price a one-off or a subscription?
A lot of people have asked us if the prices listed on the site are a one-off cost or a subscription for the duration of the course given their surprise at the low price. All the prices are a one-off cost and give you full access to all parts of the course that you have purchased. You can be assured that we will not take any further payments from you have the initial cost for the course which is listed on the site.
Q. What courses should I buy?
Find out what exam provider and exams the school that you are applying for uses. You can use our Find Your Course feature to do this, where you can find your school and the exam information. Once you have found this information you can work out what courses your child should be doing based on their strengths and weaknesses, age and how much time you have left before the exam.
We are one of the few providers that give you a time frame for each course, so you can see whether you have enough time before the exam to complete it and if you should go for a shorter course or if you have time to use a longer and more in-depth course.
Q. What percentage success have we had?
We are a subsidiary of Lessons in the Post – the country’s leading premium supplier of guided courses. While Lessons in the Post supplies courses with personal phone support for £1000+, we use the same materials to supply courses that are stand-alone with some email support if needed- our course costs start at £15.
We know the courses work because we have been using them through Lessons in the Post for two decades. In our most analysis we took 200 pupils (unfiltered) and looked at their results having completed our full preparation course – 73% got a place at Grammar School, and results for Independent School entry were even higher with some getting scholarship and bursary awards.
Of course, buying our courses is only a first step, most importantly the courses need to be completed as instructed. Full details are on our proven success page.
FAQs- After purchasing your course
Q. Can I call customer support?
Unfortunately, we do not offer customer support via telephone. We do however offer excellent customer support through email by filling out the form on our contact us page with a response within 24 hours and often within a few hours.
Q. I didn’t receive an email with my course/reminder?
The courses are not sent out via email, but instead, you get an email reminder each week that the next part of your course is available to download from your account on the Learning Street website. If you are not receiving your weekly reminder then please check your spam folder as it may be there, and then add us to your contact list so it no longer goes to spam.
Q. I’ve bought a course but can’t access it?
If you have bought a course and are unable to access it then we apologise for this issue. While 99% of our orders go through with no problem, an occasional issue is possible. Please fill out the form on our contact us page. Our technical support team will normally respond within 24 hours and will work quickly to sort out any problems and ensure that you are satisfied.
Q. What if I find mistakes in the course?
While we have checked all our materials on numerous occasions, as with all publishers, it is possible for a mistake to slip through. If you do find a mistake then please contact us either by filling out the form on our contact us page. Please inform us of the course, the part and what sheet the mistake is on so that we can fix it quickly.
Q. What if I’ve forgotten my password?
If you have forgotten your password then you can please visit our reset password page where you will need to enter your email address and you will then receive a link via email to set a new password.
Q. Where can I find my course?
You can find your course by logging into your account on learning street, going into ‘My Account’ section, clicking on orders where you will then find all of the courses that you have purchased and then click view on the course you want to download where you will see the parts for that course.
Q. Why can’t I download all the parts at once?
We don’t allow all the parts to be downloaded all at once simply because it can lead to the course being rushed and your child not receiving the full benefits of our courses. We want our courses to be used well so that your child receives the full benefits and has the best chance of succeeding in their exams. This will come from taking time with each part of the course, going over mistakes and weaknesses and allowing time for your child to fully understand and absorb the new information.
For our courses, we have found that around one week for each part is a good time frame which is why we email you with a weekly reminder that the next part is available to download. However, we do release one part per day so the next part of the course will be ready should you need it.
If because of holidays or being very tight for time you need to download more, then please ask us by filling out the form on our contact us page. In these circumstances, we can speed up delivery.
Q. Why do you email me every week when a new part is released?
The courses have been written so that they can be completed during a week. However, there is always the flexibility to work more quickly or slowly than this. We send an email to you one week after you have downloaded the last part of your course and then send two further reminders in ensuing weeks if you have not downloaded the next part. We send these three emails to help you stay on track but only send three because we do not want to bother you unnecessarily.
FAQs – Mock Exams
Q. What is included in a Learning Street 11 Plus mock exam?
Each Mock Pack contains a complete practice exam designed around the known format of the relevant 11 Plus test. Packs also include the materials parents need to administer the mock at home, together with answers and guidance for reviewing performance.
Q. Are the mock exams designed for a specific school or area?
Yes. Where we produce school- or area-specific mocks, we research the known exam structure, subjects, question formats and timings for that test. This means the mocks are designed around the relevant entrance exam rather than being generic 11 Plus papers with a different name added.
Q. Are all four Mock Packs different?
Yes. Mock Packs 1–4 contain different questions, so children can complete several fresh mock exams during their preparation without simply repeating the same material.
Q. Should my child complete the mock under timed conditions?
Yes. Once your child has developed the underlying skills needed for the test, completing mocks under realistic timed conditions helps them practise pacing, concentration and exam technique as well as subject knowledge.
Q. When should my child start doing full mock exams?
Full mocks are normally most useful after your child has already developed the main skills and knowledge required for the exam. Earlier preparation should focus on building strong foundations, learning question techniques and improving accuracy before progressing to complete timed papers.
Q. Can we run the mock exam at home?
Yes. Our Mock Packs are designed so parents can administer them at home. We provide instructions explaining how to run the test so that you can reproduce the practical demands of the entrance exam as closely as possible.
Q. Are answers included?
Yes. Answers are provided so you can review the paper after the mock and identify where marks were lost. Rather than focusing only on the final score, it is useful to look for weaknesses in knowledge, accuracy, timing and exam technique.
Q. What score should my child be getting in the mocks?
We do not recommend treating one fixed raw percentage as a universal 11 Plus pass mark. Official results may be standardised or assessed differently depending on the school or area. Mock scores are better used to monitor progress, identify weaker areas and compare performance across several fresh papers.
Q. Are Learning Street mocks exactly the same as the real 11 Plus exam?
Our mocks are designed using the latest reliable information available to us about the relevant test, including its known structure, subjects, response formats and timings. They are practice materials rather than official papers, so families should always check the latest admissions information from the relevant school or testing authority.
Q. Should we complete all four mocks one after another?
Usually, no. The four different Mock Packs are most useful when they are spaced throughout preparation. After each mock, review the answers, work on the most important weaker areas and then use the next fresh mock to see whether performance has improved.
Q. Should I buy one Mock Pack or the full bundle?
One Mock Pack can be useful for experiencing the format or checking progress at a particular point in preparation. The Packs 1–4 Bundle provides four different complete mocks, making it easier to test, review weaknesses, continue preparation and then measure progress again using fresh questions.
Q. Are the mock exams delivered by post?
No. Learning Street Mock Packs are supplied as PDF downloads, giving you access to the materials so they can be printed and used at home.
