Tutoring in Maidenhead

Maidenhead has one of the most competitive 11+ catchments in the country. Families here regularly prepare children for entrance to Sir William Borlase's, Herschel Grammar, Reading School and a range of nearby independents. We connect those families with qualified teachers who genuinely know what each school is looking for.

The Maidenhead 11+ landscape

Families in Maidenhead typically consider several routes for secondary education. The two state grammar options most often pursued are Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow (Buckinghamshire) and Herschel Grammar School in Slough. Reading School (for boys) and Kendrick School (for girls) draw applicants from across the wider area.

Each school uses a different examination and weighting. Borlase's and Herschel use the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test format. Reading and Kendrick use independently set papers. Children preparing for multiple grammar schools need preparation that recognises the differences — a single generic 11+ tutor will not be enough.

Alongside the grammar route, many Maidenhead families consider local independent schools — Claires Court (boys and girls), Highfield Preparatory, Caldicott (boys, near Farnham Royal) and Lambrook (Winkfield Row, near Ascot). These schools set their own entrance assessments and interviews.

Where our tutors work in Maidenhead

We have tutors who live in and around Maidenhead itself, with regular sessions in:

• Maidenhead town centre and Boyn Hill
• Furze Platt
• Pinkneys Green
• Bray and Bray Wick
• Cookham and Cookham Dean
• Holyport
• White Waltham and surrounding villages

Most sessions take place either in your home or online. Some tutors also offer sessions at their own homes for families happy to travel.

Which primary schools do we work with?

We work with children from across Maidenhead's primary schools — state and independent. Common feeder schools we see regularly include All Saints Junior, Boyn Hill Infant and Junior, Furze Platt Junior, Lowbrook Academy, Cookham Rise Primary, Holy Trinity Primary, Highfield Prep, Newlands Girls' (for early secondary support), and Claires Court Junior Boys and Girls.

If your child's school isn't listed, that's fine — we simply mention these to show the spread. Our tutors work with children regardless of where they attend.

When to start preparing

For families targeting the September entrance exams in Year 6, we recommend beginning structured preparation in September of Year 5 — twelve months ahead. This gives time to build foundations properly without rushing.

For Year 4 families, light early preparation (focused on reading habits, mental maths fluency, and reasoning puzzles) can be valuable without being intense. We are happy to advise on whether to start formally now or wait.

If your child has just started Year 5, this is the ideal moment to plan. Our 11+ Intensive Programme is designed for exactly this window.

A note on pace

Maidenhead has a strong tutoring culture, and it's easy to feel under pressure to do too much. We strongly believe that good 11+ preparation respects a child's age. An 9-year-old should not be doing three hours of tutoring a week on top of homework on top of clubs. One hour, planned well, supported with focused homework, is enough for most children.

If we don't think your child needs the intensity, we'll say so honestly. The most successful 11+ candidates we see are not the most-tutored — they are the most consistently supported.