11+ school entrance tutoring

Your son or daughter will be supported with a personalised learning journey that will equip them with skills, vocabulary and conceptual knowledge to succeed in 11+ (or 10+) exams and, more importantly, their entire senior school education.

Adam D’Souza and the Select:ed team are experts in school entrance preparation, specialising in teaching this age group, and demonstrating a track record of success.

  • In Arjun’s words you were “awesome” and he loved his lessons / discussions with you. You treated Arjun as an an equal listening to his views, debating and discussing as equals. It really did wonders in terms of Arjun finding his own viewpoint and increased  engagement. I appreciated that you thought of his interests in getting him to appreciate new genres etc. I wish we had found you sooner. It would have helped his creative writing skills more. And I really appreciated  that you didn’t dump him with lots of homework. This way he enjoyed the learning.

    Meghna, happy parent of a successful 11+ student, now at Whitgift School

  • Adam has been very good at understanding what makes my son tick and where his interests lie and has tailored the tuition to suit that. It’s typical ‘boy stuff’ a lot of the time with interesting adventure stories, tales about new countries and interesting parts of history, but interwoven into that are all the vital skills they need for 11/13+. The rapport Adam has with him is great: it’s professional but relaxed and that inspires my son to want to impress him and to give it his all in the hour he has with him. His vocabulary and style has undoubtedly improved

    Mel, happy parent of a successful 11+ student, now an academic scholar at King’s Wimbledon

  • Adam tutored my son for a couple of years in preparation for very competitive 11+ entrance exams for top London schools. The sessions were online as we lived out of town at the time and he did a great job of connecting with my son and finding topics to engage his attention. His sessions are in no way rote-learning or repetitive, they are individually tailored and very well-thought through. The aim wasn’t to tutor our son to pass the exams per se. We wanted to ensure he didn’t become complacent at school, where he wasn’t being challenged sufficiently, as well as develop his skills and abilities to be learning, to some extent, at the level of the schools he would be trying for, which helps with the second stage of exams.

    Laura, happy parent of a successful 11+ student, now at Westminster School

  • Adam helped prepare our son for his 11+ exams via weekly tutoring sessions at our home. He got to know our son and his interests at an early stage and tailored his teaching to reflect those passions, which really helped engage our son. His approach was very well rounded and mature, encouraging our son to think around issues, challenge himself and tap in to his curiosity, rather than solely focussing on exam technique. We also hugely valued Adam’s input when considering secondary schools, as he knew our son (and us!) and what might be the best fit. Ultimately, our son was accepted to all four schools he applied to and was offered two academic scholarships.

    Sam, happy parent of a successful 11+ student

  • The engaging approach of our tutor totally clicked with our daughter. She blossomed in the tutoring and looked forward to it. It meant that when she came to the entrance exams and interviews for the school she was keenest on, she aced it. I'm convinced she wouldn't have got in without Adam D'Souza as her tutor. Absolutely convinced. I highly recommend.

    Simon, happy parent of a successful 11+ student

Sustainable learning: 11+ exam success and beyond

Your son or daughter thriving academically in their senior school education is my main aim.

You might think 11+ tutoring is about passing exams. For me, and my team, it is about empowering your son or daughter with lasting knowledge and skills to succeed in their new school. The heart of my educational philosophy is academic value-add: helping your child to make exceptional progress, wherever their starting point. 11+ exam success is a happy by-product of this work.

I am committed to helping my young students grow intellectually – encouraging independent learning, creative thinking and confident communication.

A track record of outstanding results

They say it is better to travel well than to arrive… I say it is best to travel well, then arrive somewhere amazing!

Everyone in the Select:ed team is chosen for their empathetic ability to craft the right-fit school transition journey for your child, whether as a consultant or tutor. I have supported more than 230 children to apply to academically selective schools. Furthermore, I have taught across both prep and senior, and acted as an 11+ examiner – so I know what schools are looking for. I also aim to put your mind at ease about some of the entrance exam myths that circulate on social media.

My former students have received 11+ offers at some of London and the UK’s most academically competitive schools.

Former students have secured 11+ places at London’s most competitive schools…

Emotional wellbeing and pastoral care

What sets my approach apart, the greatest source of professional pride, is the quality of human relationships.

For every child, emotional wellbeing is key to their academic success. What marks out my 11+ tutoring approach as exceptional is the emphasis I place on developing strong relationships, pastoral care and positive mental health.

11+ preparation is a marathon, not a sprint – it is important to help your child build sustainable learning habits that will enable them to show off their potential on exam day.

Every member of the Select:ed team has significant insight, gained as teacher, head, tutor or admissions lead, on the emotional needs of children at this crucial transition stage of their education, and the pressures facing parents during the 11+ process. Several colleagues have pastoral leadership experience and coaching or safeguarding qualifications.